Welcome Back Case Crackers!

Welcome Back Case Crackers! Happy New Year! As we step into 2026, we’re kicking off the year with a case that will challenge everything you think you know about trust, deception, and the digital breadcrumbs killers leave behind. This isn’t just a murder story: it’s a calculated poisoning plot where every Google search mattered, every hospital visit revealed new clues, and a “loving husband’s” text messages told a story he never wanted anyone to hear.

From the chilling moment Angela Craig texted her husband “I feel drugged” after drinking her protein shake, to the discovery of potassium cyanide delivered to a dental office with no legitimate use for it, we’re examining a case that shocked Colorado and the nation. Over 10 days in March 2023, a 43-year-old mother of six was systematically poisoned by the one person she trusted most: her husband of 23 years, dentist James Craig.

Pay close attention to the timeline. You might spot the moment when concerned co-workers realized something was terribly wrong. Whether you’re a veteran detective in our community or just beginning to sharpen your investigative skills, this edition offers twists, digital evidence, and lessons that could reshape how you see cases of domestic murder.

So grab your notebook, focus your attention, and get ready to start 2026 with sharp investigative instincts. The truth is often hidden in protein shakes, internet searches, and 58 seconds of hospital surveillance footage.

🔎 Full Case Story — The Dentist, The Protein Shakes, and The Deadly Prescription

In a verdict that sent shockwaves through Colorado, James Craig, 47, was convicted of first-degree murder on July 30, 2025, for systematically poisoning his wife Angela Craig, 43, over a 10-day period in March 2023. The mother of six died after being dosed with arsenic, tetrahydrozoline (found in eye drops), and ultimately, a lethal injection of cyanide, all while desperately seeking medical help and never knowing her husband was the cause of her suffering.

District Judge Shay Whitaker sentenced Craig to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional consecutive 33 years for his attempts to cover up the crime. “Dr. Craig unleashed a path of destruction as wide as a tornado and just as devastating,” Judge Whitaker said from the bench.

The Perfect Marriage That Wasn’t

To their Aurora, Colorado community, James and Angela Craig appeared perfect. Both worked in dentistry: James owned Summerbrook Dental, where Angela also worked. They were raising six children as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

But beneath the surface, James Craig was living a double life. Prosecutors revealed Craig had been cheating on Angela throughout their 23-year marriage. In February 2023, he met Dr. Karin Cain, an orthodontist from Texas, at a Las Vegas dental convention. He told Cain he was getting divorced and living separately from his wife, complete lies. Their three-week romance would prove deadly for Angela.

The Nine-Day Countdown to Murder

Craig had a problem: he had promised Cain he was single, and she was planning to visit Colorado. He had nine days to “solve this problem,” as prosecutor Michael Mauro told the jury. Craig’s solution was murder.

The Internet Searches That Revealed Intent

Using a computer at his dental practice, Craig researched poisons:

• “How many grams of pure arsenic will kill a human?”
• “Is arsenic detectable in an autopsy?”
• “Is there such thing as an undetectable poison?”
• “Top 5 Undetectable Poisons That Show No Signs of Foul Play”

These searches were a roadmap to murder.

The Purchases: Building a Poison Arsenal

• February 27, 2023: Ordered arsenic from Amazon, delivered March 4
• Early March: Purchased 19 bottles of Visine (containing tetrahydrozoline)
• March 8, 2023: Ordered potassium cyanide, falsely claiming he needed it for “craniofacial reconstruction surgery”

The cyanide was delivered to Summerbrook Dental on March 13, marked “Jim Craig – Personal” with biohazard stickers.

The 10 Days of Poisoning: A Timeline of Horror

March 6, 2023 — First Hospitalization 
Before their morning workout, James makes Angela a protein shake. She drinks it and begins feeling strange.

Angela texts: “My stomach feels fine, but my head feels funny and dizzy. Very strange.”

Later: “I feel drugged.”

