A Colorado dentist accused of murdering his wife allegedly Googled "how to make poison" before lacing her protein shakes with arsenic and cyanide.
James Toliver Craig, 45, was arrested on Sunday by homicide investigators and patrol officers with the Aurora Police Department, according to a department press release. He was booked into jail at around 2 a.m. and charged with first-degree murder. Craig's wife was declared medically brain dead by a local hospital before his arrest.
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Craig drove his wife, Angela, 43, to the hospital around 8:45 p.m. on March 6. She was complaining of severe headaches and dizziness. Her condition began to rapidly deteriorate at the hospital, and she was taken into the intensive care unit and placed on a ventilator. Doctors declared her medically brain dead shortly after, and doctors decided to take her off life support early Sunday morning.
Major Crimes Homicide Unit detectives began to investigate the suspicious death, the department said, leading to the revelation that Craig's wife was poisoned.
According to an arrest warrant, Craig allegedly searched "how many grams of pure arsenic will kill a human," "Is Arsenic Detectable in Autopsy," "Top 5 Undetectable Poisons That Show No Signs of Foul Play," "how to make poison," and "The Top 10 Deadliest Plants (They Can Kill You)." Craig allegedly used a shared computer at his work to complete the searches.
Craig was allegedly exchanging "intimate" and "sexually explicit" emails with an orthodontist from Austin, Texas. It is alleged that Craig flew her to Denver while his wife was in the hospital.
The affidavit said Craig planned 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 [his lover]," according to the Daily Mail.
"It appears James was flying this woman into Denver while his wife and the mother of his children was dying in the hospital," police said.
Craig allegedly ordered arsenic on Feb. 27 and received the package on March 4, per the arresting officers.
Angela was admitted to the hospital two days later, and officers believe her husband put the poison in her protein shakes. Craig received cyanide poison after posing as a surgeon, stating he needed it for a medical procedure. He allegedly had the package delivered to his dental office.
"When the suspicious details of this case came to light, our team of officers and homicide detectives tirelessly worked to uncover the truth behind the victim’s sudden illness and death,” Division Chief Mark Hildebrand said in a statement.
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“It was quickly discovered this was, in fact, a heinous, complex, and calculated murder. I am very proud of our Major Crimes Homicide Unit’s hard work in solving this case and pursuing justice for the victim,” Hildebrand added.
Court records indicate Craig is set to appear in court in Arapahoe County for an initial hearing on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Craig and his wife had been married for over 20 years and were parents to six children, ages 8 to 20.