Colorado Husband Found Guilty of Murder After Stalking Wife Posing as Her Ex-Boyfriend

Man convicted of first-degree murder after a deadly stalking incident in Broomfield, Colorado, involving the fatal stabbing of his wife.

Broomfield, Colorado — A Colorado jury has found 44-year-old Daniel Krug guilty on all charges in connection with the brutal killing of his wife, Kristil Krug, marking the end of a harrowing case that involved months of psychological torment, stalking, and ultimately, a fatal attack.

Jurors reached their verdict on Thursday, April 17, convicting Krug of first-degree murder, two counts of stalking, and one count of criminal impersonation. The decision came just one day after deliberations began. As the verdict was read aloud, Krug was immediately taken into custody and placed in handcuffs. He is set to be sentenced Friday and faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

According to prosecutors, Krug carried out an alarming plan in the months leading up to Kristil's death. With their marriage crumbling, Krug began to terrorize his wife by impersonating a former boyfriend from two decades ago. Under this false identity, he sent Kristil disturbing messages and photos, making her believe she was being stalked.

Kristil, frightened and unsure of who was behind the messages, contacted the Broomfield Police Department in October 2023. She reported that she was receiving threatening texts and emails, some insulting her husband, Daniel, and others claiming she was being watched.

Authorities later traced the messages and IP address back to Daniel’s workplace. Investigators also discovered that Daniel was the only person with access to the home’s surveillance system, which had mysteriously stopped recording on the day Kristil was found dead.

On December 14, 2023, after Kristil returned home from dropping off two of their children at school, prosecutors say Daniel waited for her, ambushed her in the garage, knocked her unconscious, and stabbed her in the chest. Her body was discovered later that day.

Daniel’s defense team argued that there was no physical evidence linking him directly to the murder. They pointed to the lack of blood on his clothing and in his car and noted that a partial DNA profile found on Kristil’s neck did not match him.

Still, the jury sided with the prosecution, which painted Krug as a manipulative and violent man who tried to orchestrate a twisted narrative where he could frighten his wife into staying with him and then eliminate her when that failed.

“He didn’t love her. He hated her. Think about what he did to her,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Kate Armstrong told the jury during closing arguments.

Kristil Krug, a mother of three and a respected engineer, was remembered by loved ones as a bright, compassionate woman full of promise. Her obituary described her as someone who brought light into the lives of others and whose children were “the light of her life.”

“Our hearts are broken, and we will miss her dearly,” her family shared in a written tribute. “Her promising journey was cut short by a senseless act of violence.”