Colorado Dentist Found Guilty of Murdering Wife with Cyanide and Eye Drops
A Colorado jury has convicted Dr. James Toliver Craig, 47, of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Angela Craig, who was poisoned with cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, an ingredient commonly found in over-the-counter eye drops.
Angela Craig, also 47, died in August 2023 after repeated hospital visits for unexplained symptoms, including dizziness, vomiting, blurred vision, and seizures. She slipped into a coma during her third hospital stay and was later declared brain-dead. Her official cause of death was ruled acute poisoning.
The trial, held in 2025, lasted three weeks. Prosecutors argued that Craig was motivated by financial troubles and multiple extramarital affairs, painting him as a man leading a double life. The defense maintained that Angela was depressed and may have been suicidal, a claim jurors ultimately rejected.
Central to the case were Craig’s affairs with several women, including Dr. Karin Cain, a Texas orthodontist. Cain testified that she and Craig exchanged more than 4,000 messages in just 18 days after meeting at a dental conference in Las Vegas. She said Craig claimed he was recently divorced and living alone—lies that unraveled under cross-examination.
Another woman, Carrie Hageseth, testified that Craig once referenced the film The Purge during dinner and said that if he could “purge” someone, it would be his wife.
Together, the testimony and evidence showed a pattern of deception, infidelity, and a motive prosecutors argued led Craig to poison Angela. The jury found him guilty, bringing an end to a case that shocked both the Colorado community and the wider public.