A Colorado dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife with cyanide protein smoothies has appeared in court charged with her murder.
James Craig, 45, was arrested on Sunday and has now been formally charged with first-degree murder after the death of his wife, Angela Craig, 43.
She died days earlier after being hospitalised for the third time this month with severe headaches and dizziness, according to Aurora Police Department.
An arrest affidavit in the case stated that during his wife’s hospitalization, Mr Craig flew a woman he was allegedly having an affair with from Texas to see him.
He appeared in Arapahoe County District Court on Thursday wearing an orange jumpsuit and with his ankles shackled for his first appearance over the alleged murder of the mother of his six children.
He avoided making eye contact with his parents, oldest son, one of his daughters and his late wife’s brother, who were all present in court, according to DailyMail.com.
During the 10-minute proceeding on Thursday, Mr Craig waived his right to a prompt preliminary hearing and was ordered to re-appear on 7 April.
Mr Craig’s court-appointed defence lawyer, Katie Telfer, requested the judge impose a gag order in the case, citing comments made by Aurora’s police chief as a “presumption of guilt.”
“When the suspicious details of this case came to light, our team of officers and homicide detectives tirelessly worked to uncover the truth behind the victim’s sudden illness and death,” Chief Mark Hildebrand said in a statement on Sunday.
“It was quickly discovered this was in fact a heinous, complex and calculated murder. I am very proud of our Major Crimes Homicide Unit’s hard work in solving this case and pursuing justice for the victim.”
The arrest warrant also stated that the suspect had ordered the poison online and had made a string of suspicious internet searches before his wife’s death.
These included research “undetectable poisons”, searches on “how many grams of pure arsenic will kill a human” and YouTube searches for “how to make poison” and “Top 5 Undetectable Poisons That Show No Signs of Foul Play,” according to the affidavit.
Investigators have alleged that he “has shown the planning and intent to end his wife’s life by searching for ways to kill someone undetected, providing her poisons that align with her hospitalized symptoms, and working on starting a new life” with another woman.
The affidavit states that after arriving at the hospital, Angela Craig had a severe seizure that required her to be put on a ventilator before she was pronounced brain dead.
