Hidden True Crime - Used His Own Kids For Cover-Up?! EXPLOSIVE Testimony From the Children | James Craig Day 3 Recap

Episode Date: July 18, 2025

Day 3 of the James Craig trial —emotions hit the ceiling. Two of the Craigs’ children take the stand, painting a human portrait of their mother: devoted, vibrant, and “had plans for the future.” Meanwhile, prosecutors roll out the detective and digital‑forensics team, detailing how phones, hard drives, and chemical logs tie back to Craig. The courtroom buzzes as a Midland Scientific rep recounts a mysterious cyanide order to his office email—and the shocking “biohazard” package that followed. 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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for you a full recap of everything that happened in court today at the James Craig. And also, I would like to wish everybody happy emoji day because I tried to wish my Gen Z producer happy emoji day. And she looked at me and said, what is that? So that is the day where you get to use your emoji that says July 17th on it. If you know that there's a calendar emoji and the date on it is July 17. And that's today. It's also my half birthday. So happy birthday. to me. We'll go celebrate after some drinks. I actually not really happy. I'm already there. But, all right, let's talk about everything that happened in court today at the James Craig trial. It was day three of the James Craig trial and it kicked off at 840 sharp. But thanks, I have to say,

to our new fancy media credentials that I mentioned that we now have, we almost got too comfortable. We thought we were living the dream, sleeping in like seasoned professionals who got cocky with our new media designation, until we looked at the clock and we realized we had about 30 seconds to teleport across Denver. Kua's jumping out of our Uber and sprinting up the courthouse steps. I actually had to use an inhaler afterwards. I'm clearly out of shape, but maybe it's also the elevation that got me. Denver is the mile high city. But hey, we made it, sweaty, slightly panicked, breathing heavy,

but somehow with time to spare since court began 10 minutes late, thankfully. We will be better tomorrow and get some sleep tonight. James Craig showed up in the same black pinstripe suit jacket. He wore Monday, so clearly he's on rotation now. We're back to Monday's outfit. Hair done, looking polished. He really is one of the best dressed defendants I have seen. And in the front row behind him were some familiar faces.

his mom, two brothers with their wives and his oldest son, Tolliver, who seems to be switching sides each day, possibly still conflicted on the complexity and devastation that has occurred in his family. I can only imagine. On the prosecution side, Angie's family was there again, too, including her oldest two daughters, quietly showing up and standing strong. We knew from yesterday that Detective Bobby Olson would be taking the stand this morning, and sure enough, she did. Bobby showed up in a powerhouse suit and top bun looking like the leading lady she is when it comes to this case, like someone who found herself on a jailhouse hit list because she's that good at what she does, James Craig's worst fear. Bobby walked the jury through her background. She's been in law enforcement for over 20 years, starting in Minnesota before making her way to Arizona. She's been with Aurora PD since 2013, but it wasn't until 2021 that she was promoted to detective in the major crimes and homicide unit.

Bobby explained that there are 14 detectives and two sergeants in the unit and they rotate who takes the lead on new cases. And while it's definitely a team effort, the lead detective is basically the point person. They gather all of the info and they get it over to the DA's office who then shares it with the defense. The prosecution clarified this for the jury. asking if the lead detective is essentially the go-to person for the state, and Bobby confirmed that yes, that is correct. Next, the prosecution shifted into questioning about the actual case itself. Bobby's involvement in the case began on March 16th that morning at 8.30 a.m.

was when she went and met James Craig at a friend's house where he gave both of his and Angie's phones to her, along with telling her the passwords for both phones. He also allowed her to photograph some cards from his wallet, including a son. Summerbrook dental debit card with his name on it. And at this point, Exhibit 15, which was James's phone, was admitted into evidence. She held it in court and identified it as such. And back to March 16th, that same morning, she went to the Summerbrook office where she collected a Dell Optiplex computer from Exam Room 9. That computer was also given to Bobby Olson on stand to identify, labeled as Exhibit 18. And Bobby went on to explain, after she collects electronics, the digital

forensics unit steps in and downloads all of the forensic data. David Lee was the person who did that in this case. And at that point, the prosecution moved to enter Exhibit 16, Angela's cell phone into evidence. But before they could make it official, the defense jumped in. Ashley Whitham stood up and asked to voir dire detective Olson, which basically means she wanted to ask a few quick questions before the judge ruled on the evidence. Whitham pointed out that it wasn't. just a phone inside the evidence bag. There was also some form of ID. She asked Detective Olson to confirm and Olson did. Turns out, Angela had a card holder attached to the back of her phone, meaning her ID was also in there too. And with that, Angela's phone was admitted into evidence

and then it was time for cross-examination. Detective Olson confirmed on cross-exam that Angela was considered brain dead in the afternoon of March 15th, 2023. She testified that while she might be the lead detective on the case, there is a number of people that worked together on any case. She also clarified the timeline. By 8.30 a.m. on the 16th, she had already received a search warrant signed off on, meaning within roughly 18 hours of everything happening, they had already secured warrants. That's impressive.

