James Craig, 46, was left without representation the morning his jury trial was set to begin on Nov. 21 when his defense attorney suddenly quit during jury selection. Craig's wife of 23 years, Angela, was found to have died on March 18, 2023, of poisoning from cyanide and tetrahydrozoline by the Arapahoe County Coroner's Office. The latter substance is found in over-the-counter eyedrops, according to the coroner.
On Monday, the dentist secured representation from Robert Werking and Lisa Moses, attorneys with LFM Defense based out of Greenwood Village, according to court records.
The dentist is facing six charges:
Craig is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 14, 2025. New dates for his trial have not yet been determined.
Investigators say Craig drove his wife to a local hospital in March 2023 after she complained of severe headaches and dizziness. Her health continued to deteriorate, and she was placed on a ventilator. Soon after, she was declared medically brain dead, according to the Aurora Police Department.
APD Division Chief Mark Hildebrand called it a "heinous, complex and calculated murder" in 2023. Craig is alleged to have bought poisons online just before his wife began to experience symptoms that doctors could not find a cause for. But his lawyers have argued there is no direct evidence that he put poison in his wife's shakes and have accused investigators of being biased against him.
In May, police accused Craig of trying to plant letters to make it look like his wife was suicidal. Craig allegedly asked a fellow jail inmate to put letters in his garage and truck that the dentist had written and meant to appear as if his wife had written them.
According to police investigators, Craig offered money to pay for the bond for the inmate to be released from jail or perform free dental work in exchange for planting the letters but the inmate decided not to take him up on the offer, the detective testified. That inmate instead contacted police -- defense attorneys for Craig have argued the inmate is not a credible witness.