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‘Unfortunately, she loved you’: How US dentist killed his wife to hide affairs
He was supposed to be my hero, and instead he’ll forever be the villain in my book, says daughter in court as James Craig is sentenced to life in prison
James Craig, the dentist given a life term for murdering his wife on in the US on Wednesday, appeared to shake, tears down his face, when his oldest daughter spoke about how she felt betrayed.
“I was supposed to be able to trust my dad; he was supposed to be my hero, and instead he’ll forever be the villain in my book,” the daughter, Miriam ‘Mira’ Meservy, said.
Son Toliver Craig too spoke. Two weeks after she died, he set a daily alarm on his phone that just says ‘Mom’. It's set for 10 pm. “I’m sad there’s not more time with her,” he said.
James Craig declined to make any statement before he was led out, news agency AP reported.
Also read | US man gets life term for wife’s murder; poisoned her over days, tried to prove she asked for it
The Colorado dentist was sentenced to life in prison for having killed his wife by lacing her protein shakes with poison. He delivered a dose of cyanide, which killed her ultimately, when she was in a hospital bed.
He had claimed that he had helped his wife kill herself after he told her that he wanted a divorce. After repeated extramarital affairs, he wanted to get out of the marriage but didn’t want a divorce so he could protect his money and social image.
The district judge gave him a life term without the possibility of parole. This is the mandatory sentence for a first-degree murder conviction in Colorado.
Prosecutors said Craig tried with doses of poison in her protein shakes over 10 days in March 2023, but that did not work as planned. He gave her cyanide when she was hospitalised with symptoms.
Tests found Angela Craig, 43, died of poisoning from cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, a chemical commonly found in eye drops.
Craig was also found guilty of trying to cover up the killing by asking others to fake evidence that she killed herself.
Angela Craig’s older sister, Toni Kofoed, said: “You have taken away our opportunity to grow old together… Angela had a love and a passion for life. She loved her children and, unfortunately, she loved you.”
In court, James Craig’s family members sat on his side of the room and Angela Craig’s family on the other. Afterwards, they hugged each other and shook hands, many wiping tears from their eyes.
