A Colorado defense attorney has withdrawn from a high-profile murder case after allegedly setting his own house on fire and calmly waiting on the porch for firefighters to arrive.
Robert Werking, 59, was representing James Craig, the Aurora dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife. Werking stepped down as Craig’s attorney on Tuesday, just days after he was arrested for fourth-degree arson. According to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, deputies found Werking sitting on his porch late on June 28 as flames engulfed his home.
The arrest affidavit has been sealed to avoid jeopardizing Craig’s upcoming jury trial, which begins July 10. Prosecutors argued in a court filing that releasing the details could lead to destruction of evidence, witness tampering, or harassment.
Werking is the second attorney to withdraw from Craig’s defense. In November, Harvey Steinberg left the case, citing ethical concerns under the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct. Steinberg said Craig insisted on actions the lawyer found either fraudulent or fundamentally objectionable.
Craig, 46, is charged with first-degree murder in the March 2023 death of his wife, Angela Craig. The mother of six was hospitalized three times in nine days before slipping into a coma and being declared brain-dead. Authorities allege she was poisoned with arsenic and potassium cyanide mixed into her protein shakes — substances Craig allegedly ordered using his dental license.
Investigators say Craig researched poisons online and was planning a new life with another woman while his wife lay dying. He has since been accused of trying to tamper with evidence multiple times from jail, including through a family member and another individual.
Adding to the bizarre twist, Werking was also cited in mid-June for allegedly aiming a firearm in a separate incident. Fire investigators found an incendiary accelerant at the scene of his June 28 house fire, though officials haven’t released further details due to the active investigation.
Neither Werking nor his representatives have commented publicly on the charges.
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