Craig arrives late to work, telling his office manager Angela wasn’t feeling well because he had “put too much protein powder in the shake.”

Angela is taken to the hospital. Tests find nothing conclusive. She’s sent home.

That evening, Craig texts his mistress Karin Cain: “Just for the record, I will never drug you.”

March 7, 2023 
Home surveillance captures Angela confronting James about making her appear suicidal to medical staff.

“Nobody in their right mind would ever think I would kill myself before I killed you,” Angela says on camera.

March 9, 2023 — Second Hospitalization 
Angela drinks another protein shake. Her symptoms worsen dramatically. The children find her passed out. She crawls across the floor unable to stand.

She’s admitted to the hospital for five days. Blood tests show toxic arsenic levels: 330 micrograms per milliliter.

While Angela fights for her life, James flies his mistress from Texas to Colorado for a visit (March 8-10).

March 14, 2023 
After six days without a diagnosis, Angela is discharged. Within an hour, she’s searching online for causes of her symptoms.

That evening, kitchen cameras show James making another protein shake for Angela.

March 15, 2023 — The Fatal Dose

Angela’s brother takes her to the hospital for the fourth time.

2:21 p.m.: Hospital cameras capture James Craig entering Angela’s room carrying a “thin clear object”, a syringe.

2:22 p.m.: Fifty-eight seconds later, Craig exits and alerts nurses that Angela is in pain.

Nurses rush in and find Angela unresponsive, seizing.

Blood tests reveal the truth: Before Craig’s visit, Angela had non-lethal cyanide levels. After his 58-second visit, the cyanide in her bloodstream was lethal, nearly twice the fatal limit.

March 18, 2023 After three days on life support, Angela is declared brain dead and dies.

March 19, 2023 James Craig is arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

The Package That Changed Everything

On March 13, a package arrived at Summerbrook Dental marked “Jim Craig – Personal” with biohazard stickers. An employee opened it and found potassium cyanide.

Office manager Caitlin Romero had never seen such a delivery. She researched it online and connected it to Angela’s mysterious symptoms. On March 15, she shared her concerns with Craig’s business partner, Dr. Ryan Redfearn.

When Redfearn arrived at the hospital that evening, he alerted a nurse about the cyanide. The nurse contacted law enforcement immediately.

Craig called Redfearn asking if he’d spoken to hospital staff. When Redfearn confirmed he had, Craig tried to fabricate a story, eventually claiming Angela had asked him to buy the cyanide because she was suicidal.

“At that point, Ryan told James to stop talking and get a lawyer,” the arrest affidavit reads.

The Autopsy

The coroner’s autopsy revealed:

Primary cause: Acute cyanide and tetrahydrozoline poisoning
Significant condition: Subacute arsenic poisoning

Investigators found tetrahydrozoline in a pink-topped protein shaker from the Craig home, the same bottle captured on surveillance video.

The Defense’s Impossible Claim

Craig’s attorney claimed Angela had asked her husband to help her commit suicide. However, this collapsed under evidence:

1. Surveillance video showed Angela denying suicidal thoughts

2. Her children testified she was making future plans with them

3. Angela was desperately trying to figure out what was wrong so she could get better

4. Angela directly accused James of poisoning her after her second hospitalization

5. Medical professionals testified about a woman eager to recover and return to her children

Craig presented no witnesses and did not testify.

The Cover-Up From Behind Bars

While awaiting trial, Craig orchestrated an elaborate cover-up:

• Allegedly offered an inmate $20,000 to kill Detective Bobbi Olson, the lead investigator
• Allegedly offered $20,000 each to get four people to falsely testify Angela was suicidal
• Asked his daughter to create a deepfake video of Angela asking to be poisoned, providing step-by-step instructions
• Asked his daughter to destroy a computer

These attempts only strengthened the prosecution’s case.

The Trial and Verdict

The trial began July 15, 2025. Prosecutors called 48 witnesses, building an overwhelming case through internet searches, surveillance footage, toxicology evidence, and testimony from Craig’s mistress and his own daughters.

