48 Hours: Post Mortem | The Setup Murder of Kristil Krug

Episode Date: December 2, 2025
Host: Ann Marie Green
Guests: Peter Van Sant (48 Hours correspondent), Sheila Fellow Flynn (journalist, Daily Mail)

Episode Overview

This "Post Mortem" installment follows up on the 48 Hours episode detailing the investigation and trial of the murder of Colorado mother Kristil Krug. Host Ann Marie Green convenes with correspondent Peter Van Sant and journalist Sheila Fellow Flynn to discuss the complexities and tragic twists of the case, how digital and circumstantial evidence ultimately led to Kristil's husband, Dan Krug, being convicted of her murder, and the profound effect on their community and families.

1. Crime Scene & Dan Krug’s Behavior

(Starts at 00:59)

• Initial Discovery: In December 2023, Dan Krug requested a welfare check after claiming his wife was being stalked and she stopped responding to calls. Police found Kristil dead in the garage; autopsy revealed she’d been bludgeoned and stabbed.
• Bodycam Footage: Key discussion revolved around Dan's emotional display at the scene.
  • Peter Van Sant (03:06):

    “It was an extraordinary performance. And we know now it was a performance, but it was completely over the top.”

  • Sheila Fellow Flynn (03:34):

    “It seemed so much like her performance to me, Just very overblown...almost seeming like he was trying to make himself seem scattered.”

• Victim's Advocate’s Suspicion: Heather Aids (victim's advocate) recounted her own early doubts about Dan’s reactions during the ride to the station:
  • (Heather via Ann Marie, 05:18):

    “Are you really crying? ... Did you do this? ... It was a gut instinct.”

  • Peter summarized the abnormality:

    “He started making this very strange whimpering sound. And she felt it was invented, that it just wasn't genuine.” (05:48)

2. The Framing of Anthony Holland

(06:05)

• Background: For months, Kristil received threatening messages apparently from ex-boyfriend Anthony Holland.
• Personal Profiles:
  • Peter (06:39):

    “He was a very down to earth individual. There's a sadness about him. Kristeel was somebody that he deeply cared for... They'd met in high school, but they were such different people.”

  • Sheila (07:17):

    “Anthony is just very, very earnest, very honest, genuine, soft spoken...when I saw him testify at her trial, he was so anxious. He was clutching fidget toys...and he told me that he stared down Krug...going, man, you tried to frame me for murder.”

• Alibi: On the day of the murder, Anthony was 500 miles away in Utah, with receipts proving his location.
  • Peter (08:52):

    “He thinks somehow Christeel's spirit helped save him, exonerate him in this case.”

3. Kristil Krug’s Preparation and Fears

(09:39)

• Kristil's Actions: She collected evidence, made spreadsheets, and even suspected her husband.
  • Sheila (10:15):

    “She had spreadsheets and color coded files and mountains of evidence. And she had even told her stepmom sister. I can't even rule out my husband.”

  • Peter (10:45):

    “She had mentioned to him that he could be the stalker. And think about that, because it wasn't that long after she revealed that to him that she ended up being murdered.”

• Living in Fear: Kristil was arming herself, re-upping her gun skills, and telling family she wasn’t even sure she could trust Dan.
  • Sheila (11:14):

    “She broke down in tears in a parking lot to her mother once...re upping her shooting skills...She was petrified.”

4. Family Dynamics and Suspicions

(12:14)

• Kristil’s Family Distrust:
  • Peter (12:33):

    “Her mother, Linda...didn't really like him from the beginning, she just had a bad feeling about him... But from the very beginning, it just didn't feel right to them.”

  • Sheila (13:05):

    “What united them in the weeks running up to Christeel's death was this stalker...Dan was really playing up the stalker angle.”

5. The Turning Point: Interrogation & Digital Forensics

(13:47)

• Interrogation Footage: Police reveal Anthony Holland’s ironclad alibi; Dan exhibits “whisper talking.”
  • Peter (15:00):

    “One of [the signs of deception] is whisper talking...And you hear him speak in this whisper talk, which is. Which is for these psychological experts, a sign that he's lying.”

  • Sheila (15:17):

    “He was always presenting himself as completely harmless...Just constantly putting out this vibe of I'm harmless, don't look at me...Pretending to be afraid. It was all a facade.”

• Digital Evidence Discovery:
  • Police traced "stalker" messages to Dan's office Wi-Fi and phone; Google searches included “do people really go unconscious when hit in the head?”
  • Peter (21:36):

    “When they were able to determine that messages had been sent from his company, WI Fi, that is as good as a fingerprint...there was a iconic picture...the digital expert was able to determine that [it] had been taken on Krug's phone in selfie mode.”

  • Dan's planning included purchasing a burner phone with a traceable gift card.
  • Sheila (22:39):

    “He bought a burner phone, but with a gift card that was registered to himself...he texted his own cell phone 'test'...he absolutely condemned himself with that interaction.”

