Husband Convicted After Elaborate Stalking Scheme Impersonating Ex Led To Wife’s Murder

Overview

Victim advocate Heather Aites accompanied Dan Krug after he rushed home from work and learned that his wife, Kristil Krug, had been found dead in the family garage in Broomfield, Colorado, on December 14, 2023. What began as a reported stalking campaign quickly became a homicide investigation that ultimately led to Dan’s arrest and conviction.

Timeline And Initial Investigation

Kristil, 43, told family members and Broomfield Detective Andrew Martinez in the fall of 2023 that she had been harassed and terrorized by messages and emails from someone identifying himself as "Anthony." She recounted repeated unwanted contact dating back years and escalating in 2023 to threatening texts, an unnerving photograph of her husband arriving at work, and messages implying surveillance.

Worried, Kristil installed security cameras, sought police help and hired a private investigator. Detective Martinez began gathering records from phone and email providers—a process he later described as slow. Kristil tracked a likely suspect to Utah and shared that lead with police; Martinez said he did not contact the man without stronger evidence and an arrest plan.

Discovery Of The Crime And Forensic Leads

On December 14, officers found Kristil unresponsive in the garage. An autopsy showed significant blunt-force trauma to the skull and a fatal stab wound above the heart. Early review of the Krugs' home security footage showed several cameras manually turned off, though a Nest camera near the garage remained on.

Digital forensic examiner Randy Pihlak acquired expedited records after the death was reported. He identified two harassment accounts that traced back to the same IP address: the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, where Dan worked. Investigators also found that several of Kristil's morning texts were preprogrammed (delayed-send) and that Dan's phone contained internet searches about head trauma and unconsciousness made the day before the killing.

Pihlak concluded the photograph of Dan that had been sent to Kristil (to terrorize her) was taken with a phone in selfie-timer mode — evidence prosecutors said indicated Dan had taken and sent the photo himself while impersonating Kristil’s former boyfriend, Anthony Holland. Holland was interviewed and produced receipts and employment records placing him in Utah that day; investigators ruled him out as a suspect.

Arrest, Trial And Conviction

Two days after the murder, detectives arrested Dan Krug after surveillance followed him from his home to a grocery store. Prosecutors presented a digital and circumstantial case that included the IP link to Dan's workplace, timed messages set on Kristil’s phone, internet-search evidence, and the selfie-timer photograph. Defense attorneys challenged gaps in physical forensics, noting the murder weapon(s) were never recovered and pointing to alleged omissions in testing Kristil’s phone for fingerprints or DNA.

In April 2025, a jury convicted Dan Krug of first-degree murder, stalking causing extreme emotional distress, stalking with a credible threat, and criminal impersonation. He was sentenced to life without parole for the murder charge and an additional nine-and-a-half years for the other convictions.

Aftermath And Reflections

Family members described mixed emotions: relief at the conviction but enduring grief for Kristil, who was remembered for her love of engineering, the arts and time spent restoring cars with her father. Detective Martinez said the case has haunted him, and he regrets not acting sooner on leads; Kristil’s parents expressed sympathy but also felt the outcome might not have been preventable once a determined attacker decided to act.

The family established an online fundraiser to support Kristil's three children. Friends and relatives hope the case raises awareness about stalking, digital harassment and the importance of rapid, coordinated responses to threats.

Key Evidence: IP address tracing to Dan’s workplace, timed-delivery texts on Kristil’s phone, selfie-timer photograph linked to Dan, internet searches on Dan’s phone about head trauma, and security-camera footage showing some devices manually turned off.