How Police Captured Colorado's Smartest Killer

This is the mother of 43-year-old Crystal Krug. In a few seconds, she's

Crystal Krug. In a few seconds, she's going to find Crystal's lifeless body inside this very garage.

>> Hello.

[Music] And this is Daniel Kug, the man who

killed her. He's heading in for another

killed her. He's heading in for another normal workday just minutes after leaving his wife's lifeless body hidden in the garage of their own home.

Oh [ __ ] Holy [ __ ] For the last 4 months, this man has been engineering the most calculated homicide plot Colorado has ever seen. Creating fake

identities, manipulating Crystal's children, and setting up the perfect scapegoat to take the blame. He believes

his plan is bulletproof, that police will spend weeks chasing a ghost and eventually arrest someone else for the murder he committed. And despite nearly

perfect detective work, his plan works exactly the way he intended.

>> Husband said there was a dude who's been stalking her and threatened to kidnap her.

>> Oh my god. This can't be true.

>> I was supposed to steal. Crystal. Officer Henry.

steal. Crystal. Officer Henry.

>> Yeah, nice to meet you.

>> Good to meet you. Talk to you about kind of have an idea what's going on.

>> Yeah.

>> This is Crystal Kug months before her murder. She lives here with her husband,

murder. She lives here with her husband, Daniel Krug, and their three children.

Both Crystal and her husband are well educated and seem to have built a comfortable life together with their kids. But behind closed doors, something

kids. But behind closed doors, something dark is happening that will destroy this beautiful family. All because Crystal's

beautiful family. All because Crystal's been dealing with a stalker obsessed with her, sending her constant threats and claiming to watch her every move.

This officer is here to check her car for GPS trackers or anything that could explain how this stalker keeps finding her. In reality, the stalker is much

her. In reality, the stalker is much closer than anyone could have imagined.

>> Um, you can see like it's all the dirty stuff and blood marks, but like my street looks like this all the time. There's no one out there. Like I

time. There's no one out there. Like I

know the normal cars, >> so I don't know where he's following from.

>> Okay, >> I can only assume a tracker.

>> Nothing jumps out at me.

>> I know there I'm hoping it's just going to mess with me.

>> The officer continues searching the vehicle top to bottom, but finds nothing suspicious. So before leaving, he offers

suspicious. So before leaving, he offers Crystal a few safety recommendations and reassures her that they'll keep looking into her case.

Not long in the course of the investigation, Broomfield police receive another call, this time from Crystal's husband, Daniel, reporting a break-in at his home. An officer is dispatched to

his home. An officer is dispatched to check things out. Unknowingly, this

encounter will be the start of one of the most calculated murders the United States has ever seen.

>> How's it going?

>> Yeah, definitely. I'm Officer Johnson.

>> I'm Dan.

>> Nice to meet you, >> Johnson. Nice to meet you. So, as I

>> Johnson. Nice to meet you. So, as I pulled in, uh, I saw someone run out, jump over my gate, >> and take off that way.

>> Got it.

>> I didn't think to call you until my my wife got home recently, and we realized the spare key that we keep in the garage isn't there.

>> Okay.

>> According to Daniel, the only thing that's gone is their spare house key. If

someone stole that, it means they aren't done and might have plans to come back at some point. The officer advises Daniel to change their locks immediately while police look into who this intruder

might be. What no one realizes tonight

might be. What no one realizes tonight is that this is no random incident. It's

the opening move in a plan that's been forming for months. And this break-in is just step one.

9 days after Daniel reports the breakin, his wife Crystal wakes up to another uneasy morning. For weeks now, she's

uneasy morning. For weeks now, she's been receiving strange anonymous messages and a growing sense that someone out there has an eye on her.

Until now, none of it had a name attached, but a faceless presence that kept getting closer. But today, that changes. As Crystal gets the kids ready

changes. As Crystal gets the kids ready for school, makes her morning coffee, and heads out for work, her phone buzzes. She glances at the screen and

buzzes. She glances at the screen and sees a name she hasn't thought about in more than 20 years.

Jack Anthony Holland, a man she dated briefly as a teenager. The message is short, crude, completely out of nowhere.

Hi, Crystal. It's Anthony. Hope it's

okay. I looked you up. I go to Boulder every few weeks and thought we could hook up. You game? At first, she didn't

hook up. You game? At first, she didn't think much of it. The two last spoke years ago, and even then, he was harmless. So, she ignores it and moves

harmless. So, she ignores it and moves on. But the next day, everything

on. But the next day, everything changes.

Are you there? You should say yes when I offer pity. Whatever. I saw your pigs.

offer pity. Whatever. I saw your pigs.

You got fat. You should yourself. Saw

you at the dentist today. Your license

plate expired. Got to fix that.

Suddenly, Crystal's fear becomes reality. And she begins living with the

reality. And she begins living with the terrifying possibility that she's being watched. And now she's certain Anthony

watched. And now she's certain Anthony is the one who's been harassing her for weeks. She becomes hypervigilant,

weeks. She becomes hypervigilant, installs cameras around the home, dash cams in her car, and starts carrying a concealed handgun everywhere she goes.

By late October, Crystal's barely sleeping. She keeps a spreadsheet of her

sleeping. She keeps a spreadsheet of her stalker log documenting every message she gets. Then, almost a month later, a

she gets. Then, almost a month later, a new email from Anthony confirms her worst fears. This your husband? Drives

worst fears. This your husband? Drives

like slow old lady. He needs to drive safe. The email comes with an attached

safe. The email comes with an attached photo showing her husband, Daniel, at his workplace. Now, the stalker isn't

his workplace. Now, the stalker isn't just targeting Crystal. He's coming

after her family. Crystal realizes she can't handle this alone, so she hires a private investigator to track down Anony's addresses and digital history.

Then, on Halloween night, she calls the police.

>> So, how can I help you tonight? What's

going on? Yeah. So, I have an ex from a very long time ago who has occasionally down me on social media and it's never been an issue until this month. So, this

month I have received numerous text messages and then today I got an email that is very threatening and it escalated to the point that he took a recent picture of my husband at his work

location. So, the stocking is getting a

location. So, the stocking is getting a little too aggressive at this point in time. So, my last contact with this

time. So, my last contact with this individual was 5 years ago where I told him I was happily married. I had no interest in what he kept contacting me.

He kind of blew things up and then blocked me. I blocked him. Haven't heard

blocked me. I blocked him. Haven't heard

from him since.

>> After explaining everything to the officer, she documents each detail and forwards the case to the department's investigative unit. Within hours, the

investigative unit. Within hours, the file lands on the desk of Detective Andrew Martinez, a seasoned investigator who's worked some of Broomfield's toughest cases, including abductions and

violent crimes. Martinez schedules a

violent crimes. Martinez schedules a formal meeting with Crystal for the following week, hoping to get a clearer picture of what exactly is happening and who this Anthony really is. When she

sits down with Martinez, the situation has already escalated far beyond what Crystal first reported. So, I mean, like he saw like full pictures of my family, of my kids. Like, I locked down my

profile real fast um after this because it was pretty alarming, right? Where

he's like, "We're meant to be together and my family loves that we're talking."

