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Jury Deliberating Fate of Colorado Dentist Accused in Wife's Death; Food Security Agency: Worst-Case Scenario of Famine in Gaza. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired July 29, 2025 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Arkansas police have just released a brand new photo of a person of interest in a double murder at Devil's Den State Park. Police say the man seen here is wanted for questioning in the killings of Clinton and Cristen Brink and may have been injured in Saturday's attack. Officials previously released this composite sketch and said the man seen here may be driving a Mazda.

The Brinks were hiking with their two daughters when they were killed. Fortunately, the girls were unharmed -- Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: After 10 days of testimony and nearly 50 witnesses, all for the prosecution, jurors are now deliberating the fate of a Colorado dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife's protein shakes. Dr. James Craig faces six felony counts, including murder and solicitation to commit murder. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.

Prosecutors allege that Craig fed his wife prescription capsules that he refilled with cyanide and gave her a lethal injection while she was hospitalized. Angela Craig died after three hospitalizations over 10 days. An autopsy report revealed her system contained lethal concentrations of cyanide and high levels of an ingredient in eye drops. There were also significant arsenic levels.

CNN's Jean Casarez has been following this trial from day one. Jean, how did both sides make their final case?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, very differently. And the closing arguments just concluded. The jury in Colorado has just started to deliberate right now.

But the prosecution, they began the closing arguments. They have the burden saying that Angela Craig is very innocent in all of this. She did not try to take her life at all, but she had the ultimate betrayal from her husband.

And they really focused on three different motives for murder. Number one, he wanted his freedom. He was a serial adulterer for most of the 23 years of their marriage.

And Angela knew that. And she would confront him. And she realized all the money he was spending on these women, but he would always make an excuse. He would say, even though he went on Seeking.com to find these women, that he never, never had relations with them. She wanted to believe that.

The number two reason for motive, they said, was money. That if he got a divorce, he would have to give up 50 percent of everything. And he was a successful dentist in Colorado. He had TV commercials. People knew who he was.

Which led to the third motive, they said, was public image. He didn't want that public image to change from the good, kind, Mormon family, six children.

Now listen to what the prosecutor said in part in that closing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN BRACKLEY, PROSECUTOR: He continues the search for the deadly poisons. March 4th, the arsenic comes to his home. March 5th, Angela gets home. And March 6th, Angela's life changes forever.

He starts his day off by making her a smoothie, telling her he loves her. And then she gets sick, and she never recovers.

LISA MOSES, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: We ask that when you listen, when they get back up, when you look at this evidence, that you take those blinders off, that you look at the evidence that they have provided you, and you look at the evidence that they have not provided. And we ask that you find him not guilty.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[15:35:03]

CASAREZ: What the defense is saying right there is that there were so many electronic devices. A lot of them were not tested. They did not test a container that could have contained poison in it. They never found the potassium cyanide.

So they're really driving home this reasonable doubt here, that you can't say beyond a reasonable doubt that he killed her. She was at the depths of depression.

They offered her journal, her diary, that says, I don't know if I should just give in or if I should forge on. And they're interpreting that as suicide. They say it was an intentional death on her part. The prosecution is saying no. All those searches, purchasing it, they did not have a pact that he would help her commit suicide.

KEILAR: Yes, we'll see what the jury ultimately decides here. Jean Casarez, thank you so much for the update.

Still to come, heartbreaking images out of Gaza showing the fight against starvation. We'll hear from someone who witnessed the humanitarian crisis firsthand.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:40:07]

SANCHEZ: A dire warning out of the Middle East today after a U.N.- backed food security agency says the worst case scenario of famine is unfolding right now in Gaza. According to the initiative, more than 20,000 children were admitted for treatment of acute malnutrition between April and mid-July. Some 3,000 of those were severely malnourished.

Gaza health officials say nearly 100 children have starved to death. You can see the desperation in this footage as one boy tries to gather as much flour from this vehicle as he can hold in his shirt. The Israeli military says that in coordination with Arab nations, it airdropped some 52 aid packages today into Gaza.

France, Spain, and Germany are also lining up to bring critical supplies into the enclave. Meantime, Britain is adding to pressure on Israel, saying that it would recognize a Palestinian state in September unless the government takes, quote, substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, end quote.

