An attorney defending the Colorado dentist accused of killing his wife with poisoned shakes has withdrawn from the case just days before the scheduled start of the murder trial – after allegedly setting his own house on fire.
Robert Werking, who is a partner in LFM Defense along with his wife, Lisa Fine Moses, was arrested last weekend after deputies found him sitting on the porch of his house as it burned behind him, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office told the Daily Mail.
Public records show Moses also listed at the address, and the couple co-own the house, the Denver Post reported.
Werking’s withdrawal marks the third time lawyers have removed themselves as counsel for the embattled dentist, who was arrested in March 2023 after the death of his wife and mother of his six children, Angela Craig.
Prosecutors allege that the dentist – who’d begun an extramarital affair, allegedly not his first, with a Texas orthodontist – poisoned his wife’s shakes with cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, a chemical found in medicinal eye drops.
Angela Craig, 43, visited the hospital multiple times in the weeks before her March 2023 death complaining of nausea and dizziness.
According to arrest documents, the dentist had searched for information about fatal poisons on a computer at his office, ordered potassium cyanide to the business address and told staff not to open it.
When the box was opened by mistake, an employee saw the contents, googled it and matched symptoms to the mysterious illness Craig’s wife was experiencing, the arrest affidavit states.
Colorado dentist and father of six James Craig was arrested in March 2023 after the death of his wife, Angela, 43, whom prosecutors say was fatally poisoned by shakes he prepared
Craig, pictured with his late wife, has continued to rack up charges while behind bars awaiting trial – with prosecutors alleging he ordered a hit on the detective and tried to get others to lie
Werking and Moses were appointed to Craig’s case by the court last November after lawyer Harvey Steinberg withdraw, citing ethical reasons on the eve of the trial. Before that, another team defending Craig had also removed themselves as counsel for undisclosed reasons.
Attorney Robert Werking, who was representing Craig, withdrew from the case this week in the wake of his arson arrest for allegedly setting his own house on fire
Werking, who did not respond to request for comment from the Daily Mail, withdrew from the case on Tuesday in the wake of his arrest, the Post reported. His wife continues to represent the dentist along with attorney Ashley Witham, who joined the team on June 18.
Moses did not immediately return requests for comment from the Mail.
Craig has been in custody since March 2023 and has continued to rack up criminal charges from behind bars.
Prosecutors allege that, among other things, he tampered with witnesses, including at least one of his children; tried to order a hit on a detective investigating the case; and offered free dental work to relatives of inmates he met in jail in exchange for their help concocting lies to clear him.
Jury selection in Craig’s trial is scheduled to begin July 10. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
