Hidden True Crime - Poison, Affairs, and a Shocking Motive - James Craig Opening Statements Recap | Inside The Courtroom

Episode Date: July 16, 2025

Opening statements are in—and they’re explosive. Prosecutors say James Craig laced his wife’s smoothies to escape a failing marriage and be with his mistress. The defense calls him a “broken man,” not a killer. In this episode, we break down the key arguments, jaw-dropping evidence, and what this high-profile Denver trial could reveal next. About Hidden True Crime: What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Outcomes vary. 3.3% base API Y as of January 30th, 2026, is representative variable and earned on funds swept to program banks. 0.65% new client boost for three months on up to $150,000. Direct deposit $1,000 a month and fund an investing account for a 0.25% increase. Cash account offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC member FINRA SIPC, not a bank. Hello, Hidden Jams. Thank you for joining us and me on this day July 15th, 2025, because after more than two years of anticipation, the murder trial of Colorado Dendez James Craig has officially begun. And I am in the courtroom. I am there. And today we learned that the public can't even access WebEx, something that we thought Judge Whitaker would allow until we were actually in the courtroom waiting for opening statements. But do not worry.

Again, I am there and I will be bringing you daily updates. I also want to recommend our full backstory of the case. It will set the stage and give you everything you need to know to follow along with us as we recap this trial to you each day. James Craig is accused of poisoning his wife of 23 years. He is an LDS or a Mormon father and his wife, the mother to his six children. Angela Craig. He is accused of poisoning her in March of 2023. He's facing six felony charges, one count of first degree murder, two counts of soliciting someone to tamper with physical evidence, and three counts of soliciting first degree perjury. If convicted of the murder charge,

he could spend the rest of his life behind bars, no possibility of parole. I want to start, though, with how he entered the courtroom. He entered the courtroom in a black pinstriped suit flanked by his attorneys, Lisa Moses and Ashley wit him. His hair was longer than his mugshot and his face pale. He also seemed a little bit bigger that he has gained weight. And before a single word was said, Greg was already in tears. So this isn't Chad DeBal, no emotion. This is actually a defendant that's full of emotion, at least what he's showing on his face.

Already in tears, he clutched his chest like this, looking back at his family and dabbed at his face with a Kleenex, whether from guilt, grief, fear of what's coming, only he knows. Angela and James's children were present. It was honestly a painful visual for everyone in the courtroom. Their older son sat behind James next to his grandfather. Two of the couple's daughters sat on the prosecution side, a heartbreaking signal of where they may stand. although we simply do not know and may not know until some of them are called to testify at their father's murder trial. So then after James Craig walked in, then came in the jury, nine women and six men.

They filed in with the quiet gravity of people who know they're about to decide someone's future. They were listening today. And following jury instructions, the courtroom turned to opening statements. And the trial of James Craig was officially underway. Prosecutor Ryan Brackley wasted no time cutting to the heat of the case during opening statements. He told the jury that James Craig's alleged murder of his wife was not impulsive. It was cold, calculated, and methodical.

He painted a portrait of Angela Craig, 43, as a devoted mother of six, a woman who poured her life into her children, their homeschooling, and her family. A woman of faith. A woman who took care of everyone and everything. a woman that was the pitcher of health, a woman who should still be alive today. But in March of 2023, Angela grew mysteriously critically ill. She was rushed to the hospital on March 15th, and doctors scrambled to figure out what was happening to her. Her husband, James, a dentist, a man in medical scrubs, stood by her side, or so it seemed. According to prosecutors, James Craig wasn't there to comfort or care for his wife.

He was there to kill her. wearing those familiar blue scrubs, he entered Angela's hospital room, not with concern, but with a plan, a plan to administer a final fatal dose of cyanide. In Brackley's words, James Craig walked into the hospital room to murder his wife. And as those words landed in the courtroom, the weight of them could be felt in every corner. Take a lesson. Andrew Craig's husband, the father of her six children, and Dr. James Craig also went into Angeloom.

He was also wearing those familiar blue scrubs of a doctor. But he didn't go into that room to save Angela's life. He didn't go into that room to fight for her life, to support her. He went in that room to murder her. and intentionally end her life with a fatal dose of suffering. Intentionally and deliberately over course the 10 days ended her life with a poison called arsenic commonly used in history to kill the bats. With a poison called tetrahydrosoline.

