The Aurora dentist accused of poisoning his wife was given a bond of $10 million, despite his attorney’s insistence that he is a “man of limited means.”

David Beller explained to the judge that suspect James Craig’s money is tied up with creditors and is being used to help take care of his six children — some of whom are living with an uncle in Idaho.

18th Judicial District Judge Shay Whitaker said she considered Craig a flight risk, but added she may consider decreasing the bond amount at Craig’s preliminary hearing scheduled for July 12. 

Craig faces charges including first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Angela, 43, who died under mysterious circumstances March 18. Craig was arrested March 19. 

On Wednesday, he appeared in an Arapahoe County courtroom looking disheveled.

In arguing for a steep bail, 18th Judicial District Attorney John Kellner expressed concern that if Craig were released, he would be able intimidate witnesses. 

He revealed that Mrs. Craig had a “substantial amount” of potassium cyanide in her body, a key piece of information in the case.

According to court documents, Angela Craig was treated at two hospitals three separate times over a week-and-a-half as symptoms to a mysterious illness got progressively worse.  She complained about everything from dizziness to having problems focusing, nausea and shakiness.

Her final trip was an urgent life-and-death situation. 

Craig’s dental partner, Ryan Redfearn, explained to a nurse at the hospital where Mrs. Craig was being treated that James recently ordered Potassium Cyanide for their dental practice, adding that “there was no medical reason or purpose to order Potassium Cyanide for a dental practice,” according to the arrest affidavit.

Besides the poison found in Angela Craig’s body, Kellner also argued that the couple had life insurance policies worth millions of dollars and added that James Craig had lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency. The arrest document said he was starting an affair with an orthodontist who lived near Houston, Texas. 

The legal community was watching how high the bond would be because of a recent ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court. The decision on June 20 told judges to grant bond for every person accused of first-degree murder. 

Before the ruling, defendants accused of first-degree murder could be given a no-bond hold because it was a capital offense. Because state lawmakers in 2020 repealed the death penalty, the state Supreme Court ruled the crime is now bail eligible.