DENVER — A Colorado guy used to be sentenced to lifestyles in jail with out the opportunity of parole on Friday for stalking his spouse whilst posing as her ex-boyfriend after which murdering her, acts that the lady’s father mentioned have been “natural egocentric evil” that experience robbed the couple’s 3 youngsters in their folks.
The necessary sentence got here an afternoon after jurors discovered Daniel Krug, 44, to blame of first-degree homicide for killing Kristil Krug in a while earlier than Christmas in 2023, in addition to felony impersonation and stalking that had made her concern for her circle of relatives.
The couple’s youngsters are actually being raised by means of Kristil Krug’s brother and his spouse, with assist from their prolonged circle of relatives, together with her father, Lars Grimsrud.
“Our complete circle of relatives won’t ever be the similar once more,” Grimsrud informed Pass judgement on Priscilla Loew earlier than the sentence used to be imposed.
Together with his marriage to Kristil Krug falling aside, prosecutors mentioned Daniel Krug determined to play “puppet grasp” by means of scaring his spouse after which looking to win her again by means of protective her from the pretend stalking, uniting them towards a commonplace danger.
Kristil Krug stored a log monitoring the an increasing number of threatening texts and emails that prompt she used to be being watched. As police investigated the messages, prosecutors mentioned Daniel Krug started to understand that he may face felony fees and began plotting learn how to kill his spouse to silence her and since she didn’t need to be with him anymore.
Prosecutors mentioned he waited for her to go back to their suburban Denver house on Dec. 14, 2023, after taking two in their youngsters to college, attacked her from at the back of and knocked her subconscious earlier than stabbing her within the middle.
On the time of the killing, the ex-boyfriend used to be an eight-hour power away in Utah, the place he used to be residing, consistent with investigators.
The protection wired there used to be no bodily proof or DNA linking him to the violent killing, noting that there used to be no blood present in his automobile or his garments.
Kristil Krug, a biochemical engineer who additionally used to be a skilled dancer, used to be described by means of friends and family as “fiercely good,” humorous and artistic.
Her cousin, Becky Ivanoff, mentioned Friday that Daniel Krug had “ripped a gaping hollow within the hearts of everybody who liked her.”
“The depths of depravity, the manipulation he displayed in torturing Kristil and her youngsters knew no bounds, and the fear he inflicted on her and her youngsters is not possible,” she mentioned.
On the request of prosecutors, Loew discovered that Daniel Krug’s crimes have been acts of home violence. Along with the lifestyles sentence imposed for the homicide conviction, Loew additionally added some other 9 ½ years to his sentence for the stalking and felony impersonation convictions.
District Legal professional Brian Mason mentioned the cause used to be “regulate,” pronouncing Daniel Krug’s movements have been “an instance of depravity.”
Krug selected to not talk earlier than he used to be sentenced. His older brother Jeremy Krug used to be the one particular person to deal with the pass judgement on from his facet of the circle of relatives.
Jeremy Krug mentioned the circle of relatives had held out hope that somebody else used to be liable for what took place and didn’t be informed of the proof linking his brother to the crimes till the trial. He expressed grief for the couple’s youngsters and mentioned he was hoping his personal youngsters would be capable of see their cousins.
“We like him and God forgive him what he’s performed,” he mentioned.
