A dentist in Colorado has been charged for allegedly poisoning his wife so that he could start a new life with a rumored lover.
As reported by the New York Post, an arrest warrant affidavit issued against 45-year-old James Toliver Craig alleges that he fatally poisoned his 43-year-old wife, Angela Craig, when he made her a tainted protein shake.
According to the documents, Angela was soon admitted to hospital after she had complained about a shake her husband had made her.
"That drink you gave me tastes weird," Angela wrote to her husband in a message seen by the Daily Mail. "Good to know. I won't drink one," he replied.
The Mail reports that Craig had previously admitted to drugging his wife several years ago. At the time, he reportedly claimed that he did so that he could take his own life without her interrupting him.
Further messages appear to show Craig referencing this history, after she told him that he "felt drugged".
"Given our history, I know that must be triggering,' Craig tells his wife. "Just for the record, I didn't drug you. I am super worried though. You really looked pale before I left."
Angela was subsequently admitted to hospital after complaining of dizziness and headaches.
The Post adds that while his wife and the mother of his six children was in hospital, Craig had flown his mistress - an orthodontist based in Texas - to Denver.
The affidavit reportedly adds how Craig had googled what poisons fail to show up in an autopsy.
Charging documents alleged that Craig has searched for things such as "how many grams of pure arsenic will kill a human"; "Is Arsenic Detectable in Autopsy"; and 'how to make poison".
Another message - sent to his wife on March 9 - allegedly shows Craig's concern after her condition started to worsen. "Man, baby, you've got to stop scaring me like this," he messages her. "I love you so much, and I'm not used to all of this excitement!"
Documents state that while Angela was still recovering in hospital, Craig's alleged mistress was in town and he was continuing to message his wife sexually explicit comments.
On March 13, police accuse Craig of ordering cyanide.
The following day, Angela returned home. Charging documents allege that Craig had told a confidant that his wife had accused him of trying to poison her.
"James told her when Angela was discharged she made accusations that James had poisoned her,' the charging documents state. "Angela said something to James along the lines of 'there are poisons they don't test for.'"
On March 15, Angela's condition worsened and she was once again admitted to hospital. Tragically, she suffered a seizure and never regained consciousness.
The next day (March 16), charging documents state that Craig received a message from his alleged mistress that read: "I am sorry I am not a part of your world to be of more help to you and instead I am pulling you away.
"This is so hard. I want to be and do whatever I can to support and encourage you and I don't want to add to what has become an incredibly difficult time. I do want to give you any comfort I can but I do not feel it is right for me to mix in with those gathering to mourn Angela either and I do not want to meet your family as a friend and conceal what I feel for you."
Following Angela's death, The Mail reports that loved ones pleaded for Craig to have an autopsy carried out in order to see if the mom's cause of death was due to a genetic condition that could have been passed down to her children. Craig refused.
Craig was eventually reported to the authorities by one of his co-workers after a package addressed to him at work featured a biohazard sticker and contained a canister marked 'Potassium Cyanide'.
The female colleague googled the poison and read a number of side effects that aligned with Angela's condition prior to her tragic death.
The couple were married for over 20 years and shared six children together - five girls and a boy - aged from eight to 20.
Our thoughts are with Angela's family and friends at this time.
