Going West: True Crime – Episode 569

Case: Christeel Krug

Release Date: January 2, 2026
Hosts: Daphne Woolsoncroft & Heath Merryman
Summary by Going West Podcast Summarizer

Overview

In this haunting episode, hosts Daphne and Heath dissect the chilling case of Christeel Krug’s murder, a case that appeared at first to be a classic stalking by an old flame but turned out to be a deeply twisted act of betrayal. This episode delves into not only the sequence of events leading up to Christeel’s death but also the chilling psychological manipulation, riveting twists, and the critical, tragic failures in the system that failed her.

Main Theme/Purpose

The episode explores the 2023 murder of 43-year-old Christeel Krug in Colorado, unraveling a disturbing chain of stalking, harassment, impersonation, and eventually murder—all orchestrated by someone far closer than anyone realized. The hosts focus on how law enforcement, digital forensics, and personal courage intersected to reveal a truth more shocking than the obvious suspects.

Key Discussion Points & Timeline

1. Intro & Case Set-Up

[03:43] Daphne recaps the initial call for welfare check after Christeel stops responding to messages.
Details: Christeel was inundated with terrifying texts/emails, some including photos of her and her family, leading investigators to suspect a stalker.

2. Background – Who Was Christeel Krug?

[04:25] Christeel’s upbringing in Boulder: academically and artistically gifted, very close with her family.
Her marriage to Dan Krug, three children, and a flourishing career in project management.

3. Harassment Begins

[07:53] Fall 2023: The Krugs report an attempted break-in and a stolen spare key, increasing their anxiety.
[08:49] Christeel receives messages from ex-boyfriend Jack Anthony Holland ("Anthony"), who she hadn’t seen since 1999. Despite only a brief youthful romance, Anthony resurfaces regularly over the years but had been blocked since 2016.
[11:20] October 2023: Anthony uses a new (spoofed) number to begin a disturbing, explicit barrage of messages and threats.

4. Escalation of Threats

[12:13] The messages become increasingly vulgar and threatening, including direct threats against Christeel and her husband Dan.
- “Saw your pics. You got fat. Bet your loser husband won’t f*** your fat c***.” (Anthony to Christeel, [12:52])
- “I’ll get rid of him, then we can be together.” (Anthony, [13:06])
[14:07] Anthony emails Christeel a photo of Dan, proving surveillance and deepening the threat.
- “Attached to this email was a picture of Dan in a gray coat getting into his car at the parking lot of his office building.” ([14:38])

5. Terror Deepens & Police Response

[15:05] Anthony claims to have seen Christeel at the dentist, suggesting possible tracking.
[15:51] Police search for trackers and police surveil her movements but find nothing suspicious.
[16:59] Third parties start soliciting Christeel for sex; explicit ads and messages—someone has posted her information online under false pretenses (e.g., “birthday train” on Locanto).
[19:19] Detective Martinez notes Christeel’s terror, anxiety, and hypervigilance.
- Christeel meticulously documents all harassment to assist police, dubbed her “stalker log”.

6. Desperation for Safety & Systemic Failures

[20:57] Christeel installs security cameras and begins carrying a handgun.
She hires a private investigator to supplement police efforts.
[25:40] PI finds Anthony’s addresses outside Colorado, but police delay confronting him, needing more evidence.

7. Critical Delays with Tech Companies

[27:00] Police begin warrants to Verizon, Google, and TextNow. Delays and errors in processing slow down the investigation for weeks.
- “A clerical error on the request sent to Google prevented it from being processed until December 6, which was three weeks later. And that was the day that she got cameras and only like a week before she died.” ([27:58])

8. Christeel’s Final Days

[29:03] Christeel expresses fear to her sister: “it was either going to be her or Anthony alive at the end of this ordeal.”
[30:25] December 14, 2023: Dan leaves for work later than usual; Christeel texts him, goes unresponsive.
Dan requests a welfare check, referencing the ongoing stalking.

9. Discovery & The Initial Suspect

[31:38] Police find Christeel’s body in the garage. She’d been struck in the head and stabbed in the chest.
[32:59] Police quickly move for Anthony Holland’s arrest—find him out of state, with an ironclad alibi.
- “Anthony was able to prove that he had been home an eight hour drive away in Utah… detectives quickly came to the conclusion that Anthony could not have been the one stalking the Krug family.” ([33:43])

10. The Twist—The Real Killer

[35:43] Forensics lead to a shocking discovery: the threatening messages were sent from Dan Krug’s work IP address.
- “The messages had come from an IP address consistent with Dan Krug’s government office.” ([36:51])
[37:24] Forensic data places Dan, not Anthony, as the author of the harassment and implicates him in timing Christeel’s final text after her death to bolster his alibi.
[39:24] Dan had searched: “how to knock someone unconscious,” “how hard would you have to hit someone in the head to make them unconscious,” “how long can you be unconscious without brain damage.”