On July 30, 2025, after six hours of deliberation, the jury found Craig guilty of first-degree murder and multiple counts of solicitation.

The Sentencing

Angela’s sister, Toni Kofoed: “You have taken away our opportunity to grow old together.”

Their son Toliver Craig testified he set a phone alarm that goes off every night at 10 p.m. It just says “Mom.” “I’m sad there’s not more time with her.”

James Craig declined to speak.

Judge Whitaker sentenced him to life without parole plus 33 consecutive years.

“Dr. Craig unleashed a path of destruction as wide as a tornado and just as devastating: damage to his children, damage to Angela’s family, damage to his own family. None of the individuals here will ever be the same.”

Chief Deputy DA Michael Mauro: “The jury said it loudly, Angela was not suicidal. She had no knowledge of or participation in what happened to her, which was that James Craig murdered her.”

The Children Left Behind

The six Craig children are now orphans: their mother murdered, their father imprisoned for life. Two daughters testified against their father about his attempts to manipulate them into fabricating evidence.

One daughter, age 21: “We were making plans.”

The family’s representative: “She made every moment with her unforgettable. This has been an incredibly difficult time for our family.”

🕵 Detective’s Insight
The James Craig case demonstrates how modern murder investigations piece together evidence from multiple sources to build an unshakeable timeline. Even when there’s no smoking gun, the combination of digital evidence, surveillance footage, and forensic science can prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

What made this case so compelling to investigators:

The Digital Footprint: Craig’s internet searches created a roadmap of his planning. He researched undetectable poisons, searched for lethal doses, and looked for ways to avoid detection in an autopsy. Then he purchased exactly what he’d researched. This proves premeditation.

The Surveillance Timeline: Home security cameras captured tense conversations proving Angela wasn’t suicidal and showing Craig making protein shakes before Angela’s symptoms appeared. Hospital cameras captured the 58-second window when Craig entered Angela’s room with a syringe, after which her condition became fatal.

The Toxicology Evidence: Blood tests taken at different times told the complete story. During Angela’s March 9 hospitalization, tests showed toxic arsenic levels. On March 15, tests showed non-lethal cyanide levels before Craig’s visit to her room, then lethal levels after his visit. The timeline of poison in her bloodstream perfectly matched Craig’s actions.

The Witnesses Who Cared: The case broke open because Craig’s dental office manager noticed the cyanide package and connected it to Angela’s symptoms. She cared enough to speak up, even though “thinking that somebody was capable of possibly poisoning somebody else was not something I was taking lightly.” Her courage saved the investigation.

The Failed Cover-Up: Craig’s attempts to manipulate evidence from jail; asking his daughter to create deepfake videos, offering money for false testimony, trying to have the lead detective killed, showed consciousness of guilt. An innocent person doesn’t try to fabricate evidence.

Key Takeaway: In domestic murder cases, perpetrators often assume their intimate knowledge of the victim gives them cover. But that same intimacy creates evidence: shared homes have security cameras, shared meals leave traces, shared lives create witnesses. Craig thought he could kill his wife slowly and blame mysterious illness. Instead, every protein shake, every hospital visit, every Google search built the case against him.

💡 Tip of the Week — The Deadly Routine: How Poisoners Exploit Trust and Daily Habits

James Craig didn’t kill his wife with a single dramatic act. He killed her through routine, something as normal as a morning protein shake became a murder weapon.

Why Poisoners Choose Routine

Poisoning is called the “coward’s murder” because it doesn’t require confrontation, creates distance between killer and death, and exploits the victim’s trust in daily habits like shared meals and drinks.

Craig chose protein shakes because the couple regularly made them for each other, the strong flavor masks poison, liquids dissolve substances easily, and he could claim he used “too much protein powder” if questioned.