You're going to know tetrahydrosly by another name, Bizine, eyedrups, another drug called Simon. This case is not about Angela Craig, although we're gonna talk about her and remember, it's about what he did, it's about what the man in court of James Craig. We're gonna talk about the evidence and I'm gonna go from the three timelines,

and the timelines are gonna come together and they're gonna cross each other, but they're gonna end on March 18. In the first time, is Angela Craig's last 10 days once. I realize the audio isn't great, but never fear. That's why I'm in the courtroom, and I have everything

you need to know for opening statements. So, prosecutor, Ryan Brackley, then walked the jury through two chilling timelines, the first detailing the final 10 days of Angela Craig's life. It began with a seemingly normal trip. Angela traveled to Utah to visit her sister, Tony. They are very close.

and attend a genealogy conference there in Utah. She kept in touch with James, calling him each night, but when she returned home on March 6th, things took a terrifying turn. That morning, James made her a smoothie, and not long after drinking it, Angela texted him that she was feeling dizzy and strange. The symptoms escalated, fast, nausea, vomiting,

and eventually collapsed. Her children found her fainted on the floor. She was rushed to the hospital, and then she was released. Then rushed back again. And again, doctors were baffled. Nothing added up. Angela, frightened and desperate, turned to Google.

We all do when we need answers, trying to solve her own medical mystery. And then came one of the most haunting revelations. A family member had previously installed a security camera in the Craig's kitchen, capturing hours of footage. behind closed doors. Footage of James preparing smoothies. Footage, heartbreaking footage of Angela crawling desperately across the kitchen floor after James left for work, not able to stand,

as well as catching private conversations that would later become evidence, evidence for this trial. On March 11th, Angela's condition sharply declined, crashing just hours after James brought her food and drink. She survived the incident and was released again on March 14th. And that night, Angela searched for answers online one more time. Her browser history showed searches for obstructive sleep apnea, internal tremors, blood sugar crashes, heart failure, and whether she might have diabetes. Angela Craig clearly knew something was deeply wrong with her. She was afraid. But what was wrong with her she didn't know. And what she didn't know. And what she didn't know, according to the prosecution, was that someone close to her who claimed to love her may have

been orchestrating at all. And you look right, starts the morning with, soonly, her symptoms worsening. There's a moment on March 9th where her kids find her pass out. Fated. There's a moment on March 9th when she crawls across the floor because she can't get up. And she goes back to the hospital. Once again, she needs to Dr. Pico was the attending at Parker Hospital. Dr. Pico can't figure it. So they admit. Basically, a 43-year-old woman who's faking, who's dizzy,

who's a thorget who's not feeling well, they can't figure it out. It got worse, so they admit. The Nantula Craig Spadens from March 9th to March 14th in the hospital. She, experts. She continues to do it. from boobury. She continues to ask Dr. Craig Kermisda, what's wrong with me? We continue to talk about it. He visits her. He brings food. He brings for things to drink. And the conditions are on March 11. She has what we're going to call a crash.

What? Heartland sky rockets after he visits her. But they say they fight to keep her alive. She fights to stay alive. The next couple of days, she's stabilized. She's not getting worse. Staying in the hospital. Continues to worry. Continues to be afraid. She gets frustrated at the time.

She gets angry. Why can't they figure out what's going on with me? And she expresses that frustration, that fear, that anger with her husband. Who says nothing? As Angela searched Google for symptoms about her failing health on her laptop while in bed, deathfully ill. James Craig snapped a photo of her, but he didn't send the photo to her family. He didn't save it for concern or documentation. He sent it to his alleged mistress or someone he was at least having a deeply emotional affair with. And her name is Dr. Karen Kane, a fellow dentist. And by now,

her name has become familiar to anyone following this case because James Craig was texting her incessantly. One text read in court, with me, my eternal love, may heaven bloom with us forever." End quote. Turns out James Craig is quite the poet. A bad one, but a poet. Just days after snapping that photo of Angela in bed on March 15th, Angela was hospitalized for a final time.

And by the morning of March 16th, she was considered brain dead. And over the next three days, her body shut down. Her organs failed. And by March 18, 2023, Angela Craig, a mother of six, was pronounced dead. In court, prosecutor Brackley reminded the jury that the state does not need to prove motive. That's not necessary for the prosecution. But he said that they would still show why James Craig may have believed that murder wasn't just a way out. It was a solution.

And that motive, a collapsing dental business, mounting debt, multiple affairs, life insurance policies on his wife, multiple life insurance policies. always followed the life insurance policies and a mistress on her way to visit. According to Brackley, James had every reason to want Angela gone. A friend and colleague named Ryan Redfern, someone that James had met at BYU during their college days, he had tried to help managing James' failing dental practice and taking over the finances. But by January of 2023, even Ryan told the truth. It was not working. The business was sinking.