I'm like, "Wo, you think that we're like in a relationship?" So, I shut it down real hard. I said, "This is really

real hard. I said, "This is really creepy for me. You need to stop." And he got like real emotional and then blocked me. I'm like, "Good." And I blocked him

me. I'm like, "Good." And I blocked him and like I'm like And then I shut down Facebook entirely. Um, the one

Facebook entirely. Um, the one development that I have, um, I did get the full-blown report from the PI. The

problem, and you'll see this in this report, there are tons of phone numbers associated with him. There are tons of addresses. He moves everywhere and

addresses. He moves everywhere and between like three different states.

>> As Crystal walks the detective through her evidence, two details immediately stand out. First, her stalker isn't just

stand out. First, her stalker isn't just texting her from random numbers. He's

using multiple phone lines and different digital identities, finding ways to reach her even after she changes her information. Whoever this is, they're

information. Whoever this is, they're persistent resourceful and frighteningly determined. Second, her

frighteningly determined. Second, her ex-boyfriend, Anthony Holland, is tied to several addresses and multiple phone numbers. Whether it's instability or an

numbers. Whether it's instability or an attempt to stay off the grid, it convinces Martinez that Crystal is dealing with someone who either doesn't want to be found or someone who's

planning something far worse. With all

of this in mind, Martinez wraps the interview with Crystal and begins the digital side of the investigation. He

sends warrants to service providers requesting phone records, email logs, and account information to track down the stalker. Unfortunately for Martinez,

the stalker. Unfortunately for Martinez, these companies will make a mistake that will soon prove deadly. While waiting

for the digital evidence to come back, Martinez decides to follow up on something else. The garage break-in

something else. The garage break-in Daniel reported back in September when a stranger supposedly stole their spare house key. He brings Daniel in for a

house key. He brings Daniel in for a formal interview, wanting to know whether he's noticed anyone following him. But instead of clarifying things,

him. But instead of clarifying things, Martinez is about to learn something far more unsettling about the Krug household. But before we get to that,

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With that said, let's get back to Daniel's interview where the detective is about to learn something troubling about the couple's marriage.

>> And I guess at what point did she tell you that he reconted her this last time?

>> Uh, [Music] it was either November 1st or November second. It was

it was after she had gotten uh a picture of me at work that she brought me up to speed on

>> that. Gotcha. Okay. And the first

>> that. Gotcha. Okay. And the first contact that he initially made with her was back on October 2nd, I guess. Why

that month gap, do you think before she told you? I'm sure she has mentioned to

told you? I'm sure she has mentioned to you that um she and I are going through a rough

patch kind of on the rocks. Uh so

probably didn't seem that pressing until until I was >> sure and she didn't mention that to me that you guys were having a rough time currently. Are you guys in the process

currently. Are you guys in the process of separating, getting divorced or working through things?

>> Should be determined. My my brother Matthew is a cop. Uh so I have a uh retractable ASP uh steel baton.

>> Yeah.

>> Uh as I said, not right now, but otherwise it's on me all the time. I

sleep with it next to me. I've bought

some additional security cameras for the house. So what am I doing? I'm panicking

house. So what am I doing? I'm panicking

and I'm doing a [ __ ] job of protecting my wife. So, I'm not I'm not doing good.

my wife. So, I'm not I'm not doing good.

>> Yeah, I can see that. So, with that being I know that Christile, we put her car on a lift on Tuesday afternoon um to see if there's any sort of GPS tracking

or anything like that.

>> We couldn't find anything on the car. If

Anthony is watching you guys, it's going to be in person from a distance or nearby or however.

Um so that poses an interesting issue in of itself.

>> From Daniel's reactions, it's clear the stalking is taking a toll on him, too.

His wife is terrified, his family feels haunted, and he's struggling to understand how any of this is happening.

Detective Martinez wraps up the interview, but something Daniel said lingers in the back of his mind. He

revealed that he didn't know about the stalking for almost a month. Not until

Crystal finally showed him the email with the photo taken outside his workplace. So, Martinez decides to look

workplace. So, Martinez decides to look deeper into the family dynamic. And what

he finds is concerning. He learns that the couple have been going through a rough patch recently. Nothing hostile or dangerous, but they were trying to work things out, doing what they believed was

best for their kids and holding their family together the best they could.

with how much the stalker seems to know about their lives. Martinez briefly

wonders if someone inside the home might be manipulating the situation. And for a moment, he even considers the possibility that Daniel might be messing with his wife as some twisted way of

trying to fix their marriage. But that

idea is quickly dismissed. There is no evidence backing any of it, and all signs still point to Anthony. Not to

mention, Crystal herself is fully convinced her ex is behind the stalking campaign. Throughout November, the

campaign. Throughout November, the harassment continues to escalate with more messages and threats. Crystal

continues documenting everything and constantly monitors her cameras. By

early December, she finally receives a message that gives her the smallest breath of air. Hey, gorgeous. I can't

visit you anymore. No more Colorado time. My girlfriend doesn't want us

time. My girlfriend doesn't want us talking without her. She says, "You'll let the cops get me after you get rid of him." For the first time in weeks,

him." For the first time in weeks, Crystal and her family feel a brief sense of relief. It sounds like Anthony is backing off, maybe even leaving the

state. But in reality, this is just the

state. But in reality, this is just the stalker's final move to make them drop their guard before he strikes.

The day starts like every other day.

Daniel leaves for work while Crystal heads out to drop the kids off at school. During those minutes, someone

school. During those minutes, someone approaches the front door, tapes over the Ring doorbell camera, and slips inside the house. Minutes later, Crystal

drives back home, pulls into the garage, and steps out of the car. She has no idea. Someone is waiting for her inside,

idea. Someone is waiting for her inside, and the moment she closes the car door, he attacks.

The stalker strikes Crystal in the head, stabs her, and leaves her bleeding on the floor. After months of plotting,

the floor. After months of plotting, this is the moment he'd been waiting for. Later that morning, Daniel tries

for. Later that morning, Daniel tries calling Crystal from his office, but she doesn't answer or respond to texts.

Hours pass and there's still no sign of her. So, Daniel finally decides to call

her. So, Daniel finally decides to call police.

>> Dispatch meeting.

>> Uh, hi there. Uh, my name is Dan Krug. I

don't think this is an emergency, but this feels really weird. Okay.

>> Uh my wife isn't responding uh to text messages or phone calls.

>> Okay.

>> We've had threats against us. We have

both been targeted uh by a stalker.

>> Uh threats have been made against my life. Okay.

life. Okay.

>> Uh and and threatening to like kidnap her, which is why I'm >> Yeah.

>> nervous that she's not answering me.

Within minutes of Daniel's call, an officer is dispatched to the Krug residence to check on Crystal. At the

same time, Daniel also calls Crystal's mother, asking her to go check on her daughter, sending her straight into the worst moment of her life. While she

makes her way there, the officer reaches the house first.

>> Hello.

>> Oh, I was just on their neighbor and they called, "Can you go see if she'll answer the >> Oh, yeah. He sent us as well. So

>> just next door.

>> Yeah.

>> Okay.

>> All right. Well, you got this.

>> All righty, man. Appreciate it.

[Music] The house looks quiet and the officer doesn't notice anything wrong from the outside. But before he clears the call

outside. But before he clears the call and drives off, something nags at him.

