Poisoned smoothies and Cyanide: How a US dentist plotted his wife’s murder

How US dentist killed his wife by poisoning her protein shakes

A Colorado dentist has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of murdering his wife by poisoning her. On July 30, a jury convicted James Craig of killing his wife, Angela Craig, in March 2023 by lacing her protein shakes with toxic substances.

According to reports by BBC, Craig was engaged in an extramarital affair at the time and had been planning the murder while presenting a facade of concern for his wife’s health.

The Arapahoe County jury convicted him of first-degree murder for killing Angela Craig. Prosecutors had accused James Craig of lacing his wife’s protein shakes with arsenic before giving her cyanide while she was hospitalised, leading to her death.

How Craig used cyanide to kill his wife ? 

According to evidence presented during the trial, James Craig searched online for terms such as “how many grams of pure arsenic will kill a human” and “is arsenic detectable in autopsy?” before ordering potassium cyanide, which was delivered to his dental clinic.

Two days later, Angela consumed a protein shake that left her feeling dizzy and weak. She was soon admitted to a hospital in suburban Denver, where security footage reportedly showed Craig carrying a syringe before entering her room. Her condition rapidly deteriorated, and she was later declared brain-dead.

The couple had been married for 23 years and shared six children. Craig reportedly began lacing Angela’s smoothies with arsenic in early March.

Although she initially showed signs of recovery, Angela suffered a seizure and died shortly after another hospital visit just hours after Craig had visited her.

Fabricating evidences 

He also attempted to conceal the murder by persuading others to fabricate evidence and testimony to make it seem as though his wife, Angela, had taken her own life or was trying to frame him.

He was convicted of asking one of his daughters to create a fake video of Angela requesting to be poisoned, and of trying to enlist a fellow inmate to kill the lead detective investigating her death.

Before the sentencing, family members testified about the impact of Angela Craig’s death.

Miriam Meservy, the couple’s eldest daughter, said, “I was supposed to be able to trust my Dad. He was supposed to be my hero, and instead he’ll forever be the villain in my book.”