At the same time, James held multiple life insurance policies on Angela and was entangled in several extramarital affairs. Yes, Karen Kane wasn't the only one. And one of those marital affairs came to a head in November of 2022 when Angela found out. Divorce was discussed, but ultimately they agreed to stay together, recommitting to their marriage. At least that's what Angela believed. But behind her back, I guess James once a cheater, always a cheater, he was living pretty much a double life. He maintained a profile on Seeking.com, a website known for arrangements. In other words, transactional relationships between wealthy men called sugar daddies and younger women, sugar babies.

And under the username Jim and Waffles, James claimed he was worth $10 million. And in reality, though, we know he was drowning in debt. But that didn't stop him from traveling, messaging women, and presenting himself. as a trapped, misunderstood man in a loveless marriage. And then, of course, came Dr. Karen Kane. The two met at a Las Vegas dental conference in February of 2023. She was newly separated from her husband of 30 years. And he told her he was two, claimed he lived in his own apartment.

He painted Angela as his past, Karen as his future. Karen was planning to fly to Colorado to visit him in early March. That meant James had just days. to get rid of his wife. And during that time, he ordered poisons, including arsenic, and continue to lie to Karen, telling her that he and Angela were constantly fighting. And just before Angela left for her sister's house in Utah, again, she's very close to her sister, Tony, who lives in Utah. And just before Angela left for her sister's house in Utah, James texted Karen saying, quote, I wish she'd just stay gone. It would make my life easier. And quote. So that wasn't a passing comment.

according to prosecutors, it was a warning shot. Because Angela Craig never stood a chance. Over 4,000 text messages. 4,000 text messages. That's how often James Craig and Dr. Caring King communicated with the weeks leading up to Angela's death. They weren't just flirting. They were planning a future, exchanging I love yous and dreaming of building a life together, filled with what they called again, eternal love.

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$150,000. Direct deposit $1,000 a month and fund an investing account for a 0.25% increase. Cash account offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA, SIPC, not a bank. James wasn't just telling Karen that he loved her. He was telling Angela the same thing. And not just her. He sent Angela, Karen, and another woman, the same love song, dream with me. As prosecutor Brackley told the jury, the lies were stacking up, and so was the evidence.

By late February, the digital breadcrumbs began, and James' online searches included, get this, this first one, how to make murder look like a heart attack. Second one, lethal dose of arsenic. Another one, is cyanide detectable in an autopsy. And then he was seen alone in an exam room at his dental practice late at night in the dark using a computer. And he texted his office manager to expect a personal package that he requested she not open. Well, that personal package arrived on March 4th. It was cyanide.

He also ordered oleandrine telling the seller it was for research purposes and later bulk quantities of vizine and cyanide, which arrived March 13th. One of those packages, though, I love this. get this, was accidentally opened by a dental office employee, not realizing it was that personal package, and she saw the label, potassium cyanide. The truth was beginning to crack. Meanwhile, Karen rescheduled her trip to visit James, pushing her flight from March 9th to March 16th. Prosecutors say James used that extra time to finish the job.

And on March 14th, James was photographed in the kitchen, holding a smoothie shaker on his own installed security camera in his kitchen. Angela drank the smoothie that night and went to bed, and the next morning James texted relatives to remind Angela to take her Z-Pack medication for a sinus infection. That's what he was worried about. But prosecutors believed he tampered with the capsules, emptied them, and refilled them with cyanide.

And nevermind, she hadn't been prescribed a Z-Pack for this situation she was in. Angela, though, took the pills, and then she crashed almost immediately. Her sister rushed her to the hospital while James was busy texting Karen, calling her so hot. And at the hospital, Angela's blood was drawn, but no one was testing for poisons yet. And while family believed James was heading to his dental office, he snuck back into the hospital. He entered Angela's room, asked her brother to step out, and moments later, she crashed again.

And James, at that point, was seen pacing the halls in his classic medical scrubs as doctors rushed to save his wife. But the walls were closing in. It was Caitlin Romero. That's the dental office manager. And she had had enough. She called James' business partner, Ryan Redfern, and told him everything. The odd behavior, the late night searches, the package of cyanide. Ryan called the hospital.

