AURORA | Prosecutors filed new charges against an Aurora dentist accused of poisoning his wife and killing her, accusing James Craig of trying to enlist the help of others to conceal evidence.
Craig previously pleaded not guilty to prior charges of murder in the case.
According to recent court documents filed Wednesday in Arapahoe County District Court, Craig faces two new charges of solicitation to commit tampering with physical evidence.
From March 18, 2023 to June 15, 2023, Craig is accused of reaching out to at least one person and “attempted to persuade” them to tamper with physical evidence. Court documents redacted the name of the person he contacted to help him tamper with the evidence. The court documents do not detail specifics of what evidence Craig attempted to tamper.
Craig, who investigators say fatally poisoned his wife’s protein shakes with arsenic and cyanide to pursue an affair, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and evidence tampering in October.
Craig was arrested in March 2023, shortly after his wife, Angela, was taken off of life support. Police began investigating Craig when his partner in his dental practice, Ryan Redfearn, allegedly told a nurse that Craig had ordered potassium cyanide even though they did not need it for their work.
Craig also allegedly Googled questions such as, “Is Arsenic Detectable in Autopsy,” before investigators believe he put arsenic in a protein shake for his wife.
She survived, after which he ordered potassium cyanide with expedited shipping. He also tried to order another poisonous substance, oleandrin, which was seized by authorities.
Arapahoe County coroner Kelly Lear has said Angela Craig died of poisoning from tetrahydrozoline, a chemical found in eyedrops, and cyanide.
Redfearn told authorities that Craig’s dental practice was on the brink of bankruptcy at the time and that he had been having problems in his marriage.
Investigators believe James Craig put arsenic in one of the protein shakes he routinely made for his wife for their workouts on March 6 and then, after she survived, he ordered a rush shipment of potassium cyanide that he told the supplier was needed for a surgery.
James Craig had asked an office manager not to open that package but another employee did, leading to its discovery and eventual disclosure to authorities, the document says.
The delivery of a third substance he is accused of ordering, Oleandrin, was intercepted by authorities after they began investigating him, the document says. Oleandrin is a poisonous substance found in the leaves of the oleander plant.
James Craig told Redfearn that he ordered the potassium cyanide for his wife and told a social worker that she had been suicidal and depressed since he asked for a divorce in December even though neither of the couple’s children said anything about suicide attempts, according to the arrest affidavit.
Redfearn also told investigators that James Craig was on the verge of bankruptcy and had been having problems in his marriage, according to the document. Angela Craig’s sister, Toni Kofoed, told police that James Craig had drugged his wife about five years ago with an unknown drug because he said he planned to kill himself and did not want her to be able to save him.
Kofoed believes that incident is what James Craig referenced in a series of texts between Angela and James Craig about her symptoms after she first fell ill on March 6. According to the arrest affidavit, James Craig wrote: “Given our history I know that must be triggering. Just for the record, I didn’t drug you. I am super worried though.”
Craig’s trial was scheduled to begin in April 2024. Court officials said it’s now scheduled for August.
How sad.
To have attained the wonderful accomplishment of becoming a Doctor of Dental Surgery, and then this.
So.rry that Angela died.