So, he brings his patrol car a little closer to check the garage where he's about to uncover a tragic, horrifying sight.

[Music] As the officer leans in for a closer look, he spots a body lying on the floor, motionless with blood smeared

across the wall.

151 send medical and 110. I need a 4 cent. I got a female down in the garage.

cent. I got a female down in the garage.

>> Roomfield police. Rome police.

[Music] >> Oh [ __ ] Holy [ __ ] The officer steps into the garage to find Crystal with what looks like a

severe head injury. So, he immediately begins performing CPR, working on her for several moments with no success before opening the garage door to give

medics access. But instead of

medics access. But instead of paramedics, someone else soon arrives.

>> Garage is open now.

>> Hello. Hello, ma'am.

>> I need you to stay out, please.

[Music] [Music] Tragically, as the garage door is lifted to get medics in, Crystal's mother catches a brief glimpse inside, just

long enough to see an officer performing CPR on her daughter. Before she can process what she's seeing, another officer quickly arrives to shield her from this nightmare.

>> Pam, I need you to come over here for a minute, okay? So, we can work. I

minute, okay? So, we can work. I

understand. I need you to come on over here okay?

>> It's okay.

>> I know. I know. Do me a favor. Go and

sit inside so we can work on her, okay?

So, we can try to get her the help.

Okay. What's your name?

>> Linda.

>> Linda. Okay. My name's Officer Zamora.

Okay. I'll come out here. I'll give you some news as soon as I can. Please she's

okay.

>> I I have no idea just yet, but I know that they're working on her. The officer

in there has been working CPR on her and I think she's doing okay. Okay.

>> He did. He's the one that called us and let us know. Okay.

>> Do go ahead. Take a seat for a minute.

I'll be right back here. Okay. I need to tag out, man. She's got a head wound. I

don't know if it's from falling or something else, but probably falling, but I don't know, man. It's a good one.

said there was a stalker threatening to kidnap her. So,

kidnap her. So, I don't know.

>> Oh, she's not.

>> No, she's unresponsive.

>> Decent head where we have more room.

>> While medics continue working on Crystal inside the garage, an officer stands outside, reassuring a distressed woman who's just arrived. Unaware that this is Crystal's mother, she's shaken and

terrified by the harvest she witnessed inside the garage. Linda would later learn that none of this was random. And

finding her daughter like this was always part of a twisted plan. Back

inside the garage, medics keep working, still trying to revive Crystal, not yet aware of the fatal wound hidden beneath her clothing.

>> Guys, you seen anything other than a a fall type of wound?

>> Look at that [ __ ] What's that? Gas on

the chest.

>> Oh [ __ ] >> Oh [ __ ] Yeah, that's a stab there.

[Music] >> Damn it.

>> Yeah, get it.

>> Her dispatch could tell us the husband called in to check on her.

>> Um, I don't know right now, but dispatch should have it.

>> So, we have a visible stab wound, you guess?

>> Yes. Right above her right above her heart. Okay, then let's [ __ ]

heart. Okay, then let's [ __ ] >> We are a sist.

>> Yep.

>> German, are you good with this or indeed?

>> How recent is this?

>> This is >> husband said he couldn't reach her for >> transport.

We don't know if it's within 10 minutes, man. Okay, then. Yeah.

man. Okay, then. Yeah.

>> Husband has not been able to reach her by any means for a few hours.

>> For a few hours. Yeah.

>> Stab in the chest. Let Henry know that.

>> Medics work for only a few minutes before realizing there's nothing more they can do. Beside Crystal's body, tucked inside her purse, the officer notices a handgun she never even had

time to reach for. With the immediate area secure, officers spread out throughout the house, searching every room for the attacker, but no one is inside. And as officers step outside the

inside. And as officers step outside the home, they start noticing small details that don't line up with an impulsive crime.

>> Yeah, I don't know the backstory.

Husband said there was a >> a dude who's been stalking her and threatened to kidnap her >> and Martinez was involved and Martinez just said, "Hey, this is a big old >> I don't know, dude. I don't know the

history on that part."

>> Martinez does, though, and he said he's coming in. So, other than that, we're

coming in. So, other than that, we're just kind of securing the scene and waiting for detectives, you know.

see what they need. Um,

>> I kicked that. Yeah, that's interesting.

>> That is very interesting. Almost like

dude might have stuck around from this way and >> I wonder if maybe the door was unlocked.

That's how he got in.

>> You know what, dude?

>> Dead bolted when >> You know what? I don't know. I kicked it and it went pretty easy. So, I'm going to say no deadbolt.

>> It wasn't dead bolded.

handle was locked.

>> I saw her came around and booted it.

>> Officers quickly confirmed the door was unlocked and a strip of blue tape had been placed over the Ring doorbell camera. Whoever did this clearly planned

camera. Whoever did this clearly planned it and came prepared. As police continue searching the scene, more family members begin arriving one by one. Each of them

unknowingly walking into the worst moment of their lives while officers prepare to deliver the news no family ever wants to hear. Did they revive her?

>> I don't know anything just yet, ma'am. I

don't know anything just yet. Are you

>> so family friend?

>> Family friend.

>> Family friend from the blue house there.

>> Can we ask her to come knock on the door?

>> Okay.

Is her husband almost here?

>> Is he gone? Is she gone?

>> We want to give you guys all the information all together. Okay. We don't

want to have to repeat the information over and over for you guys to continue anything. He said he was on.

anything. He said he was on.

>> So what did he do to her?

>> They won't say they won't say figure out.

[Music] >> Who's in charge of the doctor? I can

know what happened.

>> Absolutely. And as soon as someone frees up who can tell you, I'll send him your way. Okay.

way. Okay.

>> Our son's on his way.

Is this is this your daughter, sir? Or

your daughter-in-law?

>> That was my daughter.

>> This your daughter. And so her brother is on his way.

>> Yeah.

[Music] >> With Crystal's father and brother now at the scene, the weight of what's happened settles over the family, and it grows heavier by the minute. The only person

missing is Crystal's husband, Daniel, the man who feared he wouldn't be able to protect her for weeks. Now he's on his way to find out those fears have come true. As they wait for him,

come true. As they wait for him, detectives arrive at the scene and begin coordinating their next steps to hunt down whoever did this. Little do they know, the killer they're looking for is

still in the area, much closer than they think. So, I pulled my car around to the

think. So, I pulled my car around to the garage just to see if her car was in the garage, and I immediately saw her at the base of the stairs, a blood smear on the wall, and I came around and booted the

front door. It turns out it wasn't

front door. It turns out it wasn't locked. There's also a piece of masking

locked. There's also a piece of masking tape over the ring camera, almost like somebody approached from the side and taped it.

>> Okay.

>> And then maybe she opened the door for somebody.

>> First thing I noticed was an obvious head wound. They noticed after tearing

head wound. They noticed after tearing the shirt and everything off. You got a good stab right right there. So,

that's what we got. Husband should be here any minute.

>> Okay. So, I need another detective up here to start working with uh canvasing.

>> I need you to stay here and Martinez is coming here. So, he'll be good with

coming here. So, he'll be good with that. I want you and Martinez to work on

that. I want you and Martinez to work on this. So, I'm going to give

this. So, I'm going to give you back, >> but we got to be careful of them. We

have to be careful.

