CO - Angela Craig, 43, mother of 6, allegedly poisoned by cyanide in protein shake by dentist husband, Aurora, Mar 2023

[ch_13]

This is my question. But, we keep reading in the Chronicle of Higher Ed that it's easier and easier to get into med/dental schools as no one wants to do it, and less qualified people are getting in.

As it is, 50-54% of all applicants are getting into some dental school somewhere. I wonder if he once googled "easiest dental school to get into."

IMO

Supposedly, he was well-regarded as a dentist. He went to undergrad at BYU, graduated from dental school at Missouri-KC and was an assistant professor there too. He also did research with NIH.

Sometimes people can be smart in one narrowly focused area, and be an idiot in everything else.

 

[tlcya]

yes, many initial reports highlighted how shocked his friends, patients and community members were at his arrest and the accusations. By all accounts he was a well like man and nobody would have expected this from him.

If his business partner hadn't called attention to the medical staff to the ordered poison someone else at the office had opened in error, I truly think he would have gotten away with it. There is a reason he was looking for poisons that would be undetectable.

Even if intentional poisoning is suspected, many simply do not leave trace evidence behind.

But for his arrogance in ordering from and having it delivered to the office I don't think he would have been caught.

 

[Curious Me]

Regardless, the husband's phone forensics would have buried him. It was just a matter of time.

Oh, I agree. MOO, this dummy left an irrefutable trail. He ordered so many different poisons and the orders could be traced right to him. The poisons are apparently detectable enough on autopsy. (Some poisonous substances can even be found in cremains.) I mean you'd think any educated person would consider all the ways their crime could be found out, but not him. He didn't seem to think about getting caught at all. ​

The arrest affidavit claimed he shipped potassium cyanide to his dental office and had arsenic metal shipped to his home....snipped

Forensic research extends detection of cyanide poisoning

Researchers have found a new biomarker for cyanide poisoning, which may extend its detection window in death investigations by weeks if not months.

phys.org

Arsenic's Afterlife: How Scientists Learned to Identify Poison Victims [Excerpt]

Crime expert Linda Stratmann describes 19th century efforts to understand what traces poison leaves on a body after death in this excerpt from her new book “The Secret Poisoner: A Century of Murder”

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[Curious Me]

If his business partner hadn't called attention to the medical staff to the ordered poison someone else at the office had opened in error, I truly think he would have gotten away with it. There is a reason he was looking for poisons that would be undetectable.​

Yet, those poisons can be detected. (See my last post. Or am I mistaken?) Her sister would've most likely mentioned how he had tried to poison his wife before, and her death was mysterious enough where an autopsy would be done. Or can he refuse to have her body autopsied? I would think the medical staff, her children and family would want to know via an autopsy the cause of death.

This is MOO, and maybe not correct, but I don't agree that it was only due to the business partner calling attention to the delivery of one of the poisons that he was caught. It did have the ability to maybe save her if discovered sooner though. It's too bad the timing was delayed.​

 

[ch_13]

Regardless, the husband's phone forensics would have buried him. It was just a matter of time.

I read the affidavit, but I don't recall anything particularly damning on his phone. Just a lot of weirdness in his texts with Angela and the family friends.

It was the office computer in the exam room that provided most of the evidence. That's what led to the discovery of the google searches, his alternate email, and his purchases of poison. And I assume that Angela's autopsy will confirm her poisoning.

But say neither Angela's loved ones nor the hospital raised an alarm in the immediate aftermath of her death. James then refuses the autopsy, immediately has Angela cremated and destroys the exam room computer. Even if people become suspicious later, there's no real evidence to go on. I don't think there's any kind of 'poison clearinghouse' that could be used to track down buyers. LE would have to check every supplier to see if any delivered to James' home or work. A nearly impossible task and I doubt it would be worth the effort if they can't even prove that's how Angela died.

 

[Marysmith]

Yet, those poisons can be detected. (See my last post. Or am I mistaken?) Her sister would've most likely mentioned how he had tried to poison his wife before, and her death was mysterious enough where an autopsy would be done. Or can he refuse to have her body autopsied? I would think the medical staff, her children and family would want to know via an autopsy the cause of death. ​

He refused an autopsy and was adamant about it.
I guess it’s hard to say how suspicious her family and friends would have been otherwise. He certainly had a lot of people fooled.
He claimed the previous drugging was because he was suicidal and maybe people believed that?

