Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

"FAMILY MAN" DENTIST'S WIFE DEAD OF CYANIDE, RECRUITS "HOTTIES" TO LIE IN COURT

18 Feb 2025

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James Craig and his wife Angela were married for over 20 years. They created a beautiful family of six, loving, happy family, happy children. Between work and taking care of their children, the Craigs still manage to fit a workout into their daily routine. The husband and wife go for a run or hit the gym together almost every day, and when they return home, James Craig makes protein shakes or fruit smoothies for breakfast while Angela delves into getting the kids ready for the day. Angela complains of having a really nasty headache, along with problems focusing her eyesight. She goes to the hospital saying she felt tingly and cold. Doctors cannot figure out what's wrong with her. Angela goes to the hospital multiple times, only to be sent home. When she goes back for a third time, that's when she's checked in and her condition deteriorates, coding quickly. Angela passes away. One of Summer Brooks’ dental assistants recalls opening a package for Dr. Craig—that had potassium cyanide in it. She googles the symptoms of cyanide poisoning, and is horrified at how closely they match Angela’s symptoms. She immediately calls Craig’s partner, Ryan Redfearn, hoping he has some other explanation for the contents of the package...but he doesn’t. While visiting Angela, Redfearn tells a nurse about the cyanide, explaining there’s no medical use for the element in their practice. As a mandatory reporter, the nurse calls police. With suspicions raised, Angela Craig is sent for an autopsy with additional toxicology screening. Tests reveal the otherwise healthy mom of six died of poisoning from both cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, a common ingredient in eyedrops. While investigators have no definitive evidence Angela’s food and drinks were poisoned with cyanide, the tests reveal her cyanide levels increased while she was in the hospital. Police then check Craig's computer finding strange searches. One of them was how to poison someone, how to make poison and top five or top 10 undetectable poisons that people won't be able to find after someone has died and will not signal foul play. Less than 24 hours after his wife’s death, dentist James Toliver Craig is arrested for Angela’s murder and additionally charged with tampering with evidence. A 52-page arrest affidavit details Craig’s concerning computer searches, three poison orders, an ongoing affair, and proof Craig took several measures to cover his tracks. Police then learn the dentist allegedly tried to hire his cellmate to kill Aurora PD’s lead detective Bobbi Jo Olson for $20,000. Calling Olson the “worst, dirtiest detective,” James Craig tried to recruit Nathaniel Harris to take her out for cash or free dental work. Olson wasn’t the only person on his list. Craig also asked Harris to kill another Aurora PD officer and two inmates ‘Roger’ and ‘Tommy.’ Joining Nancy Grace today: Eric Faddis - Trial Lawyer and TV Legal Analyst, Founding Partner of Varner Faddis Elite Legal, former felony prosecutor and current criminal defense and civil litigation attorney Dr. Shavaun Scott - Psychotherapist, Author of “The Minds of Mass Killers: Understanding and Interrupting the Pathway to Violence” Fil Waters - Former homicide detective for the Houston police department, President & CEO of Kindred spirits Investigations & Security, Inc., kindredspiritsinvestigations.com Dr Ernest Chiodo - Attorney, Physician, Biomedical Engineer, Toxicologist, Author: “Toxic Tort: Medical and Legal Elements”, www.ernestpchiodo.com Steffan Tubbs - Host: 'Arsenic, DDS - The Bizarre Case of Dr. James Craig'; Former patient of James Craig See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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