The brutal death of  Angela Craig - A detailed case overview

Angela Craig is at the center of a Colorado case that began as a baffling illness and ended with a murder conviction. The mother of six died in March 2023 after repeated hospital trips. Prosecutors said her husband, dentist James Craig, poisoned her.

A jury later found him guilty of first-degree murder and other charges, like solicitation to commit murder, and acquitted him of manslaughter. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

48 Hours episode Who Poisoned Angela Craig re-airs on Investigation Discovery on Tuesday, September 2, at 6 pm ET. The broadcast revisits the hospital timeline, the toxicology, and the records that drove the case from medical mystery to homicide file.

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Angela Craig case overview

As reported by ABC News, in early March 2023, Angela Craig began feeling dizzy, weak, and "drugged," according to messages cited in court. She went to the hospital three times in ten days, briefly rallied, then relapsed and was placed on life support.

Doctors could not find a cause at first, and she died on March 18. According to CNN, the rapid decline prompted police to open a homicide probe while she was still hospitalized.

Toxicology found cyanide and tetrahydrozoline in Angela’s system. (Image via Pixels)

Reported by NBC Bay Area, toxicology later found cyanide and tetrahydrozoline in Angela’s system, with earlier bloodwork showing arsenic during prior admissions. Prosecutors said the pattern fit repeated exposure, then a final dose that proved fatal.

A toxicology expert testified that Angela Craig had nearly twice the lethal limit of cyanide and that tetrahydrozoline is an ingredient found in common eye drops, according to ABC News.

According to CBS News, detectives also traced a delivery to James Craig’s dental office. One of the staff members opened a box labeled “potassium cyanide,” despite James’ instructions not to open it. The package had arrived five days before Angela Craig’s final collapse.

The staff member who opened the box alerted a partner, who then notified a nurse. That report prompted police involvement and led to a search of Craig’s devices and orders. This office contact became a key break in the case.

Prosecutors argued that James Craig's motive flowed from infidelity, image concerns, and financial struggles. They also presented video stills described in court as showing James Craig with a syringe before entering Angela’s hospital room, after which her condition worsened.

According to the BBC, jurors noted online searches such as “how many grams of pure arsenic will kill a human” and saw evidence of a potassium cyanide shipment.

The defense denied murder and argued that it was a case of suicide. Lawyers highlighted Angela's struggles and pointed to prior marital conflict, while also noting James Craig’s mental health history and counseling.

NPR reported the defense suggested police narrowed too fast on poisoning and on James Craig, while jurors were asked to consider alternative explanations. The jury, however, rejected those arguments.

James Craig was convicted of first-degree murder. (Image via Pixels)

James Craig was convicted of first-degree murder, multiple solicitation counts tied to efforts to tamper with evidence, and attempting to target a detective. He was sentenced to life without parole plus additional years. NBC News reported the panel returned guilty verdicts after a two-week trial and that the judge imposed a life term and added time for the extra counts.

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About the Angela Craig episode on 48 Hours

Who Poisoned Angela Craig runs for about 41 minutes and first aired on March 23, 2024. The episode tracks the ten-day medical timeline, the cyanide shipment to the dental office, and why investigators moved so quickly once staff flagged the package. It features reporting by Natalie Morales, with case materials that include texts, purchase records, and the arrest affidavit used in court.

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The re-airing of Who Poisoned Angela Craig is on Investigation Discovery at 6 pm ET on September 2.

48 Hours also streams on Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Prime Video, Prime Video with Ads, Paramount+ via Amazon Channel, and fuboTV, with free options on Pluto TV and The Roku Channel. Purchase is available on Apple TV.

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