The defense then went on to try and seemingly prove the point that James was very cooperative. He didn't have to tell Detective Olson where the phones were. He didn't have to tell her where he was, nor did he have to come out of the house to meet her. And he certainly didn't have to provide the passwords to the phones and computers that were being seized. And if he hadn't, they would have had to use gray key to get those things. They then drove the same point home about the credit cards. He didn't have to give them to Detective Olson for photos, but he did. I'm sure that he wasn't trying to look suspicious.

Next up on the stand was David Lee. and he has been working in law enforcement since 2001. Today, he works as a forensic analysis with the United States Secret Service, but back in 2023, he was part of the digital forensic unit at the Aurora Police Department. And before that, he worked patrol and served in the crimes against children unit. Lee is a digital forensic expert. Basically, if there's a phone, computer, or other technology involved in a case, he is the guy who knows how to get the information off of it.

And more importantly, how to make that information useful. to investigators. He walked the court through how the process works. First, he connects the device, whether it's a cell phone, hard drive, or DVR to a specialized forensic equipment. Then he pulls a full copy of all of the data stored on it. But it's not exactly readable right away since the raw data is in computer code, which I have to pause and kind of make fun of Lori Valadebel because she was getting her detective to do the same thing and she requested the raw cell bright data and it came back in code and she didn't understand why. Because the raw data is in computer code.

So next, he decodes it and organizes it into something that you and I can actually understand, something Lori Valle didn't realize, usually using software like Cellbright and Greykey. And from there, he formats it into spreadsheets or PDFs that investigators can sift through. So in this case, David Lee was tasked with analyzing a whole lineup of digital devices, including Angeles cell phones, James cell phone, Adele Optiplex computer, Samsung DVR, and three external hard drives. Lee used a tool, again, called Graykey,

a software that can extract data from locked phones. And this is the same stuff they used in the Debo case. It's the same program that they used in the Delphi, Indiana case. And speaking of Delphi, Indiana, by the way, the Richard Allen case, those transcripts are out today. All of the core transcripts, and those are on Patreon.com slash hidden two, crime if you're interested in seeing all of those. Anyway, Cellbrite was a big deal in the Delphi case

due. So once this part is done, another program called Cellbrite comes in to copy all the data. And from there, everything goes through a physical analyzer, which takes the raw data and turns it into something readable. Sorry, Lori, you never did that. Lee can filter it, sort it, and even print it out for investigators to review. So the prosecutor then brought back the focus on Angel's phone presenting a gray key report tied directly to it. This report gave a breakdown of the entire extraction process showing how the data was pulled from the device and decrypted. Her phone was officially entered into evidence as People's Exhibit 16 with corresponding reports numbered 64 and 27 through 229. And from there, the jury got a look at the actual digital evidence, including

Angel's phone, James' phone, the Dell Optiplex computer, and the Samsung DVR. And this was to authenticate the evidence proving it came directly from these devices, setting foundation, to show that even deleted data isn't truly gone. It really never is. With the right tools and expertise, it can be recovered and presented in court as evidence. And Lee acknowledged that there were messages sent from James to Karen Kane, his alleged mistress, Caitlin Romero, Mark Prey, Renee Prey, and Ryan Redfern. During cross-execision, during cross-execision, examination. The defense dug into how the data was presented, and Lee admitted the reports pulled from James and Angela's phones, which only contains selected data, not the full extractions. He explained that when you're dealing with tools like Celebrite and Graykey, the amount of information can be massive, spanning tens of thousands of data points. So for trial purposes, the reports were narrowed down to what was considered relevant. It makes sense. So the defense pushed back, of course.

The defense always pushes back. And they argued that screenshots might not always be the most reliable form of evidence. I would have to agree with that. Their position was that while raw data might be more complicated and harder to digest, it's actually the more accurate and complete picture. Next, the defense also zeroed in on something that was kind of technical and confusing. They had Lee emphasized the risk of internet access when examining digital evidence. He said that the device connected to the internet.

during analysis can potentially alter or contaminate the data. He explained the best practice is to examine phones and computers offline, but some newer devices don't give you the option to disconnect from the internet entirely. When it's possible, the safest method is to extract the data straight from the hard drive without ever powering the device. That way, there's no chance of it being remotely accessed or updated during the process. And then there are the DVRs, which Lee said, are in the league of their own. The DVR or digital video recorder typically records footage from security cameras and stores it digitally on a hard drive.

It allows users to playback, pause, and review surveillance footage. With thousands of different models out there, each one requiring its own unique decoding method, they're one of the more complicated types of digital evidence to work with. Also, the DVR used in this case didn't have any audio that Lee was able to extract. On redirect, the prosecution cleared up a few key points. First, they explained that the Excel. reports generated by Cellbrite often include a lot of clutter, duplicate entries, irrelevant lines, so the reports shown in court were simply cleaned up for clarity. But the defense did receive

the entire data extraction. Nothing was withheld. Lee also said that while the automated extraction didn't show any sound from the DVR, when one of the channels was manually reviewed using external speakers, audio was present. So, next on the stand is an important witness. Let's get to her, Cassie Rod Regis. Cassie played a major part in our backstory. Cassie is a sales support specialist with a company called Midland Scientific. So if you remember from our backstory on the case, we mentioned a string of emails between Cassie and James.