11. Arrest, Trial, and Aftermath

[42:00] Dan is arrested two days after the murder, surrenders without a fight, maintains innocence, and tries to pin the murder on an imagined stalker.
[43:39] Prosecution uncovers premeditation: Dan fabricated break-in, impersonated Anthony, and orchestrated a months-long stalking ruse.
[45:30] Motive: Christeel wanted a divorce; Dan stalked, tormented, and finally killed her to avoid losing control.
- “Dan decided he was going to play puppet master by impersonating Jack Anthony Holland, stalking and terrorizing his family for months before murdering Christeel 11 days before Christmas.”
  - Deputy D.A. Kate Armstrong ([44:00])
[46:22] Testimony emerges that Dan previously harassed another ex-girlfriend using fake online profiles, establishing a pattern.
[47:05] Despite the defense pointing to a tiny amount of unknown DNA, the jury convicts Dan Krug:
- First-degree murder, stalking, and criminal impersonation.
- Sentenced to life without parole plus 9.5 years for stalking ([47:05])
- Dan continues to claim innocence from prison.

12. Legacy & System Gaps

[48:29] Christeel’s cousin (ex-prosecutor) campaigns for “Kristeel’s Law” to require tech companies to respond to warrants within 48 hours, claiming this would have saved Christeel’s life.
- “Christeel did everything right. The system operated as it’s currently designed, and she still got killed.” – Rebecca Ivanoff ([49:03])
The Krug children are cared for by family and supported with community-led efforts (dream bedrooms/fundraisers).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the shock of the twist:
- “It feels like that scene from Scooby Doo where they're like, let’s see who’s really behind this, and then they pull the mask off. It’s Dan Jenkins. Yeah. It's old man Dan Krug, the dumbass.” — Heath ([51:16])
On motives and manipulation:
- “He decided he was going to play puppet master by impersonating Jack Anthony Holland, stalking and terrorizing his family for months before murdering Christeel 11 days before Christmas.” — Deputy D.A. Kate Armstrong ([44:00])
On police and tech company failure:
- “I’m looking at a system here that has a fundamental flaw that we can fix easily… They could have arrested him weeks before she was killed, and she could have safely planned in a way that could have saved her life.” — Rebecca Ivanoff ([49:03])
On Christeel’s efforts to stay safe:
- “She’s literally doing everything she can.” — Daphne ([20:55])
On the horror of Dan’s scheme:
- “He really, really went deep with this whole cover up.” — Heath ([41:43])

Important Segment Timestamps

[03:43] Case introduction and background
[07:53] Start of harassment and stalking
[12:13] Threatening texts escalate
[14:07] Photo of Dan emailed—proof of surveillance
[15:51] Police search for trackers
[16:59] Explicit ads posted online; third-party harassment
[20:57] Christeel steps up personal safety measures
[27:00] Critical delays in tech company responses
[29:03] Christeel’s final days and fear
[30:25] Timeline and welfare check
[31:38] Discovery of Christeel’s body
[33:43] Anthony’s airtight alibi—he is ruled out
[35:43] Forensics point to Dan
[39:24] Dan’s incriminating web searches
[42:00] Arrest and confession attempts
[45:30] Motive and trial testimony
[46:22] Pattern of behavior established with ex-girlfriend’s testimony
[47:05] Conviction and sentencing
[48:29] Advocacy for systemic change and aftermath for Christeel’s children

Conclusion

The episode closes with reflection on the enduring trauma and legacy of this case. It highlights the tragic confluence of calculated domestic abuse, systemic delays in tech industry cooperation, and the endlessly creative evil of someone intent on deceiving and destroying. Listeners are left with both a heart-wrenching sense of loss and a call to recognize—and change—systemic failures that cost lives.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Heard the Episode

This summary captures the emotional depth, the methodical presentation of facts, investigative twists, and host-driven context. The case is not only about a murder but about manipulation, systemic gaps, and the urgent need to protect victims through both smarter policing and faster digital responses.

Resources and further episodes are available on the Going West Patreon and Apple Podcast feeds.

(Ad sections, introductions, and outros have been omitted for clarity.)

