Colorado dentist accused of killing wife ‘searched how to make murder look like heart attack’, court hears

Published

2 years ago

July 13, 2023

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A US dentist accused of the fatal poisoning of his wife searched the internet for “how to make murder look like a heart attack” weeks before she died, a court has heard.

James Craig, 45, also sought answers to the question “is arsenic detectable in an autopsy?” at around the same time, it is alleged.

Detective Bobbi Olson told a court the defendant conducted the searches in February on a computer in a room at his dental practice in the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colorado.

It came just before his wife, Angela Craig, made repeated trips to hospitals complaining of symptoms, including dizziness, vomiting and confusion that puzzled doctors, the hearing was told.

The mother-of-six died in March after being taken off life support following her third trip to hospital.

Blood tests later revealed that Mrs Craig died after being poisoned with cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, a substance found in eye drops.

While his wife of 23 years was being treated in hospital, Craig was allegedly meeting another woman, fellow dentist Karin Cain, who flew in from Texas to visit him.

Police believe he laced his wife’s pre-workout protein shakes with poison so he could pursue a relationship with Ms Cain, according to court documents.

Fellow dentist denies being ‘motive’

Ms Cain told ABC’s Good Morning America she had been in the process of divorcing her husband of almost 30 years when she met Craig at a dental conference in February.

She said they were together for three weeks but stated she did not willingly have a relationship with a married man.

“If I had known what was true, I would not have been with this person,” she said.

Asked whether she thought Craig killed his wife to be with her, Ms Cain said they had not been planning a future together and added: “There’s no way I’m a motive”.

Dentist suspected of poisoning protein shakes

Craig has yet to enter a plea in the case and his lawyer declined to comment to reporters before a hearing to determine if he will stand trial for first-degree murder.

Police launched an investigation after Craig’s colleague and friend, Ryan Redfearn, told a nurse the defendant had ordered potassium cyanide – even though they did not need it for their work, according to an arrest warrant.

Detectives suspect Craig put arsenic in one of the protein shakes and then, after she survived, he ordered a rush shipment of the cyanide that he told the supplier was needed for a surgical procedure.

He asked an office manager not to open that package but another employee did, leading to its discovery and eventual disclosure to police.

The delivery of a third poisonous substance he is accused of ordering, Oleandrin, was allegedly intercepted by authorities after they began investigating him.

Craig told Mr Redfearn he ordered the potassium cyanide for his wife and told a social worker that she had been suicidal and depressed ever since he asked for a divorce in December, although none of their children said anything about suicide attempts, according to an arrest document.

Mr Redfearn also told investigators that Craig was on the verge of bankruptcy and had been having problems in his marriage, court documents said.

US

Why has Trump just called his own supporters ‘stupid’?

Published

2 hours ago

July 17, 2025

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Why has Trump just called his own supporters 'stupid'?

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Trump scrambles to try and fire the chair of America’s central bank – despite being constitutionally barred from sacking him without just cause.

All of this feels like distraction and obfuscation from the Epstein files debacle – a political crisis that is eating MAGA alive.

Plus: tensions are flaring in the Middle East once again. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is urging de-escalation between Israel and Syria.

If you’ve got a question you’d like the Trump100 team to answer, you can email it to trump100@sky.uk.

You can also watch all episodes on our YouTube channel.

US

California: 21 children taken into custody – amid claims couple misled surrogate mothers across the US

Published

2 hours ago

July 17, 2025

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California: 21 children taken into custody - amid claims couple misled surrogate mothers across the US

Police have taken 21 children into custody, amid allegations that a couple in Los Angeles may have misled surrogate mothers across the US.

Silvia Zhang, 38, and Guojun Xuan, 65, are believed to be the legal parents of the children, who are aged between two months and 13 years old.

“We believe one or two were born biologically to the mother,” Lieutenant Kollin Cieadlo said. “There are some surrogates who have come forward and said they were surrogates for the children.”

“The couple told police that they wanted a large family,” he added.

Fifteen children were removed from the couple’s home in Arcadia, about 13 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, after an abuse allegation was made. Another six living in the care of family and friends were also located.

The couple were arrested in May after a hospital reported that their two-month-old infant had a traumatic head injury – with a nanny accused of violently shaking the baby.

The infant was not taken to hospital until two days later, after they began suffering seizures.

CCTV footage recorded inside the home showed the children being emotionally and physically abused by at least six nannies.

Lt Cieadlo said Zhang had produced what appeared to be legitimate birth certificates, including some from outside California, that list her as the mother of the children.

Business records show a company called Mark Surrogacy Investment LLC was previously registered at the couple’s address, although the most recent documents show the business licence ended in June.

Police said they are investigating whether the children found at the home in the San Gabriel Valley were part of a surrogacy scam.

Lt Cieadlo also confirmed officers were working with the FBI as part of their investigation.

Kayla Elliott, one of the surrogate mothers who has come forward, told Sky’s US partner NBC News: “I was a bit hysterical. You just don’t expect that you’re going to go through a pregnancy and a delivery and then hand the baby over to their parents and then all of a sudden find out that there was abuse and neglect going on.”

Arrest warrants were issued for Zhang, Xuan and the 56-year-old nanny, who was not in custody on Wednesday. Zhang and Xuan were detained on suspicion of child endangerment/neglect.

The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, which removed the couple’s children, declined to comment on the case.

US

Ghislaine Maxwell could use ‘government misconduct’ to challenge imprisonment

Published

17 hours ago

July 16, 2025

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Ghislaine Maxwell could use 'government misconduct' to challenge imprisonment

Disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell could use “government misconduct” to challenge her imprisonment, her family has claimed.

The 63-year-old, who was jailed in 2022 for luring young girls to massage rooms for Jeffrey Epstein to abuse, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.

Maxwell’s family have frequently claimed she “did not receive a fair trial”, but legal appeals against her sex trafficking convictions have been rejected by the courts.

The latest challenge from the Maxwell family comes as President Donald Trump faces questions over whether or not he will order the release of the so-called Epstein “client list”, following a backlash from Republican loyalists who have called for any list to be made public.

Judges previously dismissed arguments from Maxwell’s lawyers that she “should never have been prosecuted” because of a “weird” agreement drafted more than 15 years ago.

The family argue that Maxwell should have been protected under an agreement Epstein had entered with the US Department of Justice in 2007, which agreed not to prosecute any of his co-conspirators.

During her trial in 2021, Maxwell was described as “dangerous” by prosecutors, who told jurors about how she would entice vulnerable girls to go to Epstein’s properties for him to sexually abuse.

In a statement, her family said: “Our sister Ghislaine did not receive a fair trial.

“Her legal team continues to fight her case in the courts and will file its reply in short order to the government’s opposition in the US Supreme Court.”

David Oscar Markus, one of her lawyers, said in the statement released by her family: “I’d be surprised if President Trump knew his lawyers were asking the Supreme Court to let the government break a deal.

“He’s the ultimate dealmaker and I’m sure he’d agree that when the United States gives its word, it should keep it.

“With all the talk about who’s being prosecuted and who isn’t, it’s especially unfair that Ghislaine Maxwell remains in prison based on a promise the US government made and broke.’

“These are sentiments with which we profoundly concur.”

Epstein, 66, was found dead in his cell at a Manhattan federal jail in August 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.