>> We don't know.

Anybody that's here is still, >> so we need to be sure that we stay focused on that.

>> Yep.

>> As investigators discuss plans to interview Crystal's family and her husband, Daniel. He arrives on scene,

husband, Daniel. He arrives on scene, cutting the conversation short. And

right away, he makes it clear to everyone that he's nothing more than a devastated victim overwhelmed by what's happened to his wife.

>> Okay, I need you to stay back, sir.

>> My house.

>> I understand. I need you to stay back here. Family's over here. Family's over

here. Family's over here. Family's over

here.

[Music] >> That was [Music] I can't really question right now. Fortunately, we

don't have a lot of answers for you, but I know what you want to do right now.

together.

[Music] >> Or could you have someone leave me over there? At this time, officers have no

there? At this time, officers have no reason to suspect Daniel of anything, so they treat him with care as he goes through this traumatic moment. But

beneath that devastation lies a cold, heartless man. Because Daniel knows

heartless man. Because Daniel knows exactly what happened inside that garage. And Daniel is the killer

garage. And Daniel is the killer himself.

Every tear and shaking breath is part of his act. One he will continue selling to

his act. One he will continue selling to police and Crystal's family standing just a few feet away.

Oh my god. I didn't protect her.

I was here for her.

>> Let them know about They're not going to talk to her. We're not going to say, "Oh, no. Lisa says anything." We're just

"Oh, no. Lisa says anything." We're just going to tell her we don't need any time.

>> We don't tell this is this is a family matter. We're just going to figure out a

matter. We're just going to figure out a reunification.

>> We'll take care of that.

>> As this tragedy unfolds, Crystal's mother embraces Daniel, trying to comfort him, having no idea the man she's holding is the one who murdered

her daughter. Unfortunately for

her daughter. Unfortunately for officers, the hardest part of the job still isn't over. As the family grieavves outside the home, a detective is sent to the school to pick up

Crystal's children, who still have no idea what happened to their mother. When

the detective finds Crystal's eldest daughter, she's already shaken. She's

been watching the live camera feed on her phone and saw enough to know something terrible happened. But what

she tells the detective next is what truly alarms her. Her mother's stalker has been hinting at something far darker recently, and he might have deadly plans

for the rest of the family.

>> My phone notified me of my house cameras going off. There was police at my house

going off. There was police at my house and an ambulance and there was there was a stretcher. I couldn't bring myself to

a stretcher. I couldn't bring myself to see who was on the stretcher. So, I call I call my mom and dad. My dad picks up and he's he's crying.

>> They're they're probably about 7 minutes away. Okay. Um, I'm not going to lie.

away. Okay. Um, I'm not going to lie.

Something happened. Okay. That's why we That's why you're here. Okay.

>> Do you know what's going on?

>> I do, but I can't I'm not going to tell you. Okay. Um, because we're still

you. Okay. Um, because we're still actively investigating what's going on out there. Um, so I don't want to give

out there. Um, so I don't want to give you wrong information. That's the last thing I want to do. Okay. Um, what has been going on at home?

>> Um, so this dude has been threatening my mom. um stalking her uh taking photos of

mom. um stalking her uh taking photos of my dad saying that he's going to kill him. Uh he

him. Uh he >> who do we know who this person is?

>> One of her ex I don't know his name >> like an ex-boyfriend or >> Yeah. Okay.

>> Yeah. Okay.

>> Um and they broke up a while ago and they ended it as friends. So this has all come to a really big shock to her.

Um, and then so he's been contacting her from different numbers, sending pictures of my dad saying he's gonna kill uh them. He hasn't mentioned anything about

them. He hasn't mentioned anything about me and my siblings yet, which is good.

Um, but he's like he posted something to a website trying to recruit guys to like help him with whatever plan he's doing. Um, and

then he's like, >> "How did you guys learn about that?"

um he's been contacting my mom through all of this. And so my mom has contacted the police and she has like a whole bunch of people on the case, but the thing is he's he's making it sound like

she's helping him and she's not. And so

>> helping him like try to kill your dad.

>> Yeah. And so like we're afraid that the police are going to turn on us.

>> Okay.

>> And that's okay. So she's been trying to protect herself.

What Crystal's daughter reveals isn't just alarming, it's sickening. Because

this so-called stalker isn't just threatening the family, he's twisting the narrative inside their home. He's

making it look like Crystal was secretly working with him to kill Daniel, manipulating the kids into believing their own mother is dangerous while positioning Daniel as the helpless

target who needs protection. To the

kids, their mother starts to look untrustworthy. To detectives, Daniel

untrustworthy. To detectives, Daniel starts to look like a victim. And to the stalker, everything is going exactly according to plan. It's a disturbing,

genius level of premeditation carried out by a man willing to use anyone, even his own children. The detective logs this information and coordinates with

Crystal's sister-in-law, Kate, to get the children safely out of the school.

Back at the crime scene, detectives continue their work. They canvas the neighborhood, speak with neighbors, and begin collecting every CCTV clip they can find to reconstruct the killer's

movements. By this point, there's enough

movements. By this point, there's enough evidence tying Crystal's ex-boyfriend, Anthony, to months of harassment, allowing police to obtain a nationwide arrest warrant for stalking. Departments

across the country are notified to be on the lookout for him. Additionally, with

a homicide on their hands and a killer on the loose, investigators can escalate the case and issue exigent circumstance warrants to service providers to finally speed up the digital data they've been

waiting on. If Martinez received those

waiting on. If Martinez received those files weeks earlier, things might have been very different. In the meantime, Daniel along with the rest of the family is taken to the police station for

formal interviews. At this stage, it's

formal interviews. At this stage, it's standard procedure and investigators are simply looking to collect statements.

But about two hours later, when detectives finally sit down with Daniel, his routine interview will begin to take a very different turn.

>> So, your your home security system, you access that through your personal Google Google Nest. It's Google Nest.

Okay.

>> Uh-huh.

I miss Okay. Um, just a home.

miss Okay. Um, just a home.

>> Home. Okay. Do I have your permission to to operate this phone and get what we need?

>> Yeah.

>> Okay. Um,

>> so how many different cameras do you have?

>> Floor. Um,

doorbell.

Um, side of the house, driveway, back door. How long have you had it? A

back door. How long have you had it? A

couple years.

the others all since September. Wait, we had a uh

September. Wait, we had a uh we had an intruder. I I called the police. He came when we had a garage

police. He came when we had a garage intruder.

>> A month after Daniel reported the garage intruder back in September is when the stalking first began. And by then, the couple had already installed multiple cameras around the house, plus their

Ring doorbell. But even with all that

Ring doorbell. But even with all that security and after police confirmed they had no GPS trackers on their cars, the stalker still found a way to follow them. Sending Crystal a photo of Daniel

them. Sending Crystal a photo of Daniel walking into work and texting her about seeing her at the dentist. So, as the detective scrolls through the surveillance footage to understand the

timeline, he notices something strange that catches Daniel off guard.

>> So, when do your uh cameras go off? Do

you ever have them set off? 24/7.

>> Okay.

>> They don't turn off. You um if you lose internet or or in the app, you can turn them off.

