(NewsNation) — Steffan Tubbs has sat in James Craig’s dentist chair for maybe 30 or 40 hours in recent years as a patient. He was “stunned” to learn that Craig is now accused of killing his wife by poisoning her.
“I’m still in shock,” Tubbs said of the revelation Wednesday on “CUOMO.”
Craig is an Aurora, Colorado, dentist who was arrested Sunday on suspicion of first-degree murder in the poisoning of his wife, Angela, who died after she was taken off life support during a third trip to a hospital this month.
Court documents allege James Craig was putting cyanide in his wife’s protein shakes, eventually killing her so he could be with a woman with whom he was having an affair.
Craig is due in court Thursday, where he’ll learn if prosecutors plan to file charges.
Tubbs said Craig was known as a “family man” who he never suspected could have committed such a crime.
“Caring, compassionate, great dentist, I knew about his big family,” Tubbs said. “Six kids are now without parents.”
“I was absolutely stunned when I opened up the story and I saw a mugshot, ‘There’s my dentist!'” Tubbs added. “This is just something that I couldn’t believe.”
The suspicious death sent shock waves across Aurora, Colorado.
“I’m a little confused and stressed out,” one patient told NewsNation affiliate KDVR. “I’m still completely shocked. I cannot believe, you know, that somebody that I’ve had all kinds of work done, that has put lots and lots of needles in my mouth. … Blows my mind.”
As Angela Craig languished in a hospital, with doctors unable to figure out what was wrong with her, police in the Denver suburb of Aurora allege her husband was with a fellow dentist who flew in for visits with him.
Police began investigating Craig after his dental practice partner and friend, Ryan Redfearn, told a nurse that Craig had ordered potassium cyanide even though they did not need it for their work, according to an arrest warrant laying out evidence gathered by investigators.
Tubbs believes the case will rock the community like nothing they’ve seen since the death of JonBenét Ramsey.
“This has the, forgive me, the entertainment value and factor,” Tubbs said. “People are talking about it; hundreds, if not thousands of patients over the years. It’s unbelievable.”
NewsNation correspondent Markie Martin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.