Going West: True Crime – Episode 569

Case: Christeel Krug

Release Date: January 2, 2026
Hosts: Daphne Woolsoncroft & Heath Merryman
Summary by Going West Podcast Summarizer

Overview

Main Theme/Purpose

Key Discussion Points & Timeline

1. Intro & Case Set-Up

[03:43] Daphne recaps the initial call for welfare check after Christeel stops responding to messages.
Details: Christeel was inundated with terrifying texts/emails, some including photos of her and her family, leading investigators to suspect a stalker.

2. Background – Who Was Christeel Krug?

[04:25] Christeel’s upbringing in Boulder: academically and artistically gifted, very close with her family.
Her marriage to Dan Krug, three children, and a flourishing career in project management.

3. Harassment Begins

[07:53] Fall 2023: The Krugs report an attempted break-in and a stolen spare key, increasing their anxiety.
[08:49] Christeel receives messages from ex-boyfriend Jack Anthony Holland ("Anthony"), who she hadn’t seen since 1999. Despite only a brief youthful romance, Anthony resurfaces regularly over the years but had been blocked since 2016.
[11:20] October 2023: Anthony uses a new (spoofed) number to begin a disturbing, explicit barrage of messages and threats.

4. Escalation of Threats

[12:13] The messages become increasingly vulgar and threatening, including direct threats against Christeel and her husband Dan.
- “Saw your pics. You got fat. Bet your loser husband won’t f*** your fat c***.” (Anthony to Christeel, [12:52])
- “I’ll get rid of him, then we can be together.” (Anthony, [13:06])
[14:07] Anthony emails Christeel a photo of Dan, proving surveillance and deepening the threat.
- “Attached to this email was a picture of Dan in a gray coat getting into his car at the parking lot of his office building.” ([14:38])

5. Terror Deepens & Police Response

[15:05] Anthony claims to have seen Christeel at the dentist, suggesting possible tracking.
[15:51] Police search for trackers and police surveil her movements but find nothing suspicious.
[16:59] Third parties start soliciting Christeel for sex; explicit ads and messages—someone has posted her information online under false pretenses (e.g., “birthday train” on Locanto).
[19:19] Detective Martinez notes Christeel’s terror, anxiety, and hypervigilance.
- Christeel meticulously documents all harassment to assist police, dubbed her “stalker log”.

6. Desperation for Safety & Systemic Failures

[20:57] Christeel installs security cameras and begins carrying a handgun.
She hires a private investigator to supplement police efforts.
[25:40] PI finds Anthony’s addresses outside Colorado, but police delay confronting him, needing more evidence.

7. Critical Delays with Tech Companies

[27:00] Police begin warrants to Verizon, Google, and TextNow. Delays and errors in processing slow down the investigation for weeks.
- “A clerical error on the request sent to Google prevented it from being processed until December 6, which was three weeks later. And that was the day that she got cameras and only like a week before she died.” ([27:58])

8. Christeel’s Final Days

[29:03] Christeel expresses fear to her sister: “it was either going to be her or Anthony alive at the end of this ordeal.”
[30:25] December 14, 2023: Dan leaves for work later than usual; Christeel texts him, goes unresponsive.
Dan requests a welfare check, referencing the ongoing stalking.

9. Discovery & The Initial Suspect

[31:38] Police find Christeel’s body in the garage. She’d been struck in the head and stabbed in the chest.
[32:59] Police quickly move for Anthony Holland’s arrest—find him out of state, with an ironclad alibi.
- “Anthony was able to prove that he had been home an eight hour drive away in Utah… detectives quickly came to the conclusion that Anthony could not have been the one stalking the Krug family.” ([33:43])

10. The Twist—The Real Killer

[35:43] Forensics lead to a shocking discovery: the threatening messages were sent from Dan Krug’s work IP address.
- “The messages had come from an IP address consistent with Dan Krug’s government office.” ([36:51])
[37:24] Forensic data places Dan, not Anthony, as the author of the harassment and implicates him in timing Christeel’s final text after her death to bolster his alibi.
[39:24] Dan had searched: “how to knock someone unconscious,” “how hard would you have to hit someone in the head to make them unconscious,” “how long can you be unconscious without brain damage.”

