In a Colorado courtroom, the mistress of a dentist accused of murdering his wife by poisoning her protein shakes testified, revealing the intimate details of their affair. Dr. Karin Cain, an orthodontist from Texas, took the stand in the trial of Dr. James Toliver Craig, 47, who is facing first-degree murder charges for the death of his wife, Angela Craig, 43, in March 2023. The cause of Angela’s death was determined to be lethal doses of cyanide and tetrahydrozoline.
Cain testified that she met Craig at a dental conference in Las Vegas in February 2023. Recently divorced and adjusting to life as a single mother of two adult children, Cain described Craig as the first man she had a personal conversation with in three decades. The two connected while waiting for a shuttle to a conference dinner. Cain described Craig as honest and vulnerable, sharing details about his children and his own divorce, although he was not yet divorced at the time.
Their relationship turned physical during the conference, but Cain insisted there was no sexual activity. Despite pulling back, fearing things were moving too quickly, the pair exchanged more than 4,000 text messages over 18 days. Craig professed his love for Cain three days into their relationship, often sending spiritual messages and praying over his children during phone calls.
In late February, Craig texted Cain, expressing his eternal love and leading her to believe that he and his wife were separated and close to finalizing their divorce. However, when Angela discovered a restaurant charge for two, Craig complained that she didn’t understand the concept of divorce, causing Cain to worry about their relationship.
Cain testified that she saw no red flags in their relationship at the time, even though she now recognizes them. She kept the relationship hidden from her children, but shared her excitement with friends. Craig frequently sent her poetic love notes and confessed to past infidelity as a mistake. He even mentioned the possibility of marrying Cain.
Their long-distance relationship continued until March when Cain planned to visit Craig. However, she postponed her flight due to Angela’s illness. On March 15, Craig informed Cain that Angela had been hospitalized with no brain activity. That same day, he asked if she would still visit and sent a plan for her to attend the funeral without his children knowing.
On March 19, police arrested Craig. In April, he began sending Cain handwritten love letters from jail. Cain initially burned two of the letters but then turned the rest over to detectives. She sent one final reply, asking him not to write to her anymore.
During cross-examination, Cain admitted that she was unaware that Craig was still living with his wife, texting other women, and had hired a prostitute in Las Vegas. A prosecutor closed by highlighting Craig’s lies about his marital status, living situation, and hiring a prostitute.
In another twist, a Lyft driver and single mother, Carrie Hageseth, testified that she met Craig on Seeking.com and they had a “sugar babies” relationship. During one dinner, she testified, Craig mentioned the movie “The Purge,” and said that if he could “purge” someone, it would be his wife. He even described how a person could be killed via injection without consequence.