And who has the ability to turn off the cameras? Who has the ability to go in

cameras? Who has the ability to go in the app and turn these off?

>> Uh Christile, me, and um um um >> It's all right. It's all right, D.

All four. Oh, damn it.

>> I can settings. Settings settings.

>> Okay.

>> Oh, just just just us.

>> Just a guess. Okay.

>> The detective's question here isn't by chance. It's prompted by something

chance. It's prompted by something peculiar he noticed on the surveillance app. All of the home's cameras shut off

app. All of the home's cameras shut off at 8:15 a.m. and they stay off until 10:15 a.m. Only the camera pointed

10:15 a.m. Only the camera pointed outside the garage remains active during that entire 2-hour window. This

instantly narrows the murder time frame to those 2 hours. Just then, Martinez finally arrives at the interview room.

He's the lead detective who's been handling Crystal's stalking case for months. And now that case has become

months. And now that case has become something far worse. He sits down with her devastated husband, feeling the weight of the loss they both couldn't prevent. They didn't save Crystal. They

prevent. They didn't save Crystal. They

couldn't protect her. And now they're here mourning her loss, trying to piece together what happened.

>> I'm dead.

It's not your fault.

stupid.

[Music] It's not your fault.

>> I'm sorry I didn't answer. I actually

wasn't in today.

>> Mhm.

>> As Daniel breaks down, something catches Martinez's attention. Daniel is crying,

Martinez's attention. Daniel is crying, but there are no tears. The detective

finds it strange and more than a little concerning. Wanting to probe deeper,

concerning. Wanting to probe deeper, Martinez asks for a moment alone with Daniel to see what's really going on beneath the surface. And the moment he starts asking questions, things get

heated fast.

>> I know you said that you don't think that there was somebody else.

She said, >> "Okay, why do you keep asking? I'm just trying to put everything together to kind of get a bigger picture because you said

that she's been acting kind of weird lately and, you know, being very secretive and withholding of information for you. So, I'm just trying to

for you. So, I'm just trying to understand, I guess, so we can backtrack what she's been doing this past month.

>> Martinez's question here is telling of what he's thinking. He's not ruling out Daniel as a possible suspect. After all,

the couple were going through a separation period, and this is meant to probe whether jealousy or something else could have played a role in Crystal's death. Sensing the tension in Daniel's

death. Sensing the tension in Daniel's response, the detective decides not to press any further. But as they step out for a quick break, Daniel says something

that makes it obvious he struck a nerve.

>> I've seen enough to the husband. I cannot. After

detectives collect the initial information from Daniel, his children finally arrive at the police department.

They still don't know what happened to their mother, only that something is very, very wrong. Daniel is notified of their arrival and given a choice. Should

he be the one to tell them or leave it to officers and Crystal's family?

Instead of letting someone else deliver the news, Daniel insists on telling them himself. A decision that appears

himself. A decision that appears compassionate on the surface, but underneath it's a way for him to control the narrative and shape how his children

see him, even in a moment of tragedy.

Following this, investigators sit down with Crystal's family to begin their interviews. And this is where things

interviews. And this is where things start to take a concerning turn. Up

until now, the case seems straightforward. Crystal has a stalker,

straightforward. Crystal has a stalker, her ex-boyfriend Anthony. That stalker

killed her. Find Anthony and you find Crystal's killer. But once detectives

Crystal's killer. But once detectives start speaking to Crystal's parents, brother, and sister-in-law, things become far more complicated. And what

they learn next will force them to reconsider everything they think they know about Crystal, her marriage, and even her stalker.

>> So, you're stating, I guess, of their It's the exhusband who's been kind of >> It's not about having a husband. It's a

it's an ex-boyfriend >> from when she was 18 years old.

>> Okay. Gotcha. Can you think of anything I guess recent? Is he reached out to you? Have you seen any

you? Have you seen any >> No, he's never contacted me.

Told you that he had messaged her again 2 days ago or so.

Let her know that uh he was ready to come back and so she can go ahead and off her husband now.

make it look a little bit like she was in this whole deal with killing her husband, I guess.

>> Kate, do you think there's anything doesn't feel right, doesn't seem right, something that I don't know. You just

feel like might be important to our investigation.

>> I don't know. Like I just I know that Christ was like very concerned and worried about this guy and I just always felt like it was like there was

something weird about it like but I can't put my finger on it. I just feel like she had said that that it was like this Anthony guy that that it seemed

very different than past behavior in him, like that he was never sexual in the past and that these were like very like hypersexual things. And so I think

even at one point she was like questioning whether it was actually him.

I don't know if you necessarily know anything um in more about that, but they just also just kind of meant you guys were kind of close and just see if you had some sort of insight on that at all.

>> Insight on their marriage >> or just was there issues going on? Were

they having problems? Was there, you know, kind of anything? It was kind of >> She had shared with me that they had separated, >> okay, >> but were still living together a year

ago. And I had asked her if she over

ago. And I had asked her if she over text if she had um that she believed that it was Anthony, but she didn't believe at the time that I was asking her that it was anybody but Anthony. She

was fully convinced that it was Anthony.

>> Okay.

>> My mom has always been like suspicious and I just like don't know where that comes from.

>> Okay.

>> Um >> can you elaborate on that? Like

suspicious how or >> my mom?

>> Yeah.

>> Suspicious. I don't know cuz she like the difficulty finding Anthony like why is it so hard to find Anthony? why

can't there you know cell phone records or IP stuff or so my mom had that frustration and so I think her mind starts to wander towards like conspiracy

type things right of like oh maybe it's my husband or maybe it's Dan and and I I don't know I don't see it there just because I don't know Dan just seems so

incapable of doing something like that to me >> why do you see that just >> I don't know I talked to him and him and I just hung out and talk and talked for like two hours and he was like very concerned about like getting his family

together and talking about being vigilant but not paranoid.

>> Even though Crystal's brother Lars sounds skeptical of his mother's suspicions, she isn't exactly wrong as on the surface it makes no sense that Anthony couldn't be tracked down for

months. Lars would also go on to explain

months. Lars would also go on to explain that Crystal and Daniel saw their marriage very differently. Crystal

wanted out, Daniel didn't. And the

family seemed to view their relationship as dysfunctional but not violent. But

listening to these statements, one thing becomes very clear. Every family member felt that something about the stalker was off. There was a shared intuition

was off. There was a shared intuition they couldn't quite articulate. And when

detectives sit down with Crystal's mother, she makes that suspicion very clear. Um I know you said and I kind of

clear. Um I know you said and I kind of learned on scene that um she was married, had three children. Her life

was hell and slept months and last year.

Her husband and her were not in good terms. He was in complete denial.

She tell me how he was.

Did she ever give you insight on what kind of led her to feel like her marriage was over or it was explosive?

But I've never seen him, you know, hurt her.

He would hurt the kids, but you know, some people think the corporal punishment is paying the kids, but he would hurt the kids. She was

worried about that. But I don't want to say it again.

But he was in she told me he was in denial that she told him his marriage was over but she would stay until

graduated. I have this I just got I

graduated. I have this I just got I can't shake him.

>> What's that feeling telling you?