He'd been expecting a package from their company. Remember that package, that personal package, the PP personal package. Cassie confirmed that James had placed an online order in March of 2023 using his Jim and Waffles email address. Unlike any standard transaction, Midland's system generated an automatic confirmation that was sent to both James and the company. She was then shown People's Exhibit 84, a copy of that auto-generated order form. Cassie explained that it included the customer's name, shipping address, a list of the items

ordered, and any notes added at checkout. All of that information gets stored in Midland Scientific's business records, and Cassie also told the court that James's order raised some red flags. The recipient was listed as. as James Craig personal. Like that's what he put in, James Craig personal. He really wanted everyone to know, this is personal.

And this is unusual, of course, for a scientific supply order, especially, yeah. Let me order some cyanide, but make sure that this scientific supply order is letting you know I'm using it for personal uses. It's kind of funny. His Gmail address was also not a company domain,

which isn't, again, what you would expect from a professional buyer. So the product he ordered was potassium cyanide. Cassie explained that Midland Scientific doesn't typically allow hazardous materials like cyanide to be picked up in person. It's a serious chemical. And allowing pickup could open the company up to legal liability of something went wrong during transport. This makes sense.

She testified that pickup was listed as the delivery method, scheduled for March 9th. Due to this, Cassie flagged the order internally. Next, Cassie identified people's exhibit 114 as Midland Scientific's Internal Order acknowledgement form, confirming that the potassium cyanide order had been processed. She testified that the document matched the original order in terms of name, address, and product details. Before I switched to Wellfront, my APY was probably 0.1. Once I switched, ch-ching.

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Cash account offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC member FINRA SIPC, not a bank. Instant withdrawal subject to conditions, fees, and eligibility requirements may apply to certain checking features of the cash account. The delivery was listed as going to Summerbrook Dental, personal. Cassie verified the shipping information on her end and proceeded with processing the order. Emails marked as people's exhibits 84 through 95 were then admitted into evidence. These were exchanges between Cassie and the Jim and Waffles' Gmail account. The emails included both product coordination and a usage inquiry. Cassie testified that James stated he needed the potassium cyanide for a seminar and requested

overnight delivery. This explanation was also included in the required usage statement, which is mandated for chemicals regulated by the DEA to ensure legal compliance before fulfillment. Next, the jury was shown a series of emails, People's Exhibit 85 through 95 that painted a pretty clear picture of just how eager James was to get his hands on that potassium cyanide. In Exhibit 88, Cassie emailed James to let him know the supplier had confirmed that the product was in stock and was set to be delivered to the provided address on March 10. Then, in Exhibit 89, she followed up with another usage form for him to fill out. In Exhibit 90, Cassie had to break the news that there was going to be a delay. The delivery would take an extra day. Oh, no, heaven forbid, an extra day.

Well, James replied that he'd rearrange his schedule so he could still use the potassium cyanide for his so-called seminar and assured her that he'd be available to receive the shipment. In the next string of emails, James grew increasingly persistent by asking for tracking updates. Cassie did her best to reassure him, telling him she was checking in with a supplier regularly and doing everything she could to get the package to him quickly. And we've seen these emails in our backstory. She is so nice and he is angry. Then in Exhibit 94, which was dated Saturday, March 11th, James Tone changed.

He was now frustrated, as I point out, angry even, that the cyanide still hadn't arrived. He told Cassie he waited around all day for the package and then apologized because he knew it wasn't her fault that it was late. During cross-examination, the defense made a point to clarify that even though the emails appeared to come from James, Cassie couldn't say for certain that he was the one actually sending them. They also circled back to the email exhibits. Cassie explained that those messages didn't include any of James's communications with the

actual sales representative from her company. Her role was strictly customer service. After lunch. So lunch break. And after lunch, we heard from Ashley Donahue. Ashley Donahue has a new job working at a packaging company. Prior to that, he was a substitute teacher. God bless teachers.

But before both of those things, he worked at Midland Scientific in Aurora, Colorado, as a warehouse supervisor. Exhibit 215 was then shown, which was an aerial photo of the strip mall, that the Midland Scientific Office was in. Ashley explained that at that office, they sold scientific products, things like beakers and chemicals. Anyone could get stuff from there, but if it was biohazard,

you needed to have proper licensing. He then explained that on March 24th, he was watching the news when something caught his attention, prompting him to reach out to the HR director at Midland. What did he see? Well, he saw James Craig on the news,

and that's when it hit him. James had come to Midland's science, one day while Ashley was standing out on the shipping dock waiting for UPS to come pick up the packages. He arrived in his medical scrubs and came up to Ashley and asked if there was still a storefront. Ashley said that no, there wasn't a storefront any longer. They had to close it due to COVID. And with that, he testified that James got in his car and drove away. The state confirmed that when he spoke to police, he initially told them that it happened

on either March 13th or 14th, but he later told them it was maybe March 13th through 20th. While he was asked about getting the surveillance video from that day, he was never actually able to collect it because Midland only kept tapes for five days at a time. On Cross, what him brought up that in a meeting Ashley had with the detectives in April of 2023, he told them about a meeting he had at work where they were discussing vetting the people who make purchases from Midland. He said yes. He did tell them that. But when he first went to HR, it was before that meeting, so he wasn't simply reporting seeing James after that meeting. Then Whitham shifted into questions about the date he recalled seeing James. Ashley said that it was March 13th before saying actually

that he wasn't sure if he said it was between the 13th or the 20th. And Whitham asked if Ashley remembered telling law enforcement he saw two people and he said he did. Then she asked if he remembered what kind of vehicle they arrived in. There was a quick objection by the state about not using the term they when Ashley hadn't said the two people were together. Ashley then explained that no, the two people were not together. They got out of separate cars and James was in his Nissan Ultima or Maxima that was either Navy or Black.