Angela was immediately given a cyanide antidote. And once that happened, guess what? She showed brief improvement. Unfortunately, though, the damage was irreversible. Her brain was already gone. And that's what the hospital immediately. called the police. Investigators quickly seized James' office computer. They uncovered searches about poisons, faking natural death, and lethal overdoses. Angela's blood work revealed lethal level

of cyanide, arsenic, and tetrahydrozzolene, a chemical found in vising eyedrops. Even the smoothie shaker tested positive for poison, and still, James wasn't done. After Angela's death, he tried to cover his tracks with desperation that bordered undelusion. He asked his daughter, his daughter, Annabel, to help fabricate a suicide story. She refused and ultimately she turned him in. In jail? He wasn't done. In jail, he tried to recruit inmates to help stage elaborate cover-ups. One was given a map to James' home and asked to plant fake suicide evidence. Another was told to find a woman to pose as a friend of Angela's who would claim that Angela was suicidal. He even tried to mail a fake suicide note to an inmate's ex-wife asking her to help him find witnesses.

Find witnesses, in quote. And then prosecutors dropped a chilling allegation. James Craig tried to solicit the murder of one of the detectives working his case. Her name is Detective Bobby Olson. And according to the state, James asked fellow inmates to kill her. Yes, kill Bobby Olson, a detective on the case. They turned them in. Every move, every lie, every desperate play, prosecutors argue.

points to one conclusion, James Craig would do anything to bury the truth. Absolutely anything. And then it was time for the defense to speak. Ashley Whitham, she stood before the jury and made it clear. They are not denying Angela was sick. They are not denying she was in and out of the hospital. They are not denying that Angela died. They're not even denying that poison was found in her system. What they are disputing is how it got there. Whittam told the jury, the crux of this case is how. She said the state's entire theory rests on speculation and that the prosecution is asking the jury to connect dots without real proof. She urged them to remove the blinders that prosecutors had placed on this case and to look at everything.

Because according to the defense, what happened to Angela Craig may not be what it seems. Take a listen. For not, the prosecution. has proven the element of what they've charged Dr. Craig with beyond a reasonable now. And in fact, I'll submit, you probably won't like what he was doing. You probably won't like some of the things he was doing. Not with that issue in this case.

And it's certainly not about speculations and assumptions, which is what the prosecution is going to be asking you to do. And it's not about sympathy. This is tragic. you have six kids who lost their mom. You have Dr. Craig who lost his wife of 23 years. This is tragic, but you can't allow sympathy to play a role in your burden. The defense said that Angela and James's 23-year marriage was complicated but caring.

And when she was sick, he was by her side in the hospital wanting her to be admitted. And one doctor referred to him as a doting husband. Yes, doting. Their texts are caring and loving. That is true. Our backstory shows just how doting or allegedly doting they might look to people from the outside. And they're a happy family, says the defense, with six children who took vacations and who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Touching on the surveillance videos in home, Ashley stated that the kitchen was the only camera in the house with audio. That audio caught many things, but it did not catch things outside of the house.

But the defense also admits that James was an unfaithful husband, unfaithful pretty much for their entire 23-year marriage. And while they claimed James was loving, carrying an affectionate despite the complicated and difficult relationship, carrying Kane was not the motive to kill Angela. She was just one of many, many affairs, nothing special. They also said that while the dental practice was having issues, their bills were paid and Angela was aware of everything. She had her own credit card debt, and they shared the business.

burden together filing for bankruptcy in 2021. The defense also said that one reason James and Angela didn't get divorced was because of their Mormon faith. She believed in forgiveness and hoped that James would be better. They believed that James wanted to stop and even asked for help from their bishop. They said that the jury will even hear from Craig's own daughter, that he struggled with anxiety, addiction, and was a broken man who made irrational choices, but he was not a killer. The defense claims that the letter he wrote his daughter while in jail wasn't part of a murder

plot, but a desperate act by a man who had just lost his wife. They said investigators locked in on him too early and never looked beyond that. The defense said that being a mom to toddlers and teenagers took an emotional and physical toll on Angela. I'm sure it did, by the way. But they insinuated that this, along with her marital issues, pushed her to the edge and possibly led to her taking her own life. They also labeled her as wanting attention, I assume so, saving face and menacea. And manipulative, saying that her daughter would testify to that. They said she used emotions as a way to control others. They then played a video clip from the home of James and Angie arguing, which starts off with Angie saying, quote, nobody in their right mind would ever think I'd kill myself before I killed

you, end quote. The audio continued to play of an argument that seemingly was over things James had told people about Angie when it relates to self-harm. The events stated that no arsenic or cyanide was ever found in the home, and prosecutors have no physical link between the poison and James's hands. They also believe that investigators didn't secure key pieces of evidence like security footage from the dental office, Angela's laptop, and they did not search through Angela's belongings because they were so focused on James and had put those blinders on. They believe that the case is circumstantial and speculative, and if the jurors see any reasonable doubt in the case method or intent behind Angela's death, then James should be acquitted.

