An Aurora dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife is now suspected of plotting to kill an Aurora police detective investigating the case, a police spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.
James Craig, 46, is charged with first-degree murder in the poisoning death of his wife, Angela Craig, 43. She died on March 18, 2023 from lethal doses of cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, a decongestant found in over-the-counter medications. eye drops.
Investigators allege James Craig bought arsenic and cyanide days before his wife was poisoned, searched online for ways to poison someone, had an affair and was in financial difficulty.
On Friday, prosecutors decided to add an additional charge of committing murder, as well as a new charge of committing perjury against James Craig.
Aurora police spokesman Joe Moylan confirmed this on Wednesday reporting by 9News that the target of that murder plot was an Aurora police detective assigned to investigate the death of Angela Craig. James Craig is suspected of convincing another inmate at the Arapahoe County Jail to carry out the murder, 9News reported.
Moylan declined further comment.
The new charges against James Craig came a day after his lawyer abruptly withdrew from the case on the eve of the trial, citing ethical concerns about the course of action demanded by his client.
The jury trial scheduled for this month was postponed indefinitely and James Craig is due back in court on December 16 to present a new lawyer.
The former dentist is also accused of tampering with evidence and is accused of asking two different people – including his daughter – to cover up evidence in the case.
He used a communal computer at his workplace at Summerbrook Dental in Aurora to search for poison information in the weeks before Angela Craig’s death, police allege.
The searches included: ‘how many grams of pure arsenic will kill a human’, ‘Is arsenic detectable on autopsy’, ‘Top 5 undetectable poisons that show no signs of foul play’, ‘how to make poison’ and ‘The best 10 deadliest plants (they can kill you),” according to his arrest affidavit.
His wife fell ill and died shortly after James Craig bought poison online, police claim.
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