On redirect, Ashley confirmed the same story. He told law enforcement that there were two people that day, but they did not come together, meaning James Craig went to Midland Scientific alone. The next person to take the stand was Darvin Harrell, a crime scene investigator with the Aurora Police Department. He got involved in the investigation on March 16, 2023, after being called out to help process the scene tied to James Craig. Harold explained that his job was all about documentation, taking photos, collecting evidence, or making sure everything at the scene was properly recorded. You walk the jury through what a typical crime scene investigation looks like.

First comes the initial walkthrough where they get a feel for the layout. Then they start snapping photos, wide shots of every corner in each room, followed by close-ups of anything that stands out. Several photos were entered into evidence during his testimony. Exhibits 137 through 148 showed the family room and entryway. Then exhibits 149 and onward included images from the master bedroom, pictures of prescription bottles and notably a pink shaker bottle sitting right next to the bed. It's hard to hear. Next up, the jury was shown more photos from the scene, starting with Exhibit 150, another shot of the master bedroom. In it, you could see that same pink shaker bottle, this time clearly containing some kind of substance.

Exhibit 151 gave a different angle of the room while Exhibit 152 shifted over to the formal dining room, showing a few other miscellaneous products. And then came exhibits 153 and 154, photos of a prescription bottle labeled for Angela. The medicin was clindamycin, an antibiotic. Exhibit 155 zoomed in for a closer look at the pink shaker bottle, and Exhibit 156 showed it with a lid removed, giving a better view of what was inside.

Exhibits 157 and 158 focused on the dishwasher, the contents looked wet and freshly cleaned, Then Exhibit 159 gave a look at items sitting in the kitchen sink. After the photos, the jury was shown a physical evidence bag. This one containing Exhibit 2, an item collected from the Craig home on March 16th. Exhibit 3 was the actual pink shaker bottle that had been found on the nightstand by the bed. Harold also testified about the second location he helped search that same day, James Craig's Dental Office at Summerbook Dental. Exhibit 160 was a photo of the building exterior and then Exhibit 1.6.

166, we saw a shot inside the office showing a computer keyboard and some cabinets. Exhibit 167 was a close-up of a computer tower in that same room. During cross-examination, the defense handed Harold a set of photos to review. Most were images he had taken himself except for Exhibit A, which is a photo from Google Earth. Next, he confirmed that he arrived at the Craig home around 730 a.m. on March 16th, and by the time he got there, detectives and the district attorney were already on scene. Harold followed their direction, taking photographs and collecting evidence as instructed. One of the photos, marked as Exhibit D, showed the front entry room. There were two laptops sitting on a desk, but Harold said he did not collect either of them.

And then the defense shifted focus to a layout of the home. It was a three-story house, including a basement with bedrooms and a small bar area. In one photo, Exhibit F, they pointed out a red tote bag with a white leaf design. inside the bag were several items, a blue shaker bottle, an quaint bottle, an oats jar, and a few other miscellaneous things. None of those were collected either. The jury was also shown a photo taken in the informal dining room and Harold said the laptop in that image was collected, but others, including laptops found in the master bedroom and home office, they were not collected. And no items were gathered from the bathroom pantry or the trash. From Dr. Craig's dental office, the only item collected was a clear bag of powder.

It's clear that the defense is trying to show that many items were left untouched and uncollected. Polk holes in the investigation, right? The first child to take the stand. So the first child to take the stand against her father was Miriam Maservi, also called Mira. And guys, this was such a poignant, heavy day in court today. Two children took the stand. And that's where we ended today. And we're going to go over them both.

So the first child to take the stand was Miriam, also called Mira. And as Mira sat on the stand with a therapy dog that we learned was named Fancy, this black lab, and Fancy was hidden from the view of the jury. Not hidden from me. I was actually on the side of Mira, and I could see that Mira, never stopped petting fancy. Mira petted fancy throughout the entire testimony. And I just want to command fancy for a second too,

because this testimony made me cry. It made jurors cry. And Fancy just sat there. Therapy dogs are amazing. That's all I'm going to say. So Fancy was hidden from the view of the jury. And everyone in the courtroom was prepared for what was sure to be a very emotional moment.

Mira introduced herself and testified that she is 21 years old. She is married and a recent BYU Idaho graduate in Advanced Vehicle Systems. She just wrapped up an internship as a diesel mechanic, which I think is so cool. Her mother did with work. She's a diesel mechanic. And for now, she's training horses and teaching riding lessons while job hunting. What a neat, cool 21-year-old. She told the jury that she met her husband, Jackson, in a college class, and they got married

in September of 2022, just six months before her mom, Angie, died. When asked about the sibling lineup, she calmly explained, Tolover is the oldest at 23, and then herself at 21, Annabelle at 20, and then the three youngest girls, two of whom the family affectionately calls the littles. And as she said that, she looked over at her dad just for a split second. You could have missed it. A quick glance. But in that courtroom, it carried a lot of weight.

