A Colorado jury has convicted former dentist **James Craig** of first-degree murder after a months-long poisoning campaign in March 2023. He laced his wife **Angela Craig’s** protein shakes with arsenic for ten days, then administered a fatal dose of cyanide through her IV while she was hospitalized—leading to her death at 43. The verdict came with a sentence of **life in prison without parole** according to AP News and confirmed by **The Daily Beast** coverage of trial details summarizing the case.
During the emotional sentencing hearing in Arapahoe County, Craig’s oldest daughter, **Miriam “Mira” Meservy**, delivered a powerful victim-impact statement. Teary-eyed, she said: > **“I was supposed to be able to trust my dad—he was supposed to be my hero—and instead he will forever be the villain in my book.”**
Mira’s testimony followed remarks from her aunt, Toni Kofoed, who lamented the life experiences Angela would miss—shared nights with laughs and confidences, now lost forever. “Her life was not yours to take,” Kofoed told Craig in court via CBS Colorado’s emotional reporting and details reflected in **AP News** on courtroom reactions.
Prosecutors portrayed Angela’s death as a coldly calculated scheme: Craig ordered poison online, searched for ways to make murder appear as a heart attack, and attempted to recruit his teenage daughter to help fabricate a deepfake video depicting Angela requesting her own poisoning. The jury found him guilty on multiple counts—including first-degree murder, solicitation of false testimony, and solicitation of evidence tampering as outlined by AP News, with further corroboration in Guardian reporting on obstruction attempts.
“He unleashed a path of destruction as wide as a tornado… devastating to his children and her family,” said the judge.
Defense counsel argued Angela may have been suicidal due to marital strain and Craig’s extramarital affair—but jurors rejected that narrative after hearing medical experts and family testimony confirming she showed no signs of depression. Toxicology confirmed her system contained lethal levels of **cyanide and tetrahydrozoline**, with elevated arsenic as well ABC News on poisoning findings and **The Time
s of India** summarizing the motive tied to greed and image preservation in international coverage.
Family members were visibly emotional in court as multiple children offered statements. Mira’s younger brother, **Toliver Craig**, shared that he still sets his phone alarm each night at 10 PM—the hour his mother died—just to remember her. “I’m sad there’s not more time with her,” he said softly as reported by AP News.
Judge **Shay Whitaker** described Craig’s actions as catastrophic. Summing up the harm done, the judge stated: > **“Dr. Craig unleashed a path of destruction as wide as a tornado—and just as devastating.”** Authorities emphasized this case should stand as a warning about poison’s accessibility and the devastating consequences of betrayal at home according to court coverage.
Craig’s sentence also includes combined convictions for solicitation of murder and evidence tampering, each carrying decades. His attempts to manipulate testimony, recruit co-conspirators, and exploit his daughter deeply impacted the jury’s view as outlined by Guardian.
As Craig was led away in handcuffs, family members from both sides embraced in tears. While justice has been served, Mira’s sorrowful declaration—recalling that her father will forever be “the villain”—reflects a painful truth at the heart of this tragedy.
