Update: Broomfield Defendant Sentenced to Life in Prison Without Parole Following Conviction for Murdering, Stalking Wife After Multi-Week Trial

Broomfield, CO – The District Attorney’s Office announced today the conviction of Daniel Krug, 44, for First-Degree Murder, following a multi-week jury trial in Broomfield County District Court. 

On December 14, 2023, Kristil Krug had just returned home after getting her children ready for school and dropping them off. As she entered the garage shortly before 8:00 a.m., her husband, Daniel Krug, was lying in wait. He ambushed Kristil from behind, striking her in the head multiple times with a blunt object before fatally stabbing her in the heart. 

An exhaustive investigation by the Broomfield Police Department identified Daniel Krug as the suspect. In an attempt to cover his tracks and mislead investigators, Daniel manipulated Kristil’s phone to send misleading text messages later that morning—one to her brother and another to a Broomfield detective—suggesting Kristil had been unfaithful, a claim that was proven false. He also used her phone to disable their home security system at 8:15 a.m. and covered the family’s doorbell camera with blue masking tape taken from a kitchen drawer. 

Surveillance footage captured Daniel leaving the house at 8:24 a.m.—approximately 30 minutes later than his usual departure time. He deactivated his car’s dash camera shortly before stopping for coffee and driving to his job at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in Glendale. 

At 8:56 a.m., Krug received the very messages he had scheduled earlier from Kristil’s phone, attempting to establish an alibi and create the illusion she was still alive when he left. However, digital forensic evidence showed Kristil’s phone had not been used after 8:22 a.m. 

Daniel arrived at work at 9:27 a.m. After sending a few unanswered texts and calls to Kristil around noon, he called Broomfield Police to request a welfare check. Officers arrived at 12:28 p.m. and found Kristil unconscious in the garage with clear signs of head trauma and a stab wound. She was pronounced dead at 12:43 p.m. 

In the two months leading up to the murder, Daniel carried out an elaborate scheme to impersonate a fictitious stalker, attempting to frame an ex-boyfriend of Kristil’s who lived in Utah. Using fake emails, burner phones, and online harassment—including vulgar and threatening messages, surveillance claims, and explicit advertisements—Daniel terrorized Kristil under the false identity. He even sent her a photo of himself arriving at work to support the illusion that someone was stalking both of them. 

The stalking caused Kristil severe anxiety and fear for her safety. She began carrying a concealed weapon and took firearm safety classes. Her entire family, including their three children, were aware of the so-called stalker. Police began monitoring the situation closely, even going undercover and surveilling Daniel and Kristil to help identify the source of the harassment. 

Shortly after the murder, Broomfield investigators located the ex-boyfriend in Eagle Mountain, Utah—more than eight hours from Broomfield. He had a verifiable alibi, and there was no evidence he had traveled. Investigators definitively ruled him out. 

Instead, digital forensics pointed directly to Daniel. One of the fake email accounts was created on a password-protected network at his workplace. Burner phones used in the harassment had been purchased using a Visa gift card registered to Daniel, and one such phone was seen in the same locations as Daniel’s personal phone on multiple occasions. Additionally, Google searches found on Daniel’s devices the day before the murder included: 

• “When is a head injury a cause for concern?” 

• “How hard would you have to hit someone in the head to make them unconscious?” 

• “How long can you be unconscious without brain damage?” 

Based on this overwhelming evidence, Daniel Krug was arrested and charged. 

Following a more than two-week trial, the jury convicted Krug of the following charges: 

• First-Degree Murder (F1) 

• Stalking – Emotional Distress (F5) 

• Stalking – Threat – Repeated Communication (F5) 

• Criminal Impersonation (F6) 

Judge Priscilla Loew sentenced the defendant to Life in Prison Without the Possibilty of Parole plus an additional nine and a half years consecutive on April 18, 2025, in Broomfield County District Court. A First-Degree Murder conviction carries a mandatory Life in Prison Without the Possibility of Parole sentence.  

"This was a brutal, calculated murder, preceded by months of manipulation, emotional abuse, and deception.  In planning and executing this horrific crime, Daniel Krug terrorized his wife, his children, and an innocent man—all in order to control and then murder a woman who no longer wanted to be with him,” said District Attorney Brian Mason.  

“I am extremely pleased with the verdict, and proud of everyone who came together to make this trial a success. Jurors agreed the evidence and testimony against Daniel Krug was both conclusive and damning,” said Broomfield Chief of Police Enea Hempelmann. “While we know it won’t bring Kristil back to her family and friends, we hope it closes a painful chapter in their lives.”  
 

This case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Fritts and Senior Deputy District Attorney Kate Armstrong. 

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