>> I just I can't I can't shake this question. Is he the one that's been

question. Is he the one that's been doing this with empty? Needless to say, hinting that Daniel might somehow be involved with the stalker is an alarming accusation, and it makes things even

more complicated for the detectives. At

this point, the family itself is split.

Crystal's brother, Lars, completely dismisses the idea that Daniel could be involved, calling it nothing more than a conspiracy. But others felt that there

conspiracy. But others felt that there was something off about Anthony and the entire stalking agenda. With all

statements collected, detectives wrap the family interviews and regroup to make sense of everything they've gathered. By combining everything

gathered. By combining everything they've learned, detectives land on a clearer picture of where the investigation now stands. The family

interviews raised enough concern, and there was enough tension in the marriage that detectives decide they can't rule out Daniel yet, and he officially becomes a potential suspect. But even

with Daniel now on the radar, Anthony remains as the obvious prime suspect in Crystal's homicide. His threats and

Crystal's homicide. His threats and weeksl long stalking campaign still place him at the center of the investigation. With that in mind,

investigation. With that in mind, detectives know their next move. It's

time to find Anthony.

At around 3:00 p.m. that afternoon,

police finally get their first real break in months. After digging through everything they have on Anthony Holland, investigators land on a possible address in Utah. Because they can't reach him

in Utah. Because they can't reach him themselves, Broomfield detectives coordinate with Utah County Sheriff's Office, sharing his name, photo, and the address where he's believed to be

staying. Up until now, Anthony has only

staying. Up until now, Anthony has only existed as a name in emails and threats.

A distant figure who no one has actually seen. So, when officers finally get a

seen. So, when officers finally get a hit on his location, it becomes the first real chance to confront the man they've been hunting for months.

>> I'm going to ask you a couple names to see if you recognize any names. Okay.

>> Do you have you ever heard of the name Crystal Krug? She may have been Grimsrod

Crystal Krug? She may have been Grimsrod when you knew her.

>> Yeah.

>> And do you know a Daniel Krug?

>> No.

>> No. How do you know Crystal?

>> She was an ex-girlfriend.

>> She's an ex-girlfriend.

>> How long's your ex? Like how long ago?

>> Um 1999.

>> Oh, so like a like a long while ago.

>> She's my very first girlfriend ever.

>> Oh, okay.

>> Um when was the last time you talked to Crystal? Has it been a while a minute?

Crystal? Has it been a while a minute?

Um, it's been Yeah.

>> Like since you moved from from Durango?

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. So that would have been what back in 2014?

>> Yeah.

>> Have you had any contact with anybody in that area since? Anybody? Or have they contacted you at any time?

>> No.

>> I'm going to give you a phone number and it's to a sergeant with the Broomsfield Police Department.

>> All right.

>> He would like you to reach out and talk to him. All right. Um, they have an

to him. All right. Um, they have an incident. I don't know the full details

incident. I don't know the full details of their incident out there and so I'll let him talk to you about that aspect.

Um, he had asked us to come out here to your house uh and and talk with you. Um,

they were debating on you do have an active warrant out of uh Broomsfield Police Department. Um, and they were

Police Department. Um, and they were debating on if they were going to have us arrest you or not. They are not going to have us arrest you on it. I'm going

to advise you of the fact that you do have a warrant out of Colorado and you can talk to this sergeant about the details of it, if that makes sense.

>> As officers speak with Anthony, he appears intoxicated and confused. After

being briefed on the situation, he gives his timeline, insisting he never left Utah and spent the morning with family nowhere near Colorado. Once they collect Anony's statement, Utah officers leave

to begin verifying every part of his story. In the meantime, detectives back

story. In the meantime, detectives back in Colorado regroup to reassess the investigation. With Anthony still

investigation. With Anthony still denying involvement, Detective Martinez turns back to the one angle he hasn't fully explored yet. Crystal's husband,

Daniel. Since he never ruled out jealousy or affairs as a possible motive, he decides to dig deeper into Daniel's past. And that's when he

Daniel's past. And that's when he stumbles onto something interesting and very unsettling. While searching old

very unsettling. While searching old reports, Martinez finds a closed but unresolved stalking complaint from years earlier. The victim who filed it is a

earlier. The victim who filed it is a woman named Carrie. And as it turns out, she was Daniel's exgirlfriend.

The more Martinez reviews, the more disturbing the pattern becomes. The

report claims she was stalked for weeks by an obsessed man who impersonated multiple people, manipulating her through fake identities. Detectives

quickly locate Carrie and bring her in for an interview. When they sit down with her, they uncover a story so disturbingly similar to Crystal's, it

opens up an entirely new theory.

>> I think it was, you know, like I said, a couple months I broke up, I broke up with him a couple months into my freshman year. Um, and uh, he, you know,

freshman year. Um, and uh, he, you know, didn't he was pretty emotional, I would say.

um sort of desperation would maybe be a word I would use to describe after the breakup of please don't do this kind of

you know crying that sort of thing um that I can recall um and then I started to get messages from um his roommate and

that person's name is Tom um on AOL Instant Messenger um and I know Tom is real because they were roommates if I called him. Um Tom would sometimes pick

called him. Um Tom would sometimes pick up the phone and they had a joint room and a joint phone. Tom, his role, I would say, was sort of to gain sympathy

um from me for Dan and continue to encourage me to communicate with Dan.

There was perhaps some indication that he was or was because of the breakup just really not doing well. So I this, you know, made me keep communication up

with Dan. And Tom ended up being Dan,

with Dan. And Tom ended up being Dan, right? So all these people I'm going to

right? So all these people I'm going to tell you about end up being Dan Krug, not um Tom. Yeah. Even though Tom is a real person. This is he was not sending

real person. This is he was not sending me these messages.

>> Suffice it to say, what Carrie tells detectives sounds all too familiar.

Everything she describes echoes the same pattern detectives have been seeing with Crystal. But the parallels don't stop

Crystal. But the parallels don't stop there.

>> Things I remember is I we uh a group of my friends from our dorm had met I don't even know how um some cadets from the Air Force Academy.

>> Sure.

>> And so we all went to I think we went to a movie something super innocuous and there was like a group of us. I must

have told Dan about that. And I think it was 2 or 3 days later I got a message from someone named Nick Clark. And uh

Nick basically said, "I'm a cadet at the Air Force Academy. I know you went out with these people and I want you to know that he came back or these people came back and said that you slept with him."

And so now there's this rumor going around the whole academy that you're an easy target kind of thing. Um and Nick, I think sort of the purpose of um

sabotaging anyone I was meeting um if they were associated with the Air Force Academy. Of course, the person that I

Academy. Of course, the person that I met and went to the movies with was like, "I want nothing to do with you, you know." And so, shortly, I I don't

you know." And so, shortly, I I don't know, a while after that, I started actually more seriously dating uh Air Force cadet named Mark Hansen. Then, of

course, Clark made a reappearance and I was getting pretty consistent messages from him. And so, he um said, "You know,

from him. And so, he um said, "You know, we need to find out who's doing this."

and he got me a meeting with the office of special investigations at the Air Force Academy. I sat with them and they

Force Academy. I sat with them and they kind of laid the emails out on the table and they said, "We've had like a forensic psychologist sort of

professional look at all these emails."

Um, and we've it's damn is what they said.

