The Case of Angela Craig

Angela Dawn Pray Craig, 43, was poisoned by her husband, dentist James Toliver Craig, over a period of days in March 2023. Craig secretly obtained arsenic, cyanide and other substances and prosecutors proved that he administered poisons to Angela, including while she was hospitalized. Angela died on March 18, 2023. Craig was convicted of first-degree murder in July 2025 and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Angela Dawn Pray was born on April 15, 1979, in Dodge City, Kansas, and was the youngest of ten children. She married James Toliver Craig in 1999, and the couple eventually settled in Aurora, Colorado, where they raised six children. Angela was heavily involved in her family, church and community. She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had served in several church roles. She was also involved in her husband's dental practice, Summerbrook Dental Group, helping with marketing and the business's day-to-day operations. Friends and family described Angela as devoted to her children and deeply involved in the lives of those around her. The marriage, however, had experienced significant difficulties. Angela's family later told investigators that James had engaged in multiple affairs over the years. There were also financial problems surrounding the dental practice and the family's finances. In February 2023, James met Karin Cain, a Texas orthodontist, at a dental conference in Las Vegas. Craig told Cain that he was separated from Angela and that their marriage was effectively over. Investigators later determined that these claims were false. The two developed an intense romantic relationship, exchanging thousands of messages during the weeks immediately preceding Angela's death.

The poisoning began in late February or early March 2023. On March 6, Angela began experiencing severe symptoms including dizziness, weakness, nausea, headaches, visual problems and a feeling that she had been drugged. She was taken to hospital and subsequently released. Her symptoms returned, and she was hospitalised again on March 9. During this period, Angela repeatedly communicated with James about how ill she felt. At one point she told him: "I feel drugged." James denied having drugged her. Investigators later discovered that Angela's blood contained arsenic, consistent with the symptoms she had been experiencing. On March 15, Angela was admitted to the University of Colorado Hospital after her condition deteriorated severely. She suffered a seizure and was placed on life support. During her hospitalization, investigators determined that Angela received another toxic dose. Toxicology testing found a lethal concentration of cyanide in her blood, together with toxic levels of tetrahydrozoline, an ingredient commonly found in over-the-counter eye drops. Angela was declared brain dead and died on March 18, 2023. The coroner determined that her death was a homicide caused by cyanide and tetrahydrozoline toxicity.

The investigation began when James's business partner, Ryan Redfearn, became suspicious of Angela's condition. Redfearn knew that James had recently obtained potassium cyanide for his dental practice despite there being no legitimate dental reason for the chemical. While Angela was critically ill in hospital, Redfearn informed medical staff of his concerns. The information was passed to police, who immediately began investigating the possibility that Angela had been poisoned. Investigators obtained search warrants for the Craig home, dental practice, electronic devices and financial and communication records. The evidence revealed that James had been researching poisons before Angela became seriously ill. Among the searches were questions about whether arsenic could be detected during an autopsy and how much arsenic could kill a person. Craig had also created a secret email account that investigators linked to his poison research and purchases. He purchased arsenic online. He later ordered potassium cyanide from a scientific supplier, falsely claiming that the chemical was required for research involving medical prosthetics and craniofacial reconstruction. Investigators also discovered that Craig had purchased large quantities of eye drops containing tetrahydrozoline. Prosecutors argued that the poisons were administered through protein shakes and smoothies that James routinely prepared for Angela. The investigation also uncovered extensive communications between James and Karin Cain. Craig had told Cain that he was separated from Angela and was preparing to begin a new life with her. He had also discussed Angela's illness with Cain while continuing to pursue their relationship. Investigators subsequently arrested James Craig on March 19, 2023, the day after Angela died. The case expanded further after investigators discovered that Craig attempted to manipulate evidence and testimony while incarcerated awaiting trial.

James Craig was charged with first-degree murder shortly after Angela's death. His trial began in July 2025. The prosecution presented extensive digital, financial, forensic and medical evidence, including Craig's internet searches, poison purchases, communications with other women, hospital evidence and testimony from people who worked with him. The defense argued that Angela had wanted to die and that Craig had obtained poisons because she had asked him to help her commit suicide. Craig did not testify at trial. On July 30, 2025, an Arapahoe County jury found James Craig guilty of first-degree murder. He was also convicted of several additional felony charges relating to attempts to obstruct the investigation and solicit other people to commit crimes on his behalf while he was incarcerated. On the same day, Judge Shay Whitaker sentenced Craig to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for Angela's murder, followed by additional consecutive prison time for the other convictions.

The case became particularly notable because the investigation uncovered an unusually detailed digital trail showing the preparation for the poisoning. Craig's searches for lethal substances, secret purchases of arsenic and cyanide, communications with another woman and the discovery that Angela had been poisoned while already in hospital provided prosecutors with a substantial body of evidence. The case also received national attention because Craig was a practicing dentist, the victim was his wife and mother of their six children, and investigators alleged that he used his medical knowledge and access to chemicals to conceal the murder as a medical illness.