The Pattern Investigators Look For

1. Repeated mysterious hospitalizations – Angela had four hospital visits in 10 days

2. Symptoms matching known poisons – Her dizziness, vomiting, and seizures matched arsenic and cyanide

3. Improvement away from suspect – Victims get better in the hospital, worse at home

4. Access to poisons – Craig was a dentist who could order medical supplies

5. Clear motive – Mistress, financial troubles, avoiding divorce

6. Digital evidence – Internet searches for “undetectable poisons” proved planning

How This Case Was Solved

• Blood samples from different dates showed the poisoning timeline: toxic arsenic on March 9, non-lethal cyanide before Craig’s hospital visit, lethal cyanide after
• Surveillance footage captured Craig making shakes before symptoms and the 58-second hospital visit with a syringe
• Digital forensics revealed internet searches and poison purchases
• Brave witnesses like the office manager who connected the cyanide package to Angela’s symptoms

Why Poisoners Almost Always Get Caught

Modern toxicology detects nearly any substance, poisons leave traces even after death, repeated poisonings create patterns, purchases create digital trails, and internet searches can always be recovered.

Warning Signs to Watch For

• Someone repeatedly sick after meals/drinks from a specific person
• Symptoms doctors can’t diagnose
• Patient improves in hospital, worsens at home
• Unexplained chemical packages
• Person researching poisons online

The Lesson

Angela trusted her husband to make her protein shakes. That trust killed her. Poisoning cases exploit intimate relationships and daily routines, but that same intimacy leaves evidence everywhere. Craig thought routine would give him cover. Instead, it created a timeline that convicted him.

Case Crackers: The Protein Shake Poison Cipher

James Craig’s timeline of poisoning created a pattern that convicted him. Can you decode the hidden message that reveals the key evidence?

How to Play: Solve these three clues to find numbers. Convert each number to a letter (A=1, B=2, C=3… Z=26). Arrange the letters in clue order to reveal the secret word.

Clue 1: The Fatal Visit Hospital cameras showed James Craig entering Angela’s hospital room and exiting exactly 58 seconds later, after which she became fatally ill. Add the two digits of 58 together (5 + 8 = ?). Use this number as your first clue number.

Clue 2: The Poison Purchase Timeline James Craig purchased arsenic on February 27, and it was delivered on March 4. Count the number of days between these dates (including both the 27th and the 4th). Use this number as your second clue number.

Clue 3: The Cyanide Bottles Prosecutors presented evidence that James Craig purchased 19 bottles of Visine containing the poison tetrahydrozoline. Take the number 19 and add the two digits together (1 + 9 = ?). Use this number as your third clue number.

Final Step: Convert your three numbers to letters (A=1, B=2, C=3… Z=26) and arrange them in clue order (1st, 2nd, 3rd) to reveal the secret word.

📊 Statistics of the Week: The Rise of Domestic Poisoning Cases and Digital Evidence

Did you know that poisoning murders have one of the highest conviction rates when digital evidence (internet searches, online purchases, surveillance footage) is present—reaching approximately 94% conviction rate?

Key Insights:

• Poisoning Cases Are Overwhelmingly Domestic: Approximately 85% of poisoning murders involve intimate partners, family members, or caregivers—people with trusted access to the victim’s food, drinks, and medications.

• Internet Searches Are the New Smoking Gun: In poisoning cases prosecuted since 2010, over 75% included internet search evidence showing the defendant researched poisons, lethal doses, or detection methods before the murder. These searches are almost always recovered, even if deleted.

• Tetrahydrozoline (Eye Drop) Poisonings Are Increasing: Since 2018, there has been a documented rise in murder and attempted murder cases using over-the-counter eye drops. The substances are easily accessible, and perpetrators falsely believe they’re undetectable. However, modern toxicology can identify tetrahydrozoline poisoning, and these cases have a near-100% conviction rate when prosecuted.

