Dentist accused of poisoning wife's shake said he gave her 'too much protein': co-worker

Fox News

5 days ago

The second day of Dr. James Craig's murder trial hinged on critical testimony from the office manager at his Sunnybook Dental Group practice in Aurora, Colorado, who said Craig flippantly dismissed the first alleged poisoning attempt of his wife, Angela.
Caitlin Romero worked at the dentist's office in 2023 and was with Craig for several days during the period he is alleged to have killed his wife by mixing cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, a chemical in eyedrops, in her protein shakes.
She told Assistant District Attorney Ryan Brackley and the court that, on March 6 of that year, Craig entered the office unusually late and told her he and his wife had worked out earlier in the morning. He apologized for being late and told Romero Angela wasn't feeling well after he made her a post-workout protein shake.
Recalling the conversation, Romero testified that Craig said, "Maybe he added too much protein" to his wife's shake.
She said Craig left the office later that day to take his wife to the emergency room, where Angela reported feeling dizzy. She texted her husband that she felt "drugged" before they went to the hospital. She was released without a diagnosis the same day.
Craig returned to the office at 5:30 p.m., which was unusual. The practice closes at 4 p.m.
When she left for the day, Romero said she was startled to find Craig sitting in the dark, using the computer in an exam room, which was not his usual computer. When she asked him what he was doing, Craig told her he had come back to the office to unwind after a stressful day dealing with his wife's sickness.
After Romero left the office that day, she said Craig texted her to alert her that a personal package would be delivered to the office and asked her not to open it. That had never happened before, Romero noted.
On March 9, Angela returned to the hospital, exhibiting similar symptoms to three days earlier. This time, she was admitted and remained in the hospital until March 14.
Romero testified that, on that day, Craig told her he didn't think Angela would live through the night, which Romero said was the second time he had made that prediction since Angela began experiencing symptoms.
"Evidence that Craig predicted his wife's death twice before it occurred can be significant in his criminal case to prove his alleged intent in his case," Kelly Hyman, a nationally renowned defense lawyer and legal analyst, told Fox News Digital. Hyman is not involved in the tr
"Intent in murder cases refers to the accused's mental state at the time of the crime. First-degree murder can require proof of premeditation and specific intent to kill in a criminal case.
"Predictions of death may suggest that Craig had allegedly been contemplating and planning the act for a period, potentially for a 'sustained period of time,' which may imply premeditation."
The defense chose not to challenge these statements made by Romero, but Hyman said it could have.
"However, the defense would challenge the admissibility and interpretation of such statements and argue that Craig's wife was suicidal," Hyman said. "Also, the defense could argue that the statements were taken out of context and/or misinterpreted."
On March 13, the package arrived to Craig's practice. A staff member opened the package before bringing it to Romero, who described the contents of the box as a sealed "foil package" and a paper invoice. The box was marked as a biohazard. She checked the invoice to make sure it was the personal package that Craig had discussed with her and saw that it was. On the invoice, she read that Craig had ordered potassium cyanide, which she immediately googled out of curiosity.
On March 15, Angela was admitted to the hospital for the final time.
Craig was in the office that day and told Romero he had to leave because Angela was returning to the hospital.
Romero testified that with suspicions mounting, she then googled symptoms of cyanide poisoning.
During cross-examination, lead defense attorney Lisa Fine Moses pointed to the fact that while Romero had received the package and read that it contained potassium cyanide, she couldn't be sure of that because she did not open the sealed foil package.
She also asked Romero about her evening office interaction with Craig on March 6, and Romero conceded that, emotionally, Craig seemed normal during that time.
Moses examined Romero's relationship with Craig, which Romero described as an "intimate emotional relationship." She established that the pair were close and often spoke about personal and family matters on personal devices and via channels unrelated to their work.
Moses also established that, during the investigation into the alleged crime, when Romero spoke to police, she did not disclose the true nature of their relationship or all of the communications between them.
The importance of calling a critical witness like Romero as a witness so early in the trial was not lost on Hyman.
"The prosecutor will want to start strong and end strong as to the witnesses," she said. "The prosecutor may want to start the case with the most important witness. For example, the star witness, or someone that is going to start telling the story of the case as to the timeline of the case from start to finish."