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Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Dentist charged with poisoning wife went through 'drastic' life change months before murder, trial hears
The Colorado dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife was told he'd need to take a 'drastic' pay cut in the months before her murder, jurors heard on Friday. Dr Ryan Redfearn, a dental school friend of defendant James Craig, told the court how in 2022 he'd invited the father of six to join Fit to Smile, the umbrella dental services group Redfearn runs with his brother. Craig would have the opportunity to become a partner while the operation 'would provide management services to run his practice,' Redfearn testified at Arapahoe County District Court. After making the invitation, Redfearn testified that he learned Craig had in recent years declared bankruptcy, blaming it on coronavirus troubles. The arrangement with Fit to Smile meant the operation would pay $18,000 a month to service Craig's debts, Redfearn told the court. By January 2023, however, Redfearn testified that the partnership was 'not going well.' After a Monday night meeting with other partners, Redfearn drove to Craig's house, told him he'd need to cancel upcoming trips, work more days and reduce his salary from a 35 per cent to 28 per cent cut. During the conversation, in admissions that 'came out of nowhere,' Redfearn said Craig broke down and told him 'that his marriage was in a bad place. 'He didn't elaborate, and I didn't feel the need to ask; it was more of just, things weren't good between him and Angie,' Redfearn testified. 'He cried.' Redfearn added that Craig's practice had numerous problems, including 'excessive spending.' Craig took the pay cut portion of the conversation better than he expected, Redfearn testified. Two months later, however, Angela fell ill. Redfearn was pulling into the hospital complex on March 15, the day she was declared brain dead, when he was told by employees that Craig had received a delivery of potassium cyanide to the office earlier that week. Testifying that he was 'shocked,' Redfearn told jurors he joined Craig in the ICU waiting room and looked up symptoms of potassium cyanide poisoning on his phone. He pulled aside a nurse at the hospital to share his concerns, Redfearn testified. 'I even think I said to him ... "I'm not accusing anyone of anything, I don't know what's going on here, but I just received some information that she might have been poisoned,"' Redfearn told the court. Craig was arrested the day after his wife's March 18, 2023 death. Family friend and business associate Dr Ryan Redfearn testified on Friday that Craig's practice had multiple problems, including 'excessive spending' - with the dentist told to cancel trips and work more days He said he didn't know at the time 'if there was any way to save her' or if a 'reversal agent' existed but he knew that 'time was of the essence, probably.' Redfearn was later brought to speak to a forensic nurse, he said, and after that left the hospital with his wife - but told Angela's brother and the family's bishop, who'd also been in the waiting room, about his concerns. He 'felt it was important to tell somebody, and we went to our car,' Redfearn testified. That's when Craig called. 'He said that he'd heard some disturbing news about me talking to somebody at the hospital, and I acknowledged that I had talked to a nurse,' Redfearn testified. Redfearn then confronted Craig about the package delivery, he said. 'I said, "Jim, what was in the package?" And he ... kind of blew it off, [like] it's not that big of a deal,' Redfearn testified. Upon further pressing, Redfearn told the court, Craig 'said it was a ring for Angie to surprise her. "And I said, "It wasn't a ring, Jim" - and he said, "Well, it wasn't opened." And I said, "It was." 'And I said, "Why do you need potassium cyanide?" 'His first response was: "Ryan, what have you done?" Redfearn said. 'He said that a couple of times, and I continued to ask him: "Why do you need potassium cyanide? That is not something that we need in dentistry or that we practice with."' Craig told him 'it was a game of chicken with Angie.' 'What do you mean by that?' Redfearn testified he asked Craig. 'And he said that she was suicidal and he bought it for her because she couldn't buy it herself, that you needed special credentials.' The following day, Redfearn testified, Craig sent a 'pretty lengthy text.' Redfearn told the court he 'basically didn't want me to talk to anybody about what we talked about' and requested that Redfearn ask other employees not to speak with investigators, either. Angela had been declared brain dead on March 15, the day Redfearn alerted nurses. She was taken off life support on March 18, and Craig was arrested the following day. The trial continues on Monday.