Let's get some perspective now from Bob Kitchen. He's the VP of Emergencies with the International Rescue Committee. Bob, thanks so much for being with us. You were in Gaza last April, I understand.

How do the images that we're seeing now compare to what you saw when you were there?

BOB KITCHEN, VP OF EMERGENCIES, INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE: Well, I'm sad to say the situation is much worse now than it was when I was on the ground last year. We're seeing unprecedented levels of food insecurity, extreme hunger. Adding to the data you've shared already, what we know is one in five children are acutely malnourished in the north of Gaza.

That's a stark data point on its own. But what's more worrying is that's tripled in the last four weeks alone. We're in the midst of a spiral downwards and we need to act right now.

SANCHEZ: When he was asked about the hunger crisis in Gaza earlier today, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL: The U.N. method, which, by the way, has been a disaster, is one that, as they like to use the euphemism, it's self-distributed. That means the food is stolen off the trucks as they drive in. So is there suffering?

Yes. Is it as bad as some of the Europeans say it is? No.

But it could be a whole lot better. It could all be over quickly if Hamas would finally decide there's no future for them there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: I want to deconstruct his argument with you on the claim that the hunger crisis isn't as bad as some are saying. Would you disagree?

KITCHEN: Well, I would say the expert body of the world, the IPC board, disagrees. They have evidence that two of the three thresholds for famine have been met. That's food consumption and malnourishment rates.

The third criteria, which is mortality as a result of extreme hunger- related deaths, is very difficult to track at the moment because of the restrictions on movement, the restrictions on aid workers being allowed to move. But just with those two of three criteria, we already know that this is the world's worst food-hunger crisis right now.

SANCHEZ: I also wondered what your thoughts were on the issue of distribution and the ambassador's claim that the UN method has been a disaster, that it's led to widespread theft and looting.

KITCHEN: Well, I would say two things. Number one, the UN and NGO humanitarian community writ large has effectively distributed aid into Gaza for many years, and recently the military from Israel has confirmed that there is no evidence of widespread aid diversion by Hamas through that system. So Israel's own military has said that the allegations that aid is being stolen, there's no evidence of that.

So I would suggest that the best way forward is the proven mechanism that works around the world and has worked in Gaza, which is investing in the United Nations and organizations like the IRC, who knows how to get aid into the hands of people who are most desperate.

SANCHEZ: Bob Kitchen, we have to leave the conversation there. Appreciate your perspective. Thanks for joining us.

Coming up, the newest details on the investigation of the deadly shooting in Manhattan as police and the FBI search for answers. Stay with us.

[15:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get set. Three, two, one. Let's go!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: It's the dog race where, as you'll see in a moment, owners get as much of a workout as their pooches.

This is the U.K.'s Dog Surfing Championship, the Dog Masters Festival in England. Four-legged competitors take on the waves as their humans maneuver the paddleboard.

KEILAR: And this year's winner was a whippet named Margo and her paddler Carl Barnes. Here's the moment the winning duo crossed the finish line.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:50:00]

KEILAR: And we are joined now from England with those surf champs there, Carl Barnes and Margo. Carl, unbelievable. Margo as well, tuckered out there. Unbelievable performance. Tell us a little bit about the secret to your success.

CARL BARNES, OWNER OF MARGO, WINNING CANINE AT DOG MASTERS FESTIVAL: I think just a really good diet of natural food supplied by her mom who's a nutritionist. And I'm a physical trainer. So, yes, being a whippet, she's nice and light and streamlined. So we had an advantage there as well. And she loves being on the board. Don't you, darling? Yes.

SANCHEZ: Yes, she does. You can tell by her response. Margo -- has she ever been scared of the water or being on a board or all the -- I mean, there's a lot of stimulation, right, when you're out there on the ocean. So I wonder, did you have to coach her at all to get on the board and get out there?

BARNES: No, we're very lucky. We live quite close to a river. And if I go on the paddleboard without her, she cries until I go and get her. So she loves it on the board.

KEILAR: Oh, she wants to be with you. I love that. OK, Carl, I will note as we watch this -- we were watching this video yesterday, and one dog, not Margo, I just want to be clear about that, got a little bit of a whack of an oar to the face, right, because you were having to paddle around these dogs.