The prosecution gently shifted asking Mira who her mom was. And this is when it got heavy. She had been pretty stoic until the moment she was asked, who is your mom? and then she broke down in tears and stated her name was Angela and she lost it. And so it did a lot of the courtroom and a juror had to remove her glasses to wipe her tears. She broke down. It was this emotional moment and when they asked who her mom was, she responded and in quotes, quote, she was awesome.

I'm sorry. I figured I'd get emotional. She was pretty cool. She was a really good mom. Crazy in a really good way. She loved nothing more than being a mom and she was really good at it. When the prosecution asked Mira if her mom had any hobbies, she said Angie didn't really have much time for them.

Six kids will do that. But when she did carve out time for a moment, she loved woodworking. Mira said her mom started a lot of projects, even if she didn't always finish them. She also loved staying active, exercising whenever she could and spent time on a stationary bike that she kept in her bathroom. Mir also shared that her mom absolutely loved animals. She stated this while petting fancy.

Absolutely loved them, but she was super allergic. Still, that did not stop her. In Mira's words, we had a zoo, and she wasn't kidding. By 2023, the family had two of what she called the ugliest dogs that only a mother could love, an African gray parrot and a bunny. Over the years, they also had snakes, frogs, fish, mice, rats, you name it. The only animal they didn't have, a cat. That was one line they just couldn't cross. I'm going to assume it had to do with allergies. And when asked if her mom was into genealogy, Mira didn't hesitate. Oh yeah, she said with a bit of a smile. She admitted her mom liked what she

called boring stuff sometimes. And it was something she used to lovingly tease her about. But beyond ancestry charts and family history, and she had her hands full homeschooling for two youngest girls. She'd recently pulled them out of public school and was teaching them at home herself the littles. And then the prosecution shifted, focused at James Craig for just a brief second. They asked Mira to point him out in the courtroom. And so she did, but she did so while refusing to look at him. She wouldn't even turn her head. So this moment where they say, is your dad in the courtroom? Can you explain him? Can you point him out?

She looked straight ahead. So he is right. He is to the side of her. She would have had to turn her head. But she stayed straight ahead and said, he's over there, noting he was still sitting to her right, wearing a black suit, a white shirt, and what she described as a jungle-looking tie. It was a small detail, the one that painted a strangely vivid picture in such a a heavy moment. But throughout this all, she continued to not look at him. Next, the prosecution brought it back to the spring of 2023. By then, Mira had been out of the house for about a year

and a half, but she cheerfully told the jury that she and her mom were still incredibly close. She called her her best friend. They were very, there were very few days that they did not talk. Sometimes she said, her mom wouldn't say much. Mirah would just talk at her. But that was their rhythm. Angie, again, was her best friend. They texted constantly all day, memes, updates, and even Zillow listings for dream homes that they hoped to build one day. It was the kind of bond that ran deep, even across distance. Mira was clear with the jury. Her mom didn't seem depressed that spring. In fact, they were making plans. Now, she admitted they weren't great at actually following through on those plans, but dreaming them up that they nailed. And one of their big ideas was to fix up a house together

somewhere in the south, a place that Angie loved. Angie would talk about how excited she was to be a grandmother one day and how she could not wait to meet Mira's future children. These weren't just daydreams. They were real hopeful glimpses into the future Angie believed she still had, but unfortunately would never come true. When asked if she described her mom as reckless, Mira did not hesitate. No. What about a big risk tea care? Again, no. If anything, she said, Angie was an overthinker, someone who carefully thought through every decision. Miriam was firm. Her mom was not manipulative, and she was not deceptive. That just was not who she was. In the spring of 23, when Angie first started getting sick, Mirra said she kept calling her mom every day,

just like always. Angie told her that she felt dizzy and heavy, but dizzy was the word she kept coming back to. As things progressed, it got worse, nausea, vomiting, and trouble staying steady on her feet. But even as her body was giving out, Angie was frustrated. She did not want to be stuck in a hospital bed. Mira said her mom complained that the bed made her butt hurt, and more than anything, she just wanted to get back home to her girls. Moving on to the time period of her mom's death, Mira testified that as she was walking out of the hospital with her dad, she asked her dad if they could do an autopsy.

James told her that he didn't want them to because he didn't want them to, quote, satisfy their curiosity. If they couldn't figure it out while she was alive, they shouldn't keep poking her after she's dead. Mira responded, asking, what if it happened to the youngest child? What don't you want to know?

She asked. Her dad remained quiet. The final question to stay asked of Mira was in relation to her trip home for Christmas in 2022. They asked if her dad had ever mentioned he and mom were getting a divorce to which Mira said no.

And then came cross-examination. Defense attorney Ashley Whitham stood up to question Mira, but before jumping in, she did something that felt actually genuinely human, especially for defense attorneys, she paused, looked at Mira and asked if she was okay or if she needed a break. It was a small but kind gesture, especially considering the weight of what was happening. The daughter testifying against her own father.

