The homicide trial for a Colorado dentist accused of poisoning his spouse to loss of life has been placed on maintain after the protection legal professional “suddenly quit” throughout jury choice.
James Toliver Craig, 45, is accused of killing his spouse, Angela Craig, by placing poison in her protein shakes.
Angela Craig, a 43-year-old mom of six who was married to her husband for 23 years, died in March 2023 of poisoning from cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, the latter a substance present in over-the-counter eye drops, in keeping with the coroner.
The trial has been delayed earlier than and was set to start Thursday with jury choice, KDVR reported. Nonetheless, on Thursday morning, the protection counsel moved to withdraw from the case as a result of a “professional conflict,” in keeping with the 18th Judicial District Lawyer’s Workplace.
The decide allowed the withdrawal below the Rule of Skilled Conduct, and Craig declined to symbolize himself, delaying the case.
Craig allegedly flew his orthodontist lover from Austin to Denver whereas his spouse was dying, in keeping with an in depth arrest affidavit. The 2 additionally reportedly exchanged “sexually explicit emails.”
The charging doc described the couple’s troubled marriage, monetary difficulties and Craig’s alleged sinister plot to homicide her.
“In totality, this investigation has proven that James has gone to great lengths to try and end his wife’s life,” Aurora police Detective Bobbi Olson wrote within the affidavit.
On Feb. 27, Craig created a secret electronic mail account, jimandwaffles.com, which he solely used on a pc in his now-shuttered Summerbrook Dental Group, investigators mentioned.
COLORADO DENTIST ACCUSED OF POISONING WIFE’S PROTEIN SHAKES TO START NEW LIFE WITH LOVER
Police say Craig searched on-line for issues like “How to make murder look like a heart attack” and “How to make poison” days earlier than his spouse looked for signs she was having like vertigo, shaking and chilly lips.
Craig additionally allegedly researched a number of “undetectable poisons” and bought some, and he ordered a rush cargo of potassium cyanide though it was not wanted.
Investigators allege that Craig purchased poisons on-line simply earlier than his spouse started to expertise signs that medical doctors couldn’t discover a trigger for, however his legal professionals have argued there isn’t a direct proof that he put poison in his spouse’s shakes and have accused Olson of being biased towards him.
Her sister, Toni Kofoed, instructed police that Craig had drugged his spouse about 5 years earlier as a result of he had deliberate to commit suicide and did not need her to cease him.
Kofoed additionally instructed investigators that the couple’s marriage had at all times been “tumultuous” and that Craig had “multiple affairs with several women” and had been “addicted to pornography since he was a teenager.”
COLORADO DENTIST ACCUSED OF FATALLY POISONING WIFE ON VERGE OF FINANCIAL RUIN: COURT PAPERS
Angela Craig instructed her sister a number of occasions over the previous 16 years that she deliberate to go away him, however he at all times satisfied her to remain. The couple was additionally broke and on the verge of declaring chapter for a second time, the paperwork allege.
Angela Craig had complained to her sister that her husband had lately gambled away greater than $2,000 on a visit to Las Vegas.
Again in Might, Craig was accused of asking a fellow jail inmate to plant letters in his storage and his truck to make it seem like his spouse was suicidal. Olson mentioned the inmate believed the letters have been written by Craig however have been meant to look as if his spouse had written them.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In line with Olson, Craig provided cash to pay the inmate’s bond so as to be launched from jail or carry out free dental work in alternate for planting the letters, however the inmate determined to not take him up on the supply and reported the incident to authorities, the detective beforehand testified.
Craig was already charged with first-degree homicide and one other depend of solicitation to commit tampering with bodily proof. He pleaded not responsible to these two fees in Nov. 2023.
His subsequent courtroom look is scheduled for Dec. 16.
Fox Information’ Rebecca Rosenberg and the Related Press contributed to this report.
Stepheny Value is author for Fox Information Digital and Fox Enterprise. Story ideas and concepts could be despatched to stepheny.worth@fox.com