Fox News
13-07-2025
- Fox News
Small town dentist facing trial for allegedly poisoning wife's protein shake amid secret affair
A high-profile murder trial is set to begin Monday in Colorado, where prosecutors allege that a local dentist murdered his wife by poisoning her protein shakes with cyanide – all while secretly carrying on an affair and plotting a new life without her. James Toliver Craig, 47, is charged with first-degree murder after deliberation in the March 2023 death of his wife, Angela Craig, a 43-year-old mother of six. The high-stakes trial is expected to last approximately three weeks. According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Angela Craig began experiencing mysterious symptoms, including dizziness, vomiting and severe headaches, in March 2023. Her symptoms progressed between March 6-16, 2023, court documents allege, including blurred vision, feeling "drugged," seizures and rapid medical decline. She was hospitalized several times before slipping into a coma and being declared brain-dead on Aug. 18, 2023. Angela's official cause of death was ruled acute poisoning by cyanide and tetrahydrozoline. READ THE INCIDENT REPORT – APP USERS, CLICK HERE On Aug. 15, as Angela was admitted to the hospital under suspicious circumstances, authorities turned to investigate James' alleged involvement in his wife's rapid decline. James' dental colleague, Ryan Redfearn, alerted hospital staff and police to a suspicious chemical delivery. Redfearn told authorities that he believed that James poisoned his wife. Redfearn alleged that James had ordered potassium cyanide, which investigators say is not used in dentistry. Once hospital staff learned of the allegations, they were considered mandatory reporters and alerted the Aurora Police Department Major Crimes Homicide Unit. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Aurora Police Department for comment. Court documents reveal the chilling digital footprint that James allegedly left behind, including his alleged use of a secret email account to search for undetectable poisons and purchase arsenic and cyanide. Authorities also allege he watched YouTube videos about how to kill without leaving a trace. The plot thickened as James' alleged affair came to light with Karin Cain, a Texas orthodontist. Emails between the two, obtained through search warrants, revealed intimate conversations and planned trips. Authorities said James appeared to want to deliberately conceal his relationship with Karin, using a secret email address, jimandwaffles@ which he created on Feb. 27, 2023, to communicate with Karin. His secret email account was not found on his phone, laptop or Angela's phone – it was only accessed on the clinic computer in dental exam room No. 9, authorities said. After allegedly learning something had happened to Angela, Karin wrote: "I'm so sorry for what you're going through… I wish I was helping you and not pulling you away," she wrote to James. "I want to be there for you, but I don't want to mix in with your family and friends and pretend to be only a friend when there's something more." Emails were described by investigators as "intimate in nature and contained sexually explicit conversations." The planned trips coincided as Angela was severely ill in the hospital, court documents reveal. Prosecutors suggest James wanted to eliminate his wife, with whom he shared six children, and start a new life with Cain. Angela and James' marriage was on the rocks at the time of her death. Angela Craig told her sister, Toni Kofoed, several times over the past 16 years that she planned to leave her husband, but he always convinced her to stay. The couple was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy for a second time, according to the documents. Kofoed told police that Craig had "multiple affairs with several women" and that he had drugged his wife about five years earlier because he had planned to die by suicide and didn't want her to stop him. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES AT THE FOX NEWS TRUE CRIME HUB James was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife, Angela, in mid-March 2023. James Craig is charged with first-degree murder, solicitation to commit murder, solicitation to commit perjury, and two counts of solicitation to commit tampering with physical evidence. James allegedly offered a fellow inmate $20,000 to kill Detective Bobbi Olson, the lead investigator in his case and author of the 52-page affidavit. The plot surfaced through jailhouse conversations, which were recorded and reported by other inmates. Prosecutors said Craig also tried to fabricate a false suicide narrative for Angela, directing inmates to plant fake suicide letters suggesting she took her own life. He allegedly promised free dental work in exchange for cooperation, as well as money or other benefits. James' trial was delayed in November 2024 when attorney Harvey Steinberg withdrew from the case, just weeks before the trial was set to begin. Steinberg told the court that James Craig was insisting on pursuing a legal strategy that Steinberg believed was unethical, possibly illegal or fraudulent. Due to this last-minute withdrawal, the court granted continuance to allow James to hire new legal counsel and allow the new attorneys time to review the case. The trial was rescheduled and officially begins with jury selection on Monday, July 14. Proceedings are expected to run through Aug. 1.