• Surveillance Footage Seals Cases: In the James Craig case, two types of surveillance were critical—home security cameras showing Craig making protein shakes before Angela’s symptoms, and hospital cameras capturing the exact 58-second window when he administered the fatal dose. Cases with video evidence have conviction rates 40% higher than cases without it.

Example: James Craig represents a textbook modern poisoning case: He researched poisons online (“how many grams of pure arsenic will kill a human,” “is arsenic detectable in an autopsy”). He purchased multiple poisons (arsenic, potassium cyanide, 19 bottles of Visine). He exploited routine (morning protein shakes). He was captured on surveillance making the poisoned drinks and administering the fatal dose. The digital trail, from searches to purchases to surveillance, made his conviction nearly inevitable.

This statistic serves as a reminder: In the modern era, poisoners leave more evidence than ever before. Every search creates a record. Every purchase creates a receipt. Every action in a home with security cameras or a hospital with surveillance creates proof. James Craig thought he was planning the perfect undetectable murder. Instead, he created a perfect case file for his own conviction.

💬 Community Q&A — We Want Your Voice!

We love hearing from our Case Crackers community, and your insights shape how we build each edition. This week, we’re asking:

What do you find most gripping in Solved Files?

• Do you prefer deep-dive case breakdowns like the Schur story, or more quick-hit crime stats and myths vs facts?
• Are exclusive sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes materials something you’d want more of each week?
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💬 Your opinion matters, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts! Drop us a reply or fill out this quick feedback form HERE. Together, we’ll make Solved Files your go-to hub for true crime insights and interactive casework.

Got another burning question or case request? Send it in, you might see it featured in next week’s Q&A spotlight!

🔦 This Week’s Must-Watch Moment

Killer Husband Thinks He Outsmarted The Cops (He Didn’t)

What happens when a seemingly calm husband sits down for an interrogation, and his story starts to unravel?

On the Solved Files - Interrogations channel, we take you inside the interrogation room where detectives face off against suspects who think they’ve gotten away with murder. Our latest deep dive, “Killer Husband Thinks He Outsmarted The Cops (He Didn’t),” reveals the chilling case of Shadwick R. King and the death of his wife, Kathleen King, in July 2014.

What you’ll witness:

The Setup: On July 6, 2014, 32-year-old Kathleen King was found motionless by railroad tracks in Geneva, Illinois. At first glance, it looked like a tragic train accident. But her injuries told a different story, one that led detectives to classify her death as suspicious.

The Interrogation: Shadwick King, Kathleen’s husband and the last person to see her alive, sat down with detectives maintaining a disturbingly nonchalant attitude. He claimed their relationship was peaceful, that there was “no bitterness,” and that he would never hurt her. But his timeline didn’t match the evidence, and his calm demeanor raised red flags.

The Contradictions: Text messages on Kathleen’s phone revealed a different reality, Shadwick was often angry and drunk, contradicting every claim of a peaceful marriage. When detectives directly confronted him, his emotional spike revealed the cracks in his carefully constructed facade.

The Truth Uncovered: Forensic evidence revealed Kathleen had been manually strangled, and her body was staged on the tracks to look like an accident. In 2015, a jury found Shadwick King guilty of first-degree murder, sentencing him to 30 years in prison, a sentence he must serve in full.

This isn’t just an interrogation. It’s a masterclass in how detectives spot deception, follow the evidence, and unravel a killer’s lies piece by piece. From the moment Shadwick sits down claiming innocence to the forensic evidence that sealed his fate, every minute reveals how investigators see through manipulation and bring justice for victims.

👁 Watch the full interrogation breakdown now: Killer Husband Thinks He Outsmarted The Cops (He Didn’t)

Subscribe to Solved Files - Interrogations and join us as we dissect the psychology of deception, the tactics detectives use to extract truth, and the evidence that ultimately brings killers to justice. Because when suspects think they’ve outsmarted the cops, they almost never have.

Thanks for being part of this week’s case review. Every read, every thought, every question you bring keeps this community sharp and searching for truth. Until next time, stay curious and stay safe.