He Was Found Guilty Of Murdering His Wife After Pretending To Be Her Ex To Win Her Back
A Colorado man was found guilty of murdering his wife after stalking her and pretending to be her ex-boyfriend. As soon as the verdict was given, he was handcuffed by a police officer.
On April 17, 44-year-old Daniel Krug was found guilty of all four charges he faced: first-degree murder, two counts of stalking, and one count of criminal impersonation. He faces a mandatory sentence of life without parole.
Prosecutors said that Daniel’s marriage with Kristil Krug was falling apart, so he decided to scare his wife and then try to win her back by protecting her from the fake stalking.
Kristil Krug was a biochemical engineer with a passion for the performing arts, modern dance, and the sciences. She was born on November 24, 1980, in Boulder, Colorado.
A few months before her death on December 14, 2023, Kristil contacted the Broomfield Police Department. She believed that an ex-boyfriend of hers from 20 years ago was harassing her. She kept records of the texts and emails that were sent to her, suggesting that she was being watched.
As time went on, the messages became increasingly threatening. She also gave photos to the police that indicated she was being stalked, but detectives came across evidence that showed Daniel was the one sending the messages. The IP address for the emails and messages were traced back to Daniel’s job.
A burner phone was used to send some of the texts. It was purchased with a gift card registered to Daniel Krug and was often found in the same general area as his phone.
When Daniel realized he could face criminal charges, he began plotting how to kill his wife to silence her and because she no longer wanted to be with him, according to prosecutors.
On December 14, 2023, he reportedly waited for her to return to their home in Denver after taking two of their children to school before making his move. He knocked her unconscious and stabbed her in the heart.
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“He didn’t love her. He hated her. Think about what he did to her,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Kate Armstrong.
At the time of the murder, the ex-boyfriend was living in Utah, which was an eight-hour drive away. Daniel’s lawyers argued that there was no physical evidence linking him to the murder. No blood was found in his car or on his clothes, although partial DNA from an unknown person was found on Kristil’s neck.
Prosecutors said that Daniel told police he thought the ex-boyfriend was responsible for her death. After police confirmed that the ex-boyfriend was at home in Utah during the time of the crime, Daniel said Kristil might’ve been having affairs.
“Following a more than two-week trial, the jury convicted Krug of the following charges: First-Degree Murder (F1), Stalking – Emotional Distress (F5), Stalking – Threat – Repeated Communication (F5), Criminal Impersonation (F6),” a statement from the District Attorney’s Office read.
“Judge Priscilla Loew sentenced the defendant to Life in Prison Without the Possibilty of Parole plus an additional nine and a half years consecutive on April 18, 2025, in Broomfield County District Court. A First-Degree Murder conviction carries a mandatory Life in Prison Without the Possibility of Parole sentence.”
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