New charges against a Colorado dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife’s protein shakes focus on his alleged attempts to kill a detective involved in the case, authorities said.
A spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department confirmed the accuracy of a report from Denver NBC affiliate KUSA about the first-degree murder plea filed last week against 46-year-old James Craig.
Craig was previously arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the March 18, 2023, death of his wife of 23 years, Angela Craig, 43. He has pleaded not guilty to that charge.
Citing a professional conflict, Craig’s attorney withdrew from the case just before prosecutors filed the solicitation charge last week. It was not immediately clear whether Craig has a new attorney who can speak on his behalf regarding the new charges, which include the perjury plea.
According to records obtained by KUSA, Craig was in jail twice with the man he allegedly tried to have the detective killed, once in May and June 2023 and again last month. The inmate has not been charged with any crimes in connection with the Craig case, the station reported.
Citing multiple sources familiar with the investigation, the network reported that the detective targeted in the alleged plot was working on the investigation into Angela Craig’s death.
The police spokesperson declined to provide NBC News with additional details about the allegations.
Angela and James Craig.
Authorities previously accused James Craig of dosing his wife’s drink with cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, a drug found in eye drops. She first became ill in early March 2023 and was admitted to a hospital on March 15 with a severe headache and dizziness. Angela Craig later died after a serious assault, authorities said in James Craig’s arrest warrant.
According to the arrest warrant, investigators initially believed her death was the result of arsenic and cyanide poisoning. But the coroner later attributed it to a combination of cyanide and tetrahydrozoline.
Authorities have pointed to Craig’s Internet search history, which showed he was seeking information about whether arsenic was detectable in an autopsy. They also pointed to his online purchases: Weeks before his wife’s death, Craig ordered potassium cyanide from Amazon and had it delivered to his dental office, the warrant shows.
When James Craig’s business partner learned of the purchase, he flagged it as suspicious to a nurse at the facility where Angela Craig was hospitalized. According to the warrant, there was no medical reason to purchase cyanide for a dental practice.
The nurse, a mandatory reporter, then contacted authorities.
When the business partner confronted James Craig, he initially denied purchasing the cyanide, but later said his wife had asked him to order it, according to the warrant.
At a hearing last year, Craig’s lawyer said there was no direct evidence to show his client had poisoned his wife’s drink.
That attorney withdrew last week on the day jury selection in Craig’s trial was set to begin. The attorney attributed his withdrawal in part to the belief that his client “persists in an action involving the attorney’s services that the attorney reasonably believes is criminal or fraudulent,” KUSA reported.
Jury selection has been postponed indefinitely, the channel reports.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