After opening statements, the prosecution called their first witness Dr. Pico, an emergency room director at Advent Parker Hospital where Angela Craig first sought help on March 6th, and again on March 9th, 2023. Dr. Pico has an extensive resume. A graduate of USC University of Southern California in 2007, she then completed her ER residency at Northwestern University in Chicago in 2011 and is now licensed to practice in five. states, including Arizona, Texas, California, Ohio, and Colorado. She currently works as a travel physician with U.S. acute care solution stationed in Arizona since May, but she had spent

14 years working in Colorado, including time as a medical director at Advent Parker. She told the jury many things. One thing she told the jury was that on March 6th, Angela looked tired, weak, and concerned. She described her. demeanor as calm but fatigued, not intoxicated, just deeply exhausted. She had come in with her husband, James Gregg, who was wearing those medical scrubs, always bringing up the scrubs. I guess he wanted to make sure people knew he was a doctor, a dentist doctor, but a doctor, and he did appear, attentive, doting, and concerned, and Angela underwent a full round of standard tests, blood work, a pregnancy test, a CT scan, EKG, and a urine analysis. Everything from her vitals to her imaging came

back normal, except for a slightly elevated blood sugar level. Even a drug screen and MRI revealed nothing alarming. Fluids were administered, but her condition didn't dramatically change. Dr. Pico testified that based on those results, she felt confident in discharging Angela instructing her to follow up with her primary care doctor in a few days. But Angela returned once again three days later, March 9th, looking worse, much worse. Angela, three days later, was pale, fainting, vomiting, and experiencing low blood pressure. Again, the medical team repeated all the same tests, and again, they came back fairly normal.

Pico explained that unless there's a reason to suspect poisoning, toxins like cyanide or arsenic or tetrahydrozylene, they aren't part of routine hospital screening to find out what's wrong. Testing for those requires specific lab requests, ones that no one really had a reason to order at the time. She made clear and stated on the stand, quote, had I known or if anyone had to known or said anything, I would have drawn the blood, I would have brought in a toxicologist, I would have started treatment, end quote. But no one, not Angela and not James suggested that anything unusual might be at play. What stood out to Dr. Pico wasn't just Angela's worsening

physical symptoms. It was her emotional state. She seemed terrified, and that was the word she used, terrified, fearful. And while James was by her side, he didn't offer any possible explanation for what could be causing her decline, despite him wearing his fancy, again, medical scrubs. He had no idea. And then came cross-examination. Defense attorney Ashley Whitham made an effort to draw a line between Dr. Pico's medical training and James Craig's dental training, which I'm sure are quite different, suggesting that the expertise was fundamentally different, indeed. She was also asked whether Dr. Pico had personally conducted Angela's triage. The answer was no. The nurse had done the initial intake.

With him zeroed in on Angela's mental health screening, pointing out that the responses during triage are typically taken at face value without verification. Then the defense dropped a small but potentially very strategic detail. Angela had told the triage nurse that she rode a bike earlier, had a protein shake, and mentioned something might have been wrong with that protein shake. on redirect prosecutors asked the critical follow-up. Did James mention anything about the shake, like too much caffeine or other ingredients that might cause concern?

And Dr. Pico answered plainly, no. That James said nothing of the sort, nothing at all. She also confirmed the names of the nurses involved in the triage, likely to support future witness testimony. The first witness, Dr. Pico set the tone. Not with fireworks, but with foundational groundwork. Angela was deteriorating fast. The doctors couldn't find a cause.

And the one person who may have known why never said a word. Never said a word. And the next witness to take the stand was Dr. Jessica King. Well, she is a hospitalist at Parker Adventist, essentially the primary doctor responsible for inpatients once they're admitted to the hospital. Dr. King began treating Angela Craig in March 11th after she was admitted to one of the hospital's medical surgical floors. She explained that Angela had been experiencing a cascade of symptoms, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fainting, and had recently been treated for a sinus infection.

Despite clearly articulating how she felt, Angela had no idea what was causing it. Dr. King noted a troubling pattern. Angela's heart rate fluctuated wildly. She went from bradycardia, a slow abnormally low heart rate to tachocardia, which is fat. and irregular. And the symptoms? They came and went with no predictable trigger. Although Dr. King never saw James Craig in person, she did speak to him on speakerphone on March 11, but at no point during that conversation she testified did James mention toxins, poisons, or anything remotely suspicious. The medical team took Angela's case seriously. Neurologist was brought in over concerns

about seizures, and EEG and MRI, they were both ordered, but no seizure activity was detected. They also consulted a cardiologist and even called in a surgeon when imaging showed some edema in the gallbladder. The surgeon believed the swelling was likely a result of prolonged vomiting, not a surgical issue. I cannot imagine. A seizure from prolonged vomiting. Following Angela's first crash, a chest x-ray and MRI of the brain were ordered, but again, no definitive cause for decline was found. In the end, Dr. King testified that their best working theory was a virus with a typical presentation. The only notable lab irregularity was a low white blood cell count, which can sometimes be seen with viral infections, but still, nothing added up cleanly.