6. The Arrest and Trial

(17:29)

• Arrest Moment: Captured on multiple bodycams—police confront Dan publicly as he shops for flowers for his daughter’s performance.
  • Peter (17:29):

    “We get it from six different angles. This is like a Hollywood movie...Detective Martinez...finally had a moment where he's looking at him and he says, basically, hey, you want me to tell the kids that you murdered their mother or someone else?”

• Courtroom Breakdown:
  • Sheila (19:01):

    “His demeanor was very similar to how it was in police interviews...His older brother was there for much of the trial. His elderly father was one of the last witnesses called...Chris Steele's family, meanwhile, was there right behind the prosecution every day at the trial.”

• Challenges for Prosecutors:
  • No DNA or blood evidence, no murder weapon.
  • Peter (20:17):

    “For all the mistakes that he made, perhaps it's blind luck in his case...the prosecutors...all want a CSI moment...but there just wasn't that.”

7. The Verdict, Reactions, and Family Impact

(23:28)

• Guilty Verdict: Dan Krug found guilty of first-degree murder, stalking, and impersonation.
  • Sheila (23:44):

    “His parents...just clearly in disbelief and bereft. On the other side...people were tearful for different reasons...this was some semblance of justice for Chris Steele.”

• Jailhouse Call: Extended recording played in episode, revealing Dan’s continued denial and focus on lack of physical evidence.
  • Audio (24:27):

    “They never produced a single photograph of me with phones. They never produced a single piece [of] hard evidence, just identity theft...that’s it...identity theft is all it takes to destroy somebody.”

  • Peter (25:48):

    “They don't have that hard physical evidence, but the evidence that was presented was compelling to this jury and I think to the community.”

• Family Aftermath:
  • Sheila (25:57):

    “You could tell that his brother...still had no idea how to handle this...the family hadn't been privy to all the evidence until it was presented at trial...that hope had been very quickly shattered.”

  • Victim impact statements highlighted the ongoing pain and loss for Kristil’s children and extended family.
  • Sheila (27:14):

    “Everyone spoke of what a bright light she was...how she would amuse them with self deprecating humor. And you could see how much Christeel touched so many people's lives and how angry they were that she was so needlessly stolen.”

8. Life After the Trial

(27:53)

• Sentencing:
  • Life without parole for murder; 9.5 years added for stalking and impersonation.
• Family Facing the Future:
  • Kristil’s father and extended family now care for her children—described as extraordinarily close, loving, and determined to preserve Kristil’s memory.
  • Peter (27:58):

    “He misses her so desperately. As he looks around that shop, he can hear her voice, he can see her there. They're trying to continue that tradition with the children...and will never let her memory die.”

Notable Quotes

• Peter Van Sant on Dan’s initial reaction (03:06):

  “It was an extraordinary performance...completely over the top.”

• Sheila Fellow Flynn on Anthony Holland (07:17):

  “He just really loved Christeel...he stared down Krug at the defense table, kind of going, man, you tried to frame me for murder.”

• Heather Aids’ Instinct (05:18):

  “It was a gut instinct...are you really crying?...Did you do this?”

• Peter Van Sant on digital evidence (21:36):

  “Messages sent from his company Wi-Fi...is as good as a fingerprint.”

• Sheila Fellow Flynn on the farcical digital blunders (22:39):

  “He bought a burner phone, but with a gift card that was registered to himself.”

• Sheila on Kristil’s impact (27:14):

  “Everyone spoke of what a bright light she was...You could see how much Christeel touched so many people's lives and how angry they were that she was so needlessly stolen.”

Timestamps of Major Segments

• 00:59: Introduction to the case, discovery of Kristil’s body, Dan’s behavior at the scene
• 05:18: Victim advocate's doubts emerge
• 06:39: Portrait of Anthony Holland, Kristil's ex
• 09:39: Kristil’s preparations, collecting evidence, suspecting her husband
• 12:33: Family felt uneasy about Dan
• 13:47: Interrogation—turning point, Anthony’s alibi, Dan “whisper talking”
• 17:29: Arrest of Dan Krug; bodycam footage
• 19:01: Trial coverage and courtroom family responses
• 21:25: Digital evidence details: Wi-Fi tracing and burner phone blunders
• 23:28: Guilty verdict, reactions from families
• 24:27: Jailhouse phone call—Dan maintains innocence
• 27:14: Sentencing and victim impact statements
• 27:58: How Kristil’s family is coping now

Overall Takeaway:
While there was no classic "smoking gun," the case against Dan Krug demonstrates the growing power of digital forensics and circumstantial evidence in the pursuit of justice. The sophistication and heartbreak of Kristil's preparations, the extraordinary missteps of her killer, and the shattering aftermath for the families were all adeptly unpacked by the episode guests. The memory of Kristil—the smart, loving mother and engineer—remains central to her family's healing and resilience.