Carrie would go on to explain that despite their suspicions, there was never enough evidence tying Daniel back to the messages she received then.

Everything had been sent from a public library, and because of that, her accusations remained just that, suspicions. But even without proof, the

suspicions. But even without proof, the similarities between the two women's experiences are impossible to ignore.

And for the first time, detectives begin considering a fourth possibility they never imagined. What if Daniel has been

never imagined. What if Daniel has been playing everyone? What if he's been

playing everyone? What if he's been impersonating Anthony? What if he's

impersonating Anthony? What if he's always been the architect behind the entire stalking campaign?

Detective Martinez receives the intel from Car's interview. And with that, Daniel officially becomes an equal prime suspect alongside Anthony. At this

point, the only thing that can give them a definitive answer is the digital evidence. So, while they wait for that,

evidence. So, while they wait for that, Martinez receives something he can work with immediately. The full set of

with immediately. The full set of surveillance footage collected from the neighborhood and Daniel's workplace.

This case has hours of surveillance, body cam, and interrogation footage we can't fully include here. If you want the extended cut of this video, plus the full raw interrogation and body cam

videos, we've uploaded everything on our Patreon. With that pool of evidence

Patreon. With that pool of evidence finally in their hands, investigators sit down and begin reconstructing the full picture of what happened before Crystal was killed.

Shortly before 8:00 a.m., Crystal

arrives home after dropping off the kids. She pulls into the garage, closes

kids. She pulls into the garage, closes the door, and everything looks normal.

Minutes later, at 8:15 a.m., the entire security system goes offline. Every

camera except the outside garage camera is taken down for the next two hours. At

8:25 a.m., that lone camera records something deeply concerning. Daniel

leaves the house to go to work later than he normally does. And shortly after the time medical examiners believe Crystal was killed. From there,

workplace footage shows Daniel moving through the building around 9:00 a.m.,

greeting co-workers and appearing completely normal, as if nothing had happened at home. And when investigators check footage from surrounding houses,

they find no one approaching the property all morning.

Everything about the timeline makes Daniel look more suspicious by the minute. With all these new developments,

minute. With all these new developments, detectives bring Daniel back in for another interview. He walks in expecting

another interview. He walks in expecting routine procedural follow-ups.

Completely unaware of how much has changed since the last time he sat in this room. This is when Daniel's monthsl

this room. This is when Daniel's monthsl long, carefully crafted plan begins to crumble. This time, Detective Martinez

crumble. This time, Detective Martinez walks in with a completely different energy than before. He's no longer feeling Daniel out. He's here with one

clear objective. Confront him with

clear objective. Confront him with what's been uncovered and see if his version of events finally breaks.

>> All right.

How you feeling right now?

Just kind of about everything. Dumb.

Dumb.

Everything hurts. Feel like I I have two different voices going through my head right now. I have uh my brother Matthew.

right now. I have uh my brother Matthew.

Yeah, I've mentioned him. He's

uh the sheriff's lieutenant.

And I have his voice saying uh talk to the police.

And in typical cop fashion, he married a prosecutor.

So I had Lynn's voice in my head going, "Get a [ __ ] lawyer.

I just want this to be done. I want I don't want I just don't want them.

>> Right away, Daniel doesn't open the interview casually. He opens it with a

interview casually. He opens it with a calculated trick. By hinting at getting

calculated trick. By hinting at getting a lawyer, he's warning detectives. Push

too hard and this interview is over.

That's clever, but Martinez has a counter plan. Instead of confronting

counter plan. Instead of confronting him, he'll pivot the conversation to his relationship with Crystal, making it feel like safer ground to get Daniel comfortable and talking. But if Daniel

had any motive to take Crystal out of the picture, this is where it would surface.

>> Well, I'm sure especially you guys are trying to work together to be safe, keep your family safe, keep your as as dysfunctional as as it is, you still

both had the common goal of keeping keeping it safe, right? I had

her as a partner to protect the family, but it didn't feel like

a partner who valued me.

>> And I and I told her at that point, I told her I didn't want to die for someone who didn't care about me anymore.

>> That's really hard.

>> I was hurting when I said that. And what I wanted was her to say she cared about me.

She didn't. Although Daniel is being honest about what was going on in their marriage, to detectives, moments like this only add to their suspicions.

Resentment, rejection, a failing marriage. These are all things that in

marriage. These are all things that in the wrong circumstances can turn into a motive. And this is exactly where the

motive. And this is exactly where the interview takes a sharp turn. What

Daniel doesn't know yet is that since his last interview, detectives received something they kept secret for this exact moment. One of the tech companies

exact moment. One of the tech companies finally responded to their urgent warrants and provided some of the digital data they needed. And as it turns out, the emails the stalker had

been sending, the messages that terrorized Crystal for weeks were coming from somewhere much closer to home.

>> One of the things that um we really started looking into today in in effort in an effort to find Anthony is um the Gmail. So, some of that information that

Gmail. So, some of that information that we've been able to receive today is uh a little bit concerning. I guess

>> the Gmail account, the Kickman account that you guys initially received with the photo of you in it.

>> Uhhuh.

>> And the the phone number, those originated through their IP addresses.

>> Uhhuh.

>> At your office.

>> Doesn't make any sense.

>> Well, he took the photo of me at my office.

>> Both of those accounts originated from IP addresses that list back to your office.

There are Wi-Fi access throughout the facility for employees

and there's public Wi-Fi access throughout the entire facility. Right

now, we're working with the director to get all of the IP information to see what devices were using that specific address during that time. Cuz I guess the biggest concern is just the timing

of everything that it just doesn't quite make sense to have somebody create an account, take a photo, and then immediately send it off and then the

account is no longer being used.

None of this makes any sense. Daniel

looks thrown off, unsure where Martinez is going with this. The emails tied to the stalker connect back to Daniel's workplace, a detail he clearly didn't

expect detectives to know. He seems

nervous, but still cooperative. So,

detectives decide it's time to push further because they have something else they withheld from Daniel until now.

During the investigation into Anony's alibi, officers in Utah forwarded something small but important. A

timestamped shopping receipt placing Anthony in Utah that morning, miles away from Colorado at the time Crystal was killed. Martinez and his partner decide

killed. Martinez and his partner decide it's the perfect time to see how Daniel reacts when they push him directly and force him to confront the possibility

that he might be the stalker. Also,

let's let's add on top of that the fact that there's as far as we know right now, there's no physical way that that Kickman could have been involved in this

based on where he's at right now. So,

you know, the the mystery continues and >> got to ask things are certainly pointing in one direction right now.

>> Well, and you've given us reason. And

here's the other thing, Daniel, is um I sympathize with the fact that you're an ext you're in an extremely frustrating situation. I know you want to be a part

situation. I know you want to be a part of your kids' lives, but you can also sense that's why um we're asking all these questions >> about infidelity and everything else. Is

there some other mystery man that we don't know about?

>> I have been faithful.

You know, Anthony has reached out to her in the past number of times.