Angela was again ultimately released from the hospital with recommendations to undergo a sleep study and to wear a heart monitor for further observation. And before she was discharged, Dr. King addressed the Z-PAC. And this Z-Pack, which Angela had apparently already been prescribed, prior to admission likely for her sinus infection. However, because of the nausea and vomiting, the hospital had discontinued the antibiotic due to her stay. So, again, no reason to take that Z-Pack. And then came cross-examination.

Defense attorney Ashley, with him focused less on Angela's medical mystery and more on the hospitalist structure. She asked how often Dr. King actually entered Angela's room. Dr. King replied typically once or twice a day standard for hospitalists making rounds. Whitman pressed further, Whittem pressed further since Dr. King was only in the room for short periods. She couldn't definitively say whether James Craig was coming and going throughout the day. Dr. King agreed. She wouldn't know.

And finally, Whitman, Whitham asked if Dr. King was aware that Angela had visited Saddle Rock urgent care between her hospital visits, and Dr. King said, no, she had not been a form of that outside consultation. Dr. Jessica King's testimony added another layer to the prosecution's case. Angela's decline was real, it was inexplicable, and even a full battery of specialists and tests could not connect the dots. Because the answer was not viral. It wasn't cardiac. It wasn't neurological. It wasn't chemical. And no one thought to look for that because no one experienced. a husband in scrubs to be the poison. Witness number three was Dr. Arthur Levine,

a cardiologist with South Denver Cardiology Associates, though most of his work historically took place within the Advent Hospital system. Now, retired from hospital rounds. He is an older gentleman. He works exclusively in telemedicine, but his credentials are solid, very solid, board certified in cardiovascular disease and internal medicine,

with 55 years of experience in the field. And on March 13th, Dr. Levine was called in to assess Angela Craig at Parker Adventist after hospitalist flagged concerns about her elevated heart rate. Dr. Levine reviewed her EKG, her echocardiogram, physical exam, and other test results, and after evaluating her, gave the jury a blunt conclusion. And this was, quote, I had no idea what was going on, but I knew it wasn't her heart, end quote. He described Angela's demeanor as deeply concerned but still composed. She was pleasant, engaged, and made it clear she wanted to get home and fast to her six

children who needed her. That was her life for six children. There was no cross-examination by the defense of Dr. Levine. Next up on the witness stand, Danielle Andrews, a triage nurse at Parker Adventist with over 14 years of nursing experience and seven of those years spent at Parker. On March 6th, 2023, Angela's first visit to the ER, Danielle was working triage. Her job was to assess urgency and determine who needed immediate care. Danielle testified that Angela described feeling heavy and not right while on a bike ride.

She didn't use the word dizzy. Others did, but not hurt. But she did say things felt strange. So Angela didn't say dizzy to her, but she said things felt strange, like they were happening in slow motion. She denied any numbness, tingling, or fainting, but appeared very pale, which Danielle documented. Danielle also conducted the routine safety screening questions designed to flag for domestic violence, abuse, or self-harm risks. Angela denied any concerns.

She said she felt safe at home and had no thoughts of hurting herself for others. During testimony, Danielle was asked to explain Angela's ESI score, that is the Emergency Severeity Index, which helps hospitals prioritize patients with severity. She said Angela was rated at level three, meaning that she needed care, but it wasn't immediately life-threatening. The defense objected, arguing that Danielle wasn't qualified to testify about the ESI system, the judge overruled, allowing the explanation, noting that this scale is a standard nursing tool, not an expert opinion. During cross-examination, would him return to her consistent angle, focusing on who was present and how safety screenings are conducted. Danielle clarified

that family members are asked to step out during the most sensitive safety questions. Nurses look for evasive answers or alarming body language, but ultimately, yeah, they take answers at face value unless something fills off. With him asked if Angela denied concerns, like would she have followed up by husband and James those same safety questions? Danielle's answer? No, that the patient's responses stand. Before Nurse Danielle left the stand, a jury member submitted a question.

The jurors are able to ask questions, and they were paying attention today. And their question was, was Angela riding her bike outside or a stationary bike? Danielle replied that she did not recall. Before I switched to wealth front, my APY was probably 0.1. Like, it was a joke. I was literally getting pennies. Once I switched, chiching. With a wealthfront cash account, earn up to 4.2% APY on your cash.