And what I noticed with your technique was with Margo was that as you were paddling very intensely, you would keep her very out of the swing of things. How do you do that when you're not just out for, like, an easy little cruise on the river and you're, you know, in it to win it?

BARNES: Always she's very attached to me. She's very trusting in me and just lots of practice, really, and just keep her safe at all times. Her well-being is the most important thing, and her enjoyment is also the most important thing with it. So, yes, just practice.

SANCHEZ: Talk to us about practice. What is it like when you work your way up to a competition? How often are you training?

BARNES: Well, this is actually the first time we've entered the competition. It's more kind of a fun event than it is an overly competitive event. It's a very community-based event run by our local surf school, Shaka Surf. They set the Dog Masters Festival up. Hopefully it will become something larger next year with more sponsorship and possibly more of a full weekend vibe to it as well. Again, all community-based.

So, yes, it's just really good to be involved in something that is good for our community.

KEILAR: Yes, it's awesome, and everyone was having so much fun. And, you know, Carl, people love stand-up paddleboarding. It's become so popular here in recent years.

I bet a lot of people wish that their dog would want to get on the paddleboard with them. It sounds like Margo just has the inclination to do it. But what would your advice be to people who want to enjoy this with their pup?

BARNES: Well, we started with just the paddleboard on dry land and allowed her to get familiar with that. And she's always been fond of playing in the water and chasing toys in the water. So with a little bit of training and allowing her to make the choice herself, yes, just slowly, little steps at a time.

And don't force your dog. If they're uncomfortable, then it's not meant to be for you and your dog, unfortunately. If they're comfortable and they trust you and they're safe in the water and they enjoy the water, then it's a safe and fun activity for all.

KEILAR: Well, you guys make it look easy and fun. And how cute, right, Boris?

SANCHEZ: Love it. Love it. And the Hawaiian shirt. Love that, too. Shout out to Margo.

KEILAR: Carl Barnes, Margo. Thanks, guys.

BARNES: She's beautiful, we love her. Thank you very much.

KEILAR: Bye. Just lovely.

Still to come on this national chicken wing day.

Did you know it was? You should know. You should celebrate once or twice today, three times. I don't know. Well, great food debate will be decided here on CNN NEWS CENTRAL. Right, Boris?

SANCHEZ: 100 percent. It's coming your way in just moments. Don't go anywhere.

[15:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: They're spicy. Maybe they're sweet. They can be wet. They can be dry. Big hit at pubs and tailgates across the country. We're talking, of course, about wings, chicken wings, right?

Well, definitely these ones anyways. That's what we're going to get to here. Today is National Chicken Wing Day. The savory American classic was first introduced to the world in Buffalo, of course, back in the 1960s. And now you can snack on them pretty much anywhere.

SANCHEZ: And all the time as well. Research firm, Circana Crest, says that Americans devour an estimated 1.2 billion servings of flats and drums each year at 6 to 10 wings per serving. That's a lot of wings if you do the math.

Many restaurants are offering up free wings today in celebration of National Wing Day. We had a big question that we wanted to post to our viewers because it sparked debate here in the NEWSROOM. It needs a definitive answer.

Are boneless wings technically buffalo wings at all? We asked you for your thoughts on Instagram. Here are the results.

Bone-in, 43 percent. Boneless, 28 percent. Clearly the preference is with bone-in wings because boneless wings are not wings.

Came out to 29 percent. Harry Enten, who does numbers, agreed with that result. I feel like if you think boneless buffalo wings are wings, you need some help. You've got to talk to somebody.

KEILAR: It's not National Nugget Day, people.

[16:00:00]

But they're still delicious.

SANCHEZ: Let's find out if these are delicious.

KEILAR: OK. I mean, they are because they're like chicken breast nuggets.

SANCHEZ: What do you think?

KEILAR: So good. Amazing.

SANCHEZ: Head over to Instagram. Vote on the poll. Tell us what you think.

KEILAR: I can't really talk now.

SANCHEZ: Boneless, bone-in.

KEILAR: It's a totally scientific poll. Definitely go there and do it. "THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts right now.

SANCHEZ: Cheers.

END