Cops: Colorado Dentist Fatally Poisoned Wife

James Craig brought her to hospital Wednesday, per police; her condition quickly went downhill
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 20, 2023 12:33 PM CDT
Cops: Colorado Dentist Fatally Poisoned Wife
James Toliver Craig.   (Aurora Police Department, via ABC News)

On Wednesday, a Colorado man drove his wife to a local hospital after she'd complained of dizziness and bad headaches, according to Aurora police. The 43-year-old woman went downhill from there, ended up in the ICU on a ventilator, and soon was declared medically brain dead, per KDVR. Now, her husband, an area dentist, has been arrested and faces first-degree murder charges, with police alleging that he poisoned her.

Per a police statement, James Toliver Craig, 45, was arrested Sunday morning, after an "intensive" probe into his wife's death that revealed she'd been poisoned. The warrant for Craig's arrest was issued after his wife was taken off life support. According to the website for Summerbrook Dental Group, where Craig practices, he and his wife, whose first name is said to be Angela, have six children, reports Denver7. The news outlet spoke to locals who say Craig is their dentist, and they all seemed shocked by the developments.

"He was literally the best dentist I ever had," one notes. "That's why I recommended him to my mom. That's why I recommended [him to] my brother." Mark Hildebrand, who heads up the police department's investigative division, says officers and homicide detectives "tirelessly worked to uncover the truth behind the victim's sudden illness and death," calling it a "heinous, complex, and calculated murder," per the police statement. Investigators say the investigation is ongoing, and that anyone with any info should call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).

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