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These and eligibility requirements may apply to certain checking features of the cash account. Well, these two witnesses, a cardiologist who ruled out the heart and a nurse who found no red flags for any self-harm concerns during intake, further painted the picture, the prosecution wants the jury to see. The Angela Craig's body was in crisis and no one could figure out why. And while doctors searched for medical explanations, the real threat was walking beside her. Not under a microscope. Witness number five was Taylor Caldwell, an ER nurse at Parker Adventist Hospital who cared for Angela Craig during one of her final visits.

Taylor had been a nurse for eight years and works as a primary nurse, meaning she steps in after triage and handles the bulk of patient care. When Angela was moved out of triage, Taylor was the one who took over. She began by reviewing Angela's medical records, then conducted a primary physical assessment, as well as a psychosocial assessment, a set of routine but critical questions that help detect things like domestic abuse, self-harm, or general mental distress. Angela, she testified, gave no indication that anything was wrong at home. Taylor also performed a focused neurological exam, and Angela reported feeling dizzy, but a full

stroke scale evaluation came back completely negative. No signs of neurological impairment. After her assessments, Taylor placed an IV in Angela's right arm, and Angela was then seen by Dr. Pico, who ordered further tests. One striking detail. Taylor testified that she didn't personally recall seeing James Craig at the bedside, but she did acknowledge that he had his presence was noted in Angela's medical chart, meaning he was there at some point during her care. She also told the court that neither James nor Angela ever indicated they had any idea what might be causing her symptoms, no theories, no suggestions, nothing. And finally, Taylor was called to collect a urine sample for drug screening, part of the hospital's effort to rule out substance-related

causes. On cross-examination, defense attorney, Ashley, took her turn with nurse, Taylor Caldwell, probing for inconsistencies, and maybe even setting up a quick impeachment. Caldwell explained her typical procedure when a patient comes in. They're asked to change into a gown, then hook up to a cardiac monitor. As the patient shares what's going on, she types the responses directly into the computer. Whitam focused in on the safety questions, the kind of that screen for abuse or self-harm, Caldwell explained that because these questions are already asked privately during triage, she doesn't normally ask family members to leave the room when she repeats them. She simply observes the patient's responses and asks follow-up if anything seems off.

Well, and that's when Whitham tried to shake the foundation a bit. She pointed out that Caldwell couldn't say for sure whether James Craig was in the room at the time, and yet during pre-trial meetings with the district attorney, she said he was present. It's interesting. Caldwell did not flinch. She clarified that she told the DA James was there because it was in priage notes,

not from her own memory. Boom. With him followed up. Did she recall James trying to influence or control Angela's answers to the safety questions? Caldwell's answer? No. And she hadn't written anything in her notes

to suggest otherwise. On redirect, the prosecution brought the focus back to Angela. Caldwell reminded the court that every patient answers safety questions differently. Follow-up questions are only triggered if the patient answers evasively or indicates they feel unsafe. Angela, she said, did not appear evasive. No red flags, no signs of fear, nothing to suggest she was in danger, at least not the kind of nurse, not the kind of danger that any nurse can easily see. Well, the sixth witness to take the stand was Don Schaefer. She has 22 years of experience, including the last six at Parker Adventist Hospital.

On March 9, 2023, Schaefer was the triage nurse who assessed Angela Craig when she returned to the hospital, now sicker than before. Schaefer admitted that nothing from that day stood out strongly in her memory, so she relied on her charting to walk the court through what happened. Angela's chief complaints were dizziness and fainting. Schaefer also noted that Angela had been at the hospital just three days earlier and was now adding vomiting to the list of symptoms. She wrote in the triage record that Angela appeared pale and gave her an emergency severity index rating of two. So now we're from three to two.

A clear escalation and urgency from her previous visit. This wasn't just another round of Disneyness. Angela was getting worse. As part of the intake, Schaefer administered the Columbia Suicide Severeity rating scale, the C-S-S-S-R-S. It's a standard set of questions used to assess a patient's risk of self-harm. Angela's responses, she said, did not seem evasive in any way. During cross-examination, though, defense attorney Ashley, with him leaned into a familiar line of questioning, focusing on how much trust nurses place and a patient's own answer. Schaefer acknowledged that she typically takes patience at their word.

