James Toliver Craig, a 45-year-old dentist, was arrested by the Aurora Police Department on Sunday after an investigation revealed that he poisoned his 43-year-old wife, Angela, on multiple occasions earlier in the week – ultimately leading to her death. Craig was booked on a first-degree murder charge.
According to the arrest warrant, James first tried to poison his wife on March 6 when he purposely added arsenic to her protein smoothie after they finished a workout. His wife immediately started feeling dizzy and faint, at which point she was taken to the hospital. She ended up surviving and was later discharged.
On March 15, Angela was rushed to the hospital for a second time after she complained of dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and more. Doctors put her on a ventilator before confirming she had, in fact, been poisoned. Her condition quickly deteriorated, and she was pronounced dead shortly after.
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The Aurora Police Department’s Major Crimes Homicide Unit led the investigation, and all signs pointed toward James being the suspect – in large part thanks to one of his staff members at the dental office. She grew eerily suspicious in the days leading up to his wife’s death – and for good reason.
Her suspicion began when she found him using a computer in one of the exam rooms, which was strange because he had a computer of his own. Later that day, James told his staff member he had a package arriving soon and asked her not to open it upon its arrival – again, this was strange behavior for him.
On March 13, two days before his wife died, his staff member said he received a package with potassium cyanide inside – something the dental office had never ordered before. After doing a little research, the staff member realized the effects of sodium cyanide matched the symptoms his wife was experiencing.
This led to a search warrant issued by the Major Crimes Homicide Unit, which revealed several disturbing details. In the weeks leading up to his wife’s death, James created a new Google account, where he began searching the internet for different ways to poison someone without leaving any trace behind.
Police Book James on Suspicion of First-Degree Murder
On Sunday morning, just a few days after his wife died by poisoning, James Toliver Craig was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder. By then, his wife was taken off life support. They had all the evidence needed for the arrest, including his internet search history and testimony from his staff member.
It was also revealed that James and his wife were struggling with their marriage. “When the suspicious details of this case came to light, our team of officers and homicide detectives tirelessly worked to uncover the truth behind the victim’s sudden illness and death,” said Division Chief Mark Hildebrand.
“It was quickly discovered this was, in fact, a heinous, complex, and calculated murder. I am very proud of our Major Crimes Homicide Unit’s hard work in solving this case and pursuing justice for the victim,” Hildebrand continued. With that said, the investigation is still being considered active and ongoing.
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In a statement released on the City of Aurora’s official website, the police department is asking the community to step forward with any further information that could aid the investigation. “Anyone with any information about the case is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720.913.STOP (7867).”
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