Cheerfully, Mira said no, she wanted to keep going. She just wanted to get through it. With him then moved into clarifying the timeline of Mira's life after she left home. Mirra explained that after moving out in July or August of 2021, she first lived with family in Boise, Idaho. Then in January 2020, she relocated to Rexburg. Since moving out and before her mom's death, she said she saw Angie in person about seven or eight times, and she remembered those visits well. The drives were long 11 to 12 hours on I-80.

Not exactly scenic or fun, but worth it to be home. With him then shifted her focus more squarely onto Angie, pressing Mira about her mother's mental health. but Mira did not budge. She firmly told the court that no, she would not say her mom struggled mentally. When Whittam brought up a 2023 meeting where Mira had supposedly told the DA that her mom was doing fine physically

but struggling mentally, Mira pushed back. She asked for clarification. Did Whitham mean mental illness or just her mom's personal battles? Mira explained, quote, she was private, that's been said, and I won't deny it.

She liked her privacy a lot and everyone respected that. I was her daughter. She wasn't going to share everything with me. I wish she had." End quote. So sad. I wish she had. She added that her mom had been through hard things in her life that she didn't realize.

Her relationship with her own father was not great, her mother's father. But they had a big, loud, crazy family that loved each other. Angie had a lot on her plate, raising six kids, including what Mira lovingly called, little monsters. Yes, she struggled like everyone does, but no, Mira said she wouldn't call her mother's struggle's mental illness. With him pressed further, but she struggled to which Mira said, yes, like everyone else, she was raising six kids.

When Whitham asked about her relationship with her mom, Mira described something really tender. She said that they were reaching that sweet spot where it wasn't just a mother-daughter dynamic anymore. they were becoming friends, the kind of relationship where you call just to chat, not because you need something, but because you want to talk. It was a shift, and they were just getting there. What him circled back to Angie's childhood trauma. Mirr said that yes, she had opened up about it. Throughout her life, she would struggle a bit, but at that time in spring of 2023, she did not remember having any conversations where her mom said that was all she was thinking about. Instead, Angie would

talk about ways she was learning and growing. However, Mira did remember describing her mom as having unhealthy emotions at times. Mirr explained she was a mom first. If she was having struggles, she kept those separate from her kids. That's just what every mom does. When Whitham asked if Mira, if she was a good mom, she responded that her mom was a fantastic mom. As for prior health issues that they had trouble solving, yeah, Angie did have that happen a time or two. but they ended up being due to her allergies. She also had gestational diabetes, but in her words,

they were never as confusing as the last time. Whidham then circled back to Angie's hobby of woodworking, and Mirr explained that, yes, she did this woodworking in the garage. Unless it was a project inside, essentially, she went where the project took her. She had built their mantle above the fireplace and the shelves in their house.

That is so cool, by the way, to me. that she built shelves and she built the fireplace mantle, all while being a mother to six. When asked about their religious beliefs, Mira confirmed that they were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the Eldiest Church. And she said, quote, at the end of the day,

we all just loved God and we were doing our best to do what he asked us to do. And that's just where my mom and my whole family found peace, end quote. She said that Angie tried to live by church values and that it was important to her. And with that, the defense made a strategic pivot, shifting the timeline back to 2017. So shifting the timeline back to 2017, Miry testified that before that year,

her parents had been more affectionate. But as they got closer to 2017, things started to shift. She often heard them arguing from her bedroom, loud enough to catch the details. Her room was directly beneath theirs. and things to a vent over her bed and one under theirs, she could hear everything. And during that rocky time in their marriage, Mirr said her parents just weren't very present. The older kids, herself included, were the ones stepping in to take care of the younger ones.

And she remembered moments when her dad would pack up a suitcase and leave for a few days. The tension was not hidden. It was part of the household. Finally, Whitham brought the timeline forward again in 2022 and early 2023. During this period, Mira said things between her parents seem different. Their marriage looked better. They were affectionate again. And to her, it felt like things had returned to the way they used to be.

Widham asked Mira about how she wanted to model her own marriage after her parents. And Mira paused and then said she wanted her marriage to start where her parents were at that point. I looked up to them, she said. They were my parents. You're supposed to be able to. look up to them. And with that, we move to redirect. Redirect focused more on the faith aspect of the Craigs. Mirr said that she had been Mormon her whole life and she is still a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She said there has been times where she has questioned

things, but she finds she is happiest when she is close to God. Then the prosecution asked, are there members of the church who have gotten a divorce? Mira said yes. Are the members shunned for getting a divorce? Mirra said, know. Would your mom have been aware of that? Mirra responded, yes. She then once again confirmed her mom had struggles just like everyone else. She was raising six kids, which is a struggle. And Mira said it makes her scared of having kids. She then once again confirmed there is nothing that leads her to believe her mom had plans of self-harm at all. She tearfully repeated, but she said multiple times on that stand, quote, we had plans, end quote. She confirmed that Angie would have

never taken a reckless chance with little girls still at home. The final question, did she seem to love being a mom? Murat responded, oh yeah. Next up on the stand was Annabel Craig, the third oldest child of James and Angela Craig. She also goes by Bell. In March of 2023, Bell was a high school senior, living at home. Not long after graduation, she moved in with her aunt and uncle and later started college at BYU, Idaho. But during that spring, she was the oldest sibling in the house, which meant she helped out a lot with the younger kids. Annabelle described her mom, Angie, as someone who was incredibly fit, the kind of person who worked out more than most people she knew, probably the kind of person where if she ran to the courtroom, she wouldn't need an inhaler.