11. Arrest, Trial, and Aftermath

[42:00] Dan is arrested two days after the murder, surrenders without a fight, maintains innocence, and tries to pin the murder on an imagined stalker.
[43:39] Prosecution uncovers premeditation: Dan fabricated break-in, impersonated Anthony, and orchestrated a months-long stalking ruse.
[45:30] Motive: Christeel wanted a divorce; Dan stalked, tormented, and finally killed her to avoid losing control.
- “Dan decided he was going to play puppet master by impersonating Jack Anthony Holland, stalking and terrorizing his family for months before murdering Christeel 11 days before Christmas.”
  - Deputy D.A. Kate Armstrong ([44:00])
[46:22] Testimony emerges that Dan previously harassed another ex-girlfriend using fake online profiles, establishing a pattern.
[47:05] Despite the defense pointing to a tiny amount of unknown DNA, the jury convicts Dan Krug:
- First-degree murder, stalking, and criminal impersonation.
- Sentenced to life without parole plus 9.5 years for stalking ([47:05])
- Dan continues to claim innocence from prison.

12. Legacy & System Gaps

[48:29] Christeel’s cousin (ex-prosecutor) campaigns for “Kristeel’s Law” to require tech companies to respond to warrants within 48 hours, claiming this would have saved Christeel’s life.
- “Christeel did everything right. The system operated as it’s currently designed, and she still got killed.” – Rebecca Ivanoff ([49:03])
The Krug children are cared for by family and supported with community-led efforts (dream bedrooms/fundraisers).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the shock of the twist:
- “It feels like that scene from Scooby Doo where they're like, let’s see who’s really behind this, and then they pull the mask off. It’s Dan Jenkins. Yeah. It's old man Dan Krug, the dumbass.” — Heath ([51:16])
On motives and manipulation:
- “He decided he was going to play puppet master by impersonating Jack Anthony Holland, stalking and terrorizing his family for months before murdering Christeel 11 days before Christmas.” — Deputy D.A. Kate Armstrong ([44:00])
On police and tech company failure:
- “I’m looking at a system here that has a fundamental flaw that we can fix easily… They could have arrested him weeks before she was killed, and she could have safely planned in a way that could have saved her life.” — Rebecca Ivanoff ([49:03])
On Christeel’s efforts to stay safe:
- “She’s literally doing everything she can.” — Daphne ([20:55])
On the horror of Dan’s scheme:
- “He really, really went deep with this whole cover up.” — Heath ([41:43])

Important Segment Timestamps

[03:43] Case introduction and background
[07:53] Start of harassment and stalking
[12:13] Threatening texts escalate
[14:07] Photo of Dan emailed—proof of surveillance
[15:51] Police search for trackers
[16:59] Explicit ads posted online; third-party harassment
[20:57] Christeel steps up personal safety measures
[27:00] Critical delays in tech company responses
[29:03] Christeel’s final days and fear
[30:25] Timeline and welfare check
[31:38] Discovery of Christeel’s body
[33:43] Anthony’s airtight alibi—he is ruled out
[35:43] Forensics point to Dan
[39:24] Dan’s incriminating web searches
[42:00] Arrest and confession attempts
[45:30] Motive and trial testimony
[46:22] Pattern of behavior established with ex-girlfriend’s testimony
[47:05] Conviction and sentencing
[48:29] Advocacy for systemic change and aftermath for Christeel’s children

Conclusion

For Listeners Who Haven’t Heard the Episode

Resources and further episodes are available on the Going West Patreon and Apple Podcast feeds.

(Ad sections, introductions, and outros have been omitted for clarity.)

Kristil Krug // 569

Powered by Wave AI

Summary

Going West: True Crime – Episode 569

Case: Christeel Krug

Overview

Main Theme/Purpose

Key Discussion Points & Timeline

1. Intro & Case Set-Up

2. Background – Who Was Christeel Krug?

3. Harassment Begins

4. Escalation of Threats

5. Terror Deepens & Police Response

6. Desperation for Safety & Systemic Failures

7. Critical Delays with Tech Companies

8. Christeel’s Final Days

9. Discovery & The Initial Suspect

10. The Twist—The Real Killer

11. Arrest, Trial, and Aftermath

12. Legacy & System Gaps

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Important Segment Timestamps

Conclusion

For Listeners Who Haven’t Heard the Episode

Summary

Going West: True Crime – Episode 569

Case: Christeel Krug

Overview

Main Theme/Purpose

Key Discussion Points & Timeline

1. Intro & Case Set-Up

2. Background – Who Was Christeel Krug?

3. Harassment Begins

4. Escalation of Threats

5. Terror Deepens & Police Response

6. Desperation for Safety & Systemic Failures

7. Critical Delays with Tech Companies

8. Christeel’s Final Days

9. Discovery & The Initial Suspect

10. The Twist—The Real Killer

11. Arrest, Trial, and Aftermath

12. Legacy & System Gaps

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Important Segment Timestamps

Conclusion

For Listeners Who Haven’t Heard the Episode