>> She's married, >> right? The last time was 2016ish. He had

>> right? The last time was 2016ish. He had

asked her at one point if she wanted to have sex. If there's any bit of question

have sex. If there's any bit of question about infidelity, whether it's with Anthony or anybody else, we might create an account to see if Christile's

actually interested in Anthony. So we

ask her, push the bounds a little bit and see if that will confirm our suspicions of infidelity. You don't get

the response and the openness you once did for about 28 days from October 2nd to October 31st. So you amp it up a

little bit. Send a photo of yourself to

little bit. Send a photo of yourself to her and an account you created. I I I get the narrative together, but it alleges that I would do this to my children.

>> But I think ultimately what happened today um would bring you the closest to your children that you probably ever ever been in your mind.

>> I'm well I'm very close to my children and you're afraid to lose time with them if you get the divorce.

>> Clearly detectives managed to perfectly articulate Daniel's reality. one he may not have even fully admitted to himself.

He has a man so terrified of losing his children, so desperate to stay in control of his family that he would do anything if he felt it slipping away,

even if it meant murder. The detective's

brutal honesty leaves Daniel speechless.

He doesn't argue or deny it. He just

sits there in quiet resignation wearing the look of someone who's realizing everyone can see straight through his lies.

>> If you were watching these facts unfold in front of you in a movie, what would you say happened?

>> There has to be someone else >> that was able to turn off the cameras that was able to use your IP address from your work to create accounts to send messages and photos to act as a a

stalking suspect.

>> I don't know. I'm not the one who does this. I'm analytical network and I read

this. I'm analytical network and I read and write fiction at home. I don't do I don't do crime drama. I don't know

what any of this is. Kickman is 6 and 1/2 hour drive and then in fact he was contacted in his house severely intoxicated. There's no way he could

intoxicated. There's no way he could have made that drive. all this time that we've been looking for him as a protection order

and you just found him today like that.

>> They've been chasing the wrong dog.

>> It sounds like you're you're accused me.

>> We have a lot of information that points your direction and we were hoping that you could provide explanation other than it wasn't me. I don't have a narrative

or a story that I can offer you because I thought we were at the same time.

>> What would you think or what would you say if we told you that other people you talked to that are close to your wife um expressed that she had maybe told them

that she suspected you of having >> She said that right to my face that she wanted to know if it was me. I told her no. But I think there's more to the

no. But I think there's more to the story. Like I don't know. It just

story. Like I don't know. It just

doesn't it it it's not adding up. I' I'd

like to know what happened this this morning. I'd like to know um what what

morning. I'd like to know um what what caused what caused you to get so upset to hurt your wife cuz I believe that's what happened.

>> Well, I want to know what happened.

>> We haven't been there to know. And

there's only one person in this room that can tell us. I think you you got confirmation or found out that she had a boyfriend this morning or something happened that pissed you off and you did

something that you regret now because you can't go back.

>> I've answered all of your questions that I can. You have your theory. Please

I can. You have your theory. Please

find the right one. You're done.

As calm as he's been this entire interview, Daniel finally decides he's had enough and drops the act. His story

has crumbled. Detective sees straight through his lies and he knows it. With

nothing left to cling to, Daniel quietly asks for an attorney and the interview comes to an end. Even though he continues insisting he's innocent, there's one detail Daniel admits on his

own. One no one even knew about until

own. One no one even knew about until now. Crystal herself confronted him

now. Crystal herself confronted him about being the stalker. Hearing that

from Daniel's own mouth hits Martinez hard, because to him, that sounds like the kind of confrontation that could have pushed everything over the edge.

But without hard proof, detectives can't yet say Daniel is truly responsible. So,

with the interview over, Daniel is processed for physical evidence and escorted out of the police station. But

before he leaves, he turns back and tells detectives one final thing.

I won't believe this because I don't believe that.

Fine.

Just don't stop looking elsewhere. Focus

on me. Okay.

Find find the [ __ ] Are you married with kids? Divorce

right behind you. I don't care if you capture him. I just want the [ __ ] pay.

capture him. I just want the [ __ ] pay.

He took my children's mother for Christmas.

Over the next two days, the case becomes the department's top priority. Every

available officer is working on it, and this is when the investigation finally begins to break wide open. Officers in

Utah finally finish verifying Anony's alibi. They find surveillance footage

alibi. They find surveillance footage showing him in Utah at the time of Crystal's murder, and there are no travel records or license plate pings placing him anywhere near Colorado. Then

the last of the digital evidence arrives, and this time it's overwhelming. The burner phones used to

overwhelming. The burner phones used to send the threatening messages to Crystal were purchased with a Visa gift card registered under Daniel Krug's name. And

cell tower records show those burner phones were always in the same location as Daniel's personal phone, meaning he was carrying both devices at the same

time. And then comes the final blow.

time. And then comes the final blow.

Detectives uncovered Daniel's Google searches from the night before the murder. How hard would you have to hit

murder. How hard would you have to hit someone in the head to make them unconscious? When is a head injury a

unconscious? When is a head injury a cause for concern? Piece by piece, the picture comes together. There's no

Anthony. There's no mysterious stalker.

It's always been just Daniel. Detectives

now understand exactly what happened.

Daniel created the entire stalking persona in a twisted attempt to regain control of his failing marriage. And

when Crystal began to suspect the truth, Daniel killed her to cover it up. On

December 16th, an arrest warrant is issued for Daniel Krug. Officers are

dispatched immediately, finding him on his way to his daughter's dance performance. As patrol units close in,

performance. As patrol units close in, Daniel's movements strike them as suspicious. He appears to be heading

suspicious. He appears to be heading back towards his car and officers believe he may be trying to get away.

>> Get this. This is a detective. Go on the island.

>> Just get right.

>> All right, we're coming up in front.

Just get up and bump back.

>> [ __ ] >> Go go go go go go go. Just go go go go go.

>> Show us your hands.

>> Show us your hands. Hands on your feet.

Hands on your feet.

Hands on your feet.

Your hands on your feet.

>> Under.

>> Daniel Krog is taken into custody without incident. In the weeks that

without incident. In the weeks that follow, police finish their work. The

digital forensic evidence, the surveillance timeline, the phone data, all of it leads back to the same person.

Investigators become certain that Daniel Kug acted alone. He created a fake stalker, framed an ex-boyfriend, manipulated his wife, his children, and law enforcement. Before the case reaches

law enforcement. Before the case reaches trial, and Daniel formally pleads not guilty. In April of 2025, his case moves

guilty. In April of 2025, his case moves into the courtroom. The story

prosecutors present is devastatingly clear. This was about Dan losing

clear. This was about Dan losing control. He was not in love with

control. He was not in love with Christile and that resentment had turned to rage by the time we get to December 14th. Think about what he did to her.

14th. Think about what he did to her.

You don't do that to somebody you love.

Think about the absolute nightmare and hell that he made the last few months of her life.

>> On the other hand, Daniel's defense argues that there was no physical evidence placing him at the crime scene and that he could not have been the killer. We know the physical evidence

killer. We know the physical evidence and there is an enormous disconnect between that and the circumstantial picture the def the prosecution wants

you to believe. Mr. Krug did not kill his wife. He did not commit these

his wife. He did not commit these crimes.

>> After both sides make their case, the jury deliberates for nearly 2 days. And

on April 17th, 2025, they return with their verdict. We the jury find the

their verdict. We the jury find the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree.

>> Daniel is found guilty of firstdegree murder, stalking, and criminal impersonation. He is sentenced to life

impersonation. He is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.