She was in shape. One thing we have learned, Angela, loved health and she took care of her help. Everyone, except the two youngest girls, had protein shakes for breakfast each morning. Sometimes James and Angela would even make shakes for each other. At March, Annabel said that her mom, well, Angela wasn't working at the dental office anymore and with that off of her plate, she had more time to focus on things she loved. So she was starting to feel better, her personal projects, the kids, and the future. According to Annabel, her mom seemed genuinely happy. She did not appear depressed or withdrawn even before she started feeling sick. Annabelle also said that Angie wasn't the type to take risks, but she was constantly, constantly talking about the future,

dreaming about their forever home, somewhere peaceful with lots of land. Before Angela got sick, she'd taken a trip to visit her sister, Tony, her dear friend Tony, her sister. While she was there, she attended a genealogy conference, something she absolutely loved. And according to Annabel, her mom was really passionate about family history. It wasn't just a hobby for her. She'd get totally absorbed in it. It was something she looked forward to going to conferences in the future. And as Angela's condition started to get worse, there was one day that really stuck with Annabelle.

Her mother was so very weak. She was nearly passed out on the floor. And she asked Annabelle to call James for help and then call 911. one. Angela ended up spending about five nights in the hospital, and during that time, James made sure to bring the kids to visit her every night. But even with all the hospital visits, there were still no answers. Angela was frustrated that the doctors could not figure out what was wrong with her. They kept telling her to follow up with her primary care doctor, which didn't feel helpful. She even wondered if it could be diabetes, since that ran in her family, but still, no clear diagnosis,

just confusion. After James was arrested, he was allowed to make. make calls, and one of those calls went to Annabel. On the line, her dad asked her to do something unusual. He wanted her to bail someone out of jail, someone, he said, had important information that needed to get to her. James told her that if she just looked up a bail bondsman, she could figure out how to make it happen. Yeah, this story's wild. He stressed that it was urgent, so urgent that he wanted her to pay the full bail amount to speed things up. And then he added something else. She probably shouldn't tell anyone that she's about to bail this person out. He said the man's name was Jonathan and that he was her cousin.

Now, Annabel had never heard of a cousin named Jonathan, but in that moment she trusted her dad. So she left the house, told her siblings she was just going for a drive and would use a credit card connected to her parents' account to pay the bond. As the night went on, her older brother, Tolliver, called her. twice checking in, trying to find out where she was. Eventually, she told him what she was doing. To Oliver immediately told her to stop. Don't bail the guy out, Annabelle, stay put, and that he was on his way. But by the time they got there, it was too late. An officer had already brought Jonathan out.

Annabelle came clean right then and there. She admitted she didn't know the guy, only that her dad had told her to do it, but the payment had already gone through. There was no taking it back. And when they all stepped outside, Annabel asked Jonathan what was really going on. He didn't say much. He just handed her a few papers, and they went their separate ways. So, this is wild. So while sitting in the car with her uncle, Tyler, and Tolliver, so Tolliver and Tyler both arrived, they opened the letter together, trying to figure, out what this was all about. That letter that Annabelle received ended up being admitted into evidence. She confirmed on the stand that it was definitely in her dad's handwriting. No question.

There was no mistaking it and what it said completely shocked her. It opened with a casual, almost affectionate greeting. Hey Bells. Then James told her that he was asking her to do this because she was, quote, the most like her mom. But what he was really asking was something else entirely. James wanted her to create fake evidence. Not just any fake evidence, a deep fake video. One that would make it look like Angela had asked him to buy cyanide. He laid out detailed step-by-step instructions for Annabelle

like it was some kind of DIY project on Pinterest. First, buy a cheap laptop, one that she's only used for this mission. Then, second, install a VPN, the good kind, the one you pay for, the best kind. She'd use this to access the Tor browser, the gateway to the dark web. And from there, she was supposed to set up an anonymous proton email account and start searching for someone who could actually create a deep fake video. He told her how to pay, either with a prepaid. visa gift card or cryptocurrency and warned her to be careful with the details. The metadata had to make

it look like the video was created on February 27. He even said to burn the video to thumb drives and plant one on her mom's purse or in her mom's purse and then tell investigators she found it there. After that, he told her to destroy the laptop completely. He included code words too, calling the plan, quote, the Memories Project. If she agreed to the plan, she would say, quote, the candy was good. If she didn't agree to the plan, then she would say, quote, the candy was disappointing. That was the language that they would use. In the letter, James also said that Angela had been playing a game of chicken because she was

desperate not to get divorced. Now Annabel, again, she was just a teenager. And now her dad from behind bars was pulling her into a twisted scheme to rewrite the truth, to rewrite history. And in the same letter, James tried to offer an alternate explanation for what happened to Angela. He wrote that while it was unlikely she would ever take her own life on purpose, he said that it was possible that she might have accidentally overdosed on cyanide. overdosed on cyanide. Like just sit with that for a second.