 

[tlcya]

I am not debating whether the various toxins James Used are or aren't detectable. Only that he was looking for ones described to be such. That in addition to him being insistent on not wanting an autopsy are pretty damning evidence MOO

Affidavit: Aurora dentist researched 'undetectable poisons,' purchased arsenic and cyanide before wife's death

Person E told police that James Craig had told her he wouldn’t let hospital staff conduct an autopsy on his wife, despite Person E’s pleas. She said she wanted one done in case her sister had had a genetic condition that could be passed down to their children.

 

[Curious Me]

He refused an autopsy and was adamant about it....

...Person E told police that James Craig had told her he wouldn’t let hospital staff conduct an autopsy on his wife, despite Person E’s pleas. She said she wanted one done in case her sister had had a genetic condition that could be passed down to their children.

Thanks. I did vaguely remember he didn't want an autopsy done on his wife, and he seemed adamant about it. Could no one else override that? Could no other family members demand it legally then? Horrible man. I'm glad he was stupid in his over-confidence.​

 

[Allabouttrial]

Please can someone point me in the direction of where it said he previously poisoned her? All I've seen is a comment from her sister where it says drugged not poisoned, yet I keep seeing it mentioned.

ETA: SS from affidavit

 

[Curious Me]

Affidavit: Aurora dentist researched 'undetectable poisons,' purchased arsenic and cyanide before wife's death

An Aurora dentist accused of poisoning his wife searched online for undetectable poisons before purchasing both arsenic and cyanide, according to an affidavit.

www.koaa.com

The conclusion, as written in the affidavit, noted the following points:

• Nobody aside from James Craig had suggested Angela Craig had suicidal ideations
• The Department of Human Services, which heard the above point from only him, said it believed he was creating a cover-up story
• James Craig had been communicating with a woman in what appeared to be a sexual relationship while his wife was dying in the hospital, and helped arrange her travel plans
• An email used to research undetectable poisons was only used from one of the dental rooms at his practice
• That email had been used to purchase arsenic, which arrived to the Craig home on March 4
• Angela Craig felt ill on March 6 and was hospitalized with symptoms consistent with arsenic ingestion. She was released later that day
• James Craig ordered Oleandrin, which was intercepted and never delivered
• On March 13, a package arrived and James Craig had instructed the office manager not to open it. This was potassium cyanide. A co-worker unaware of his instructions opened it
• Angela Craig returned home from the hospital on March 14 after being admitted on March 9
• She was back in the hospital the following day at 11 a.m. She was put on life support and did not regain brain activity before dying
• James Craig regularly made her protein shakes
• Investigators believe the poison was in these shakes
• The poisons were not located during the searches of the Craig home or dental office

The affidavit concludes by reading: “Based on the totality of the investigation, James has shown the planning and intent to end his wife's life by searching for ways to kill someone undetected, providing her poisons that align with her hospitalized symptoms, and working on starting a new life with (Person D). Your affiant finds there is more than enough preliminary evidence sufficient to arrest James Craig with premeditated first-degree murder.”​

 

[Curious Me]

Please can someone point me in the direction of where it said he previously poisoned her? All I've seen is a comment from her sister where it says drugged not poisoned, yet I keep seeing it mentioned.

You are correct. As far as I can find, the affidavit only says drugged. I don't think even the drug is identified. MOO, it just stands to reason he probably did try to poison her then because his reason that he was going to commit suicide and didn't want her to find him seems unbelievable, and like an excuse for getting caught drugging her.

Affidavit: Aurora dentist researched 'undetectable poisons,' purchased arsenic and cyanide before wife's death

An Aurora dentist accused of poisoning his wife searched online for undetectable poisons before purchasing both arsenic and cyanide, according to an affidavit.

www.koaa.com

​

 

[vls12345]

Please can someone point me in the direction of where it said he previously poisoned her? All I've seen is a comment from her sister where it says drugged not poisoned, yet I keep seeing it mentioned.

ETA: SS from affidavit

View attachment 410527

You are correct in that I think references to the earlier incident mention drugging.

