James Toliver Craig, the Colorado dentist who killed his wife, Angela Craig, with poisoned smoothies, will spend the rest of his life in prison after being found guilty of murder.
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As reported by ABC News, an Arapahoe County jury found Craig guilty of first-degree murder and five other counts, including solicitation to commit tampering with evidence, solicitation to commit perjury, and solicitation to commit murder on Wednesday, July 30.
Following his conviction, Judge Shay Whitaker sentenced Craig to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“The evidence, the crime, the verdict, and the sentence all speak for themselves,” Whitaker said. “Dr. Craig unleashed a path of destruction as wide as a tornado and just as devastating — damage to his children, damage to Angela’s family, damage to his own family.”
18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office Amy Padden held a press briefing following Craig’s sentencing. Padden said, “James Craig’s selfish and deceitful actions shattered a family, stole a mother from six children, and attempted to manipulate those closest to him with chilling calculations.”
Murderer Dentist
Prosecutors alleged that weeks before Angela’s 2023 death, Craig used his dental practice computer to make troubling searches. These included searching for undetectable poisons and “How long does it take to die from Arsenic poisoning?”
Then, Craig poisoned protein shakes with arsenic and gave them to Angela over 10 days. The woman visited the hospital a total of three times. During his last hospitalization, Craig gave her a dose of cyanide, killing her.
Prosecutors argued that the murderer dentist wanted to end his marriage with his wife. The killing was a desperate attempt to save face. Meanwhile, Craig allegedly pursued an extramarital affair, one of many, with a Texas orthodontist, Dr. Karin Cain.
During his trial, prosecutors alleged that Craig lied to Cain, saying he was divorcing Angela. He also allegedly lied online, with an ad saying that he had a $10 million fortune and was looking for “sugar babies.”
During his sentencing, Angela’s family members delivered powerful victim impact statements, addressing James Toliver Craig directly.
“Her life was not yours to take,” Toni Kofoed, Angela’s older sister, said, as per the Associated Press. “Angela had a love and a passion for life. She loved her children and, unfortunately, she loved you.”
Craig’s daughter, Miriam Meservy, also spoke in court, saying that her father, who was seen crying, was a villain.
“I was supposed to be able to trust my dad,” Miriam said. “He was supposed to be my hero, and instead he’ll forever be the villain in my book.”
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org or by texting “START” to 88788.