Authorities are accusing a Colorado dentist of poisoning his wife and plotting to cover his tracks using a deepfake.
CNN reported on the bizarre incident, which resulted in the dentist’s wife’s death in 2023. Prosecutors accuse James Craig of poisoning his wife in March that year. He reportedly used a mix of arsenic, cyanide, and tetrahydrozoline. Per WebMD, the latter is a common ingredient in eye drops. The outlet explains that Prosecutors allege that Craig waited until his wife was in the hospital. He then gave her a pill filled with cyanide and made sure she consumed it, which ultimately killed her. The prosecution also points to financial woes as a motive and an ongoing affair.
CNN reveals that one of Craig’s daughters testified in court. She reportedly claimed that her father wanted her to make it appear that his wife ordered the ingredients that killed her. He allegedly gave her a letter with instructions on how to create a ‘deepfake’ of his wife. Per the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a deepfake “is a video, photo, or audio recording that seems real but has been manipulated with AI.” The GAO summarizes, “Deepfakes can depict someone appearing to say or do something that they in fact never said or did.”
The daughter also testified that the letter had multiple instructions, including how to access the dark web.
The Dentist Has Pleaded Not Guilty To Multiple Charges
James Craig maintains his innocence, saying his wife had “suicidal ideations” before her death. Per USA Today, the daughter told the court that her father asked her to bail out another inmate while he was in jail. The inmate gave her the letter when he was released. Instead of following the instructions, she handed it over to the police.
During the hearing on July 17, the dentist’s oldest daughter reportedly said that her mother was in good mental health, despite his claims. “She loved nothing more than being a mom, and she was really good at it,” she said. Per CNN, the daughter said she was convinced that her mother would not take her own life. She also revealed that she and her mother “were making plans.”