I mistakenly said poisoning myself in re: to the incident from years ago in an earlier post. I apologize for not articulating that correctly.

I think it's terrifying that he felt it was ok to hide drugs or poisons in his wife's food/drinks -- enough to make her incapacitated enough (to not "save" him, narcissist that he is) and/or make her really ill (until she died).

MOO.

 

[Allabouttrial]

Apologies if this has already been posted. Uploaded 8 months ago.

 

[Marysmith]

You are correct in that I think references to the earlier incident mention drugging.

I mistakenly said poisoning myself in re: to the incident from years ago in an earlier post. I apologize for not articulating that correctly.

I think it's terrifying that he felt it was ok to hide drugs or poisons in his wife's food/drinks -- enough to make her incapacitated enough (to not "save" him, narcissist that he is) and/or make her really ill (until she died).

MOO.

I said poisoning as well, not drugged, sorry about that. I just edited my previous post.

 

[Curious Me]

...Even if people become suspicious later, there's no real evidence to go on. I don't think there's any kind of 'poison clearinghouse' that could be used to track down buyers. LE would have to check every supplier to see if any delivered to James' home or work....

MOO, they don't need a poison clearinghouse to figure out his recent purchases though. LE had already been able to stop the oleandrin delivery. Once they suspect, they can start digging.

I followed a case where the office mgr. poisoned her boss and LE were able to figure out exactly how she ordered it, etc., and it wasn't right after either.

JMO, but like I said, he left enough of a trail.

What are the poisons allegedly used by an Aurora dentist to kill his wife?

There are two poisons alleged to have been used by an Aurora dentist to kill his wife — arsenic and potassium cyanide. But what symptoms do they cause and where are they normally found?

kdvr.com

The arrest affidavit claimed he shipped potassium cyanide to his dental office and had arsenic metal shipped to his home.

[...]

Also on March 6, James Craig ordered oleandrin, a toxic plant extract, but the shipment was “intercepted by FedEx” at the request of investigators and never delivered, according to the affidavit.

BBM & UBM​

 

[ch_13]

MOO, they don't need a poison clearinghouse to figure out his recent purchases though. LE had already been able to stop the oleandrin delivery. Once they suspect, they can start digging.

I probably wasn't clear in my post. But I was talking about a hypothetical scenario where the box of cyanide was never opened and no one suspects Angela was poisoned until much later. LE found out about the poison purchases because they had his work computer which is the only place he ever used his alt email. No computer, no proof of purchase.

 

[Curious Me]

Amazon sends you an email when you purchase something, I guess they would send one even if you were purchasing poisons to secretly kill your wife. Once LE gets their hands on the computers and phones, anything can be discovered, IMO. LE does an excellent job in backtracking and digging for deleted info and searches. There's tracking numbers connected to deliveries too. Jurys aren't stupid either, they can piece together events to prove Angela was poisoned without finding the actual protein drinks evidence. All MOO.​

No computer, no proof of purchase.

Proof of purchase would be connected to the payment method, not necessarily the computer. Once, he's a suspect, LE gets to dig through everything. Also, without a computer, there may still be "a cloud account". All I'm saying is I've seen all kinds of ways LE has obtained evidence in crimes, years later even. I've watched enough trials too, and can assure you this man won't be able to wiggle out of his crimes. ​

 

[JessiByr]

I mean, can anyone even fathom the thought of texting the person, mother of your children none the less, so casually and lovey dovey as this guy is, KNOWING you’re literally killing them?? I can’t even. That is a special type of deranged right there.

 

[nells]

I mean, can anyone even fathom the thought of texting the person, mother of your children none the less, so casually and lovey dovey as this guy is, KNOWING you’re literally killing them?? I can’t even. That is a special type of deranged right there.

No, I feel guilty when I walk out of a store and forget to pay for a small item…

 

[Marysmith]

I probably wasn't clear in my post. But I was talking about a hypothetical scenario where the box of cyanide was never opened and no one suspects Angela was poisoned until much later. LE found out about the poison purchases because they had his work computer which is the only place he ever used his alt email. No computer, no proof of purchase.

Yes. Which just blows my mind that he could have potentially gotten away with this…