Oh, sorry, I took a little too much cyanide this morning. Forgive me. It's crazy. He also addressed some of the rumors swirling around like the one about Karen Kane. He insisted that she was just a friend, nothing more. And when it came to their finances, James claimed the family was actually doing better than ever. According to him, there was no money trouble, meaning no real reason for him to be desperate. Annabel was then shown a series of exhibits.

She looked them over carefully and confirmed the handwriting was her father's, Dr. Craig's, no doubt about it. She then talked about something that happened a few months later in either March or April 2024. Annabel had gone to visit her paternal grandparents, James's parents, when they learned they'd received a strange letter in the mail. The defense quickly objected as soon as it came up and asked to approach the bench. Eventually, though, the state was allowed to show Annabel the letter

her grandparents had received. The court established a few key facts. The letter had been sent to Dr. Craig's parents' home and arrived not long after the postmark date March 18, 2024. The prosecution did not go into the contents of that letter just yet. They seemed to be laying the groundwork, possibly saving that piece for later in the trial. The prosecutor then asked Annabelle a final question back in December of 2022. Did your dad ever sit you down and tell you that he and your mom were getting a divorce. To that, Annabel said no. On cross-examination, Annabel opened up about what it felt like to receive that letter from her father while sitting in jail. She described it as disappointing and confusing. It stirred up a lot of emotions because at the end of the day, no matter what, he was still

her dad. She said she tried to make sense of it all, the phone call, the letter, the bizarre request to fake evidence, none of it made sense, but she was trying to understand it. When she spoke, with detectives, she told them something else too, that she could tell that James was scared. He sounded panicked. She said that she knew her dad struggled with anxiety. In fact, she told police that his anxiety might have played a role in why he wrote that letter. At one point, Annabel told officers that she wouldn't put it past her mom to use manipulative tactics, not because of anything she witnessed firsthand, but because of things her father had told her. She explained that she felt it was important to share everything she knew. This was, as she put it,

a horrific situation, but she wanted the investigators to have the full picture. Next, Annabel testified that, for the most part, her mom was a pretty private person. And when it came to her parents' relationship, they really tried to keep any issues behind closed doors. Sure, the kids could sometimes tell when James and Angela were irritated with each other, but overall, they kept their problems away from the family. In fact, Annabel said that in March, just before everything happened, her parents actually seemed good. They were affectionate kind to each other. like things were normal. When Angela started feeling unwell, Annabelle stepped into hell.

She was the one who took her mom to Saddle Rock urgent care and later to Parker Adventist Hospital. Annabelle also told the court that there weren't really any designated shaker or water bottles in the house. Nothing was labeled or off limits. Her dad also never warned the kids to stay away from any particular bottles. Then, on read it wrecked. The state took a moment to clarify something.

That claim about James writing the letter because of anxiety, that actually came from James himself. he was the one who told Annabel that his anxiety had driven him to write it. And as for her earlier comment about her mom possibly being manipulative, the prosecution they asked for specifics. And the only example Annabel could think of was from when she wanted to quit playing piano at school. Angela had pushed back saying she'd regret it to be missing out on a big opportunity. Annabelle admitted it wasn't really manipulative,

just the kind of guilt trip any parent might use and any 17-year-old might not. like to a 17-year-old and might have felt manipulative at that time. So in the end, even that example seemed more like normal parenting, not some sign of manipulation. And that was the end of her testimony in the end of the day, which ended at 520. Throughout her testimony, she also pet the black lab fancy. Again, we learned her name was fancy. Annabelle left the stand and went and set back with her siblings with Miriam. And at that moment, too, I want to point out that court went over today, again, 520. Before, at about 4.55, the judge asked the jury, would you all be willing to stay a little bit longer

so that we can finish this witness? And they were all able to. They all were willing to sit there longer to finish after five so that Annabelle could finish her testimony. And again, Fancy was her name. And the jury was excused before Fancy was removed from the stand. So the jury never did see Fancy. And they also, on the record, the prosecution said, we also want to put on record that Fancy did a tremendous job

and that the jury never saw Fancy and Fancy was well-behaved. And they wanted that on record. I'm sure because the defense probably objected to the, idea of a dog, a therapy dog being on stand for fear of what could have possibly happened, but it went well. The sisters who testified as court was adjourned and we all stood up. I noticed the sisters talking, being gifted, black lab stuffed animals. So they will always, I hope, remember, their bravery and the service fancy offered him

in that moment. It was a touching day and a shocking day. and what those girls brought to the stand, I'm sure their mother would be proud. I was so grateful to get to know Angela a little bit more today. Thank you for being here as we continue to cover the James Craig trial. We know that it is not being live streamed and it is such an important trial. And again, Angela's daughters did such an incredible job today. Thank you to everyone.

We will continue to have updates tomorrow night. I think for now, since it's my half birthday, let's go get a drink. Here's to being older. Also, I want to point out that Angela was my age. So, we were born the same year. So it's heartbreaking to hear and to be present at this trial. And I can't help, but also I have to admit, think often of Tammy Daybell,

who also visited her dear sister Samantha before her husband chose to take her life as well. All right, everyone. Thank you so much for being here. And may justice be served. Let's be honest. Buying cannabis shouldn't be complicated, sketchy or low quality. That's why I want to tell you about mood.com.

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