It's true. But she is trained to expand or follow up based on body, language, or unusual behavior. In an Angela's case, nothing raised alarm. She confirmed that she had no notes about anyone interfering with Angela's answers. And Angela never suggested she knew what was wrong with her or mentioned any specific concerns. And then after the sixth witness of the day stepped down, the prosecutor stood and gave the court a quick update. They were moving through witnesses faster than expected. The judge grinned. Don't jinx it. And a rare burst of laughter broke into the courtroom and it broke the tension,

a brief breath in an otherwise very heavy day. But they certainly are moving through witnesses very quickly on day one. And again, this trial is expected the last three weeks. We will see though. Well, after the break, the prosecution said that they would call one final witness before wrapping up for the day. The final witness of the day was Ashley Bremer, a nurse with eight years of experience and two and a half of those spent at Parker Adventist Hospital. On March 9, 2003, Bremer was on duty and assisted in Angela Craig's care specifically by performing a blood draw, a routine but crucial step as doctors scramble to understand what was happening to Angela's rapidly declining. body. She walked the jury through how a blood draw is done. A tourniquet is placed around the upper arm to make the veins pop. The area is cleaned. I don't like blood draws, so I'm reading that going

but as I listen to it, the area is cleaned with antiseptic, a sterile needle is inserted, and tubes labeled with the patient's names are filled with samples. The specimen she collected was labeled accordingly. They gave the specimen sample number. I didn't remember. I didn't write that down, but it was sent for testing. Her testimony was short and procedural. No drama, no cross-examination for the defense. And with that, the jury was dismissed for the day. But court wasn't quite over yet. Before the rest of the room was released, prosecutors asked to address two outstanding issues. First, they circled back to an objection. The defense had made earlier in the day regarding Dr. Levine's designation as an expert witness. Prosecutors clarified for the record that

they had submitted his expert classification within the required 30-day notice window, but then came something more unique, the use of a therapy dog in the courtroom. During the lunch break, a black lab therapy dog had been spotted leaving the courtroom with handler, something I also personally observed while sitting outside during the recess. The prosecution explained they had done a dry run, dry run with a therapy dog over lunch, specifically for Angela's two older daughters who are attending trial and are expected to testify. The dog, they said, provided comfort and the run-through went well. They noted that visual barriers, including black cardboard, had been placed strategically so the jury would not be able to see the dog.

The defense responded, but without much clarity, simply stating, quote, our objection still stands, end quote. So whether that objection was to Dr. Levine's expert status or the therapy dog, or both remains unclear. And with that, day one of testimony and the James Craig murder trial came to a close. The prosecution moved back. They laid that medical groundwork, reinforcing Angela's worsening symptoms,

worsening conditions, worsening symptoms, and pointing to a growing sense of unease beneath the surface. But make no mistake, the most emotionally charged and incriminating testimony is still to come. and I will be there. Before heading out, I want to thank everyone for their kind words after watching part of one of my personal interviews, a story about my life on Mormon Stories.

It just came out on Monday. It was a long day recording. It was actually seven hours of interviewing with host John DeLine. Part two is scheduled for tomorrow. Many have asked about that. So there you go. It's scheduled for tomorrow over on Mormon Stories podcast. but I just simply want to say thank you.

It was very nervous to do that interview. John DeLynn had been asking for quite some time, and I decided to finally do what I always try to convince my interviewees to do every day, which is to share their story. So thank you. Host John DeLine interviewed me about my life and how hidden true crime began. It's, again, a very long interview divided into two parts. And yes, while part two premieres tomorrow,

I will be in court for day two of the James Craig trial. May justice be served for Angela Craig. Before I switched to Wealthfront, my APY was probably 0.1. Once I switched to chiching. With the Wealthfront cash account, earn up to 4.2% APY on your cash. I can trust wealthfront is taking care of me. Make your money earn more. Get started at Wealthfront.com.

Clients were paid $1,000 for their testimonials creating a conflict of interest. Howcomes vary. 3.3%. As of January 30th, 2026 is representative variable and earned on funds. to program banks. 0.65% new client boost for three months on up to $150,000. Direct deposit $1,000 a month and fund an investing account for a 0.25% increase. Cash account offered by Wealthfront Brokeridge LLC member FINRA SIPC, not a bank. Before I switched to Wealthfront, my APY was probably 0.1.

Once I switched to chiching, with the Wealthfront cash account, earn up to 4.2% APY on your cash. I can trust. Wealthfront is taking care of me. Make your money earn more. Get started at Wealthfront.com. Clients were paid $1,000 for their testimonials, creating a conflict of interest. Outcomes vary. 3.3%.

As of January 30th, 2026 is representative variable and earned on fund. swept to program banks. 0.65% new client boost for three months on up to $150,000. Direct deposit $1,000 a month and fund an investing account for a 0.25% increase. Cash account offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC member FINRA SIPC, not a bank.