Dateline NBC: Talking Dateline – Secrets of Exam Room 9
Host: Lester Holt
Guest: Andrea Canning
Original Air Date: September 10, 2025
Overview
This episode of Talking Dateline dives behind-the-scenes into “Secrets of Exam Room 9,” the true-crime investigation into Angela Craig’s shocking 2023 illness and death. The discussion explores personal angles, investigative details, and insights from the detectives who cracked the case. It covers the role of surveillance footage, the courage of an office worker, law enforcement challenges, and the devastating family fallout—plus answers to listener questions.
Main Discussion & Key Points
1. Background: The Case of Angela Craig
- (01:01) Lester Holt recaps: Angela Craig, mother of six, died unexpectedly from poisoning. Her husband, Dr. James Craig, a dentist, was found to be responsible.
- The initial mystery unraveled due to a mix of medical investigation and sharp observations by those around the Craig family.
2. Family Insights & Relating to the Victim
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(02:20-03:25) Andrea Canning shares that Angela’s situation, as a mom of five daughters and a son, made her personally relate.
“When I saw her in those videos, when I saw her in the kitchen and the kids are fighting... that’s when I really related to her, because that’s like our kitchen here in my house with all these children and all the chaos of daily life with six children, it’s... it’s a lot.” — Andrea Canning (02:51)
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The family possessed unusual home surveillance, including kitchen cameras with saved video and audio, yielding candid windows into their lives.
3. Critical Evidence: Exam Room 9
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(04:43-05:37) The investigation’s turning point was digital evidence from Dr. Craig’s dental office, specifically Exam Room 9.
“That was the pivotal point in the story... that’s where they figured out that he had the secret email address, that he was ordering the poisons, that he was communicating with other women, having these affairs. And this all came from Exam Room 9.” — Andrea Canning (05:11)
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Dr. Craig assumed using a random office computer would hide his digital tracks—but staff noticed oddities.
4. The Office Worker’s Role
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(06:07) A package containing cyanide arrived at the office. Despite standing instructions not to, an employee opened it and—after researching—alerted management and helped kickstart the criminal inquiry.
“There’s so much credit, really, that needs to be given to this office worker... who got started the domino effect of all this.” — Andrea Canning (06:48)
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The awkwardness and risk of accusing one’s boss of potential murder is discussed.
“Can you imagine that conversation, though? ‘I think my boss may have been poisoning…’ What if you’re wrong?” — Lester Holt (07:07)
5. Lead Detectives: Bobby & Molly – The “Twins”
- (09:39-10:36) Interview with Detectives Bobby and Molly, the only women in Aurora PD’s Homicide Unit (14 officers total), and their unique insights.
- Their backgrounds in special victims and domestic violence led them to see the subtle, manipulative abuse in this case:
“Everyone thinks of domestic violence as being physical, and this was not physical... years of manipulation and her just staying to fight, fight for her kids, fight for a marriage, and be the best she could be for Jim.” — Det. Molly (11:52)
6. The Depth of Deception and Manipulation
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(12:31-13:11) Discussion on James Craig’s actions while jailed, including attempts at witness tampering by requesting his daughter to create a deepfake video of Angela “confessing” to suicidal intent.
“He wanted his daughter to create this video of her mom suicidal. Like, it just was. It... it’s crazy.” — Andrea Canning (13:03)
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He was also convicted of attempting to have Det. Bobby killed, showing chilling escalation.
7. Legal & Investigative Challenges
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Even with substantial evidence, detectives faced intensive work: reviewing surveillance, conducting lab tests, and building a case.
“While, yes, he looked very guilty, it doesn’t mean that their job was, you know, a slam dunk or easy. They... had a lot of work to do on this.” — Andrea Canning (14:22)
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Assistant DA Ryan Brackley, a frequent Dateline figure, led the prosecution.
8. Family and Trial Aftermath
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(15:52-16:31) The children’s response in court was deeply moving, particularly the son’s ritual of setting a daily alarm to remember his mother.
“When the kids got up to read their victim impact statements, I was bawling because it was just so sad. And the son… said… he set an alarm every single day at the same time to think about his mom…” — Andrea Canning (15:55)
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The kids navigated divided loyalties, sometimes sitting on their mother’s side, sometimes their father's during the trial.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|------------------|-------| | 02:51 | Andrea Canning | “When I saw her in those videos… that's like our kitchen here in my house with all these children and all the chaos of daily life with six children…” | | 05:11 | Andrea Canning | “…that was the pivotal point in the story… everything kind of came to a head was Exam Room 9.” | | 06:48 | Andrea Canning | “There’s so much credit… to this office worker, you know, who… started the domino effect of all of this.” | | 11:52 | Detective Molly | “Everyone thinks of domestic violence as being physical, and this was not physical... years of manipulation…”| | 13:03 | Andrea Canning | “He wanted his daughter to create this video of her mom suicidal. Like, it just was... it's crazy.” | | 15:55 | Andrea Canning | “When the kids got up to read their victim impact statements, I was bawling because it was just so sad...” |
Listener Q&A Highlights
Most Affecting Case
- Episodes with teenage girl victims or with fathers grieving daughters most affect Andrea Canning.
“There’s something about a dad who loses their composure in the interview that just… I just fall apart.” — Andrea Canning (18:56)
Story Selection Process
- Stories are sourced from news, law enforcement tips, social media, and direct community outreach, including “Missing in America.”
“There’s no formula for it… sometimes, you know when it’s our kind of story.” — Lester Holt (20:15)
Polygraph Reliability
- Polygraph results usually align with case outcomes, though not court-admissible. No cases were noted where a “fail” turned out innocent (21:30).
Possibility of a Dateline Book
- Listeners request a collection of stories; Andrea nominates Keith Morrison to write/voice it (22:39).
Timeline of Key Segments
- 01:01 – Episode welcome; brief recap of Angela Craig’s murder
- 02:20 – Andrea's personal connection to victim
- 03:25 – Discussion of home surveillance videos
- 04:43 – Exam Room 9 and digital evidence
- 06:07 – Office worker uncovers cyanide, alerts authorities
- 09:39 – Focus on detectives Bobby & Molly (“the Twins”)
- 11:46 – Their perspective on domestic violence in the case
- 12:31 – James Craig’s attempt at witness tampering/deepfake
- 13:23 – Attempt to have detective killed
- 14:22 – Challenges in securing conviction
- 15:52 – Family’s grief and courtroom statements
- 18:45 – Listener Q&A: most affecting case, story selection, polygraph
- 22:35 – Listener asks about a Dateline book
- 23:05 – Invitation to Dateline Live event in Nashville
Tone & Style
- Conversational, empathetic, and incisive—balancing human emotion with investigative detail.
- Lively rapport between Lester Holt and Andrea Canning, blending gravity (case facts, family trauma) with lighter banter (references to Cagney & Lacey, book ideas).
Conclusion
Talking Dateline: Secrets of Exam Room 9 offers a gripping look at a chilling crime, celebrating the vigilance of everyday heroes, the careful persistence of investigators, and the heart-rending aftermath for families. By blending insider interview, behind-scenes storytelling, and audience engagement, this episode delivers both closure and deeper questions for true crime listeners.