Kristil Krug, a vibrant 43-year-old mother of three, chemical engineer, and beloved figure in her Broomfield, Colorado community, lived her final months in paralyzing fear. She believed a deranged ex-boyfriend from her teenage years was stalking her, sending vicious threats and escalating harassment that turned her home into a fortress of anxiety. But the truth, uncovered in a shocking investigation, was far more sinister: the stalker was her own husband, Daniel Krug, who orchestrated the elaborate deception to manipulate her into staying in their crumbling marriage. When his plan failed, he ambushed and murdered her in their garage just days before Christmas 2023 – a calculated act of domestic violence that has left her family shattered and the nation horrified.

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Kristil’s story begins with joy but ends in unimaginable tragedy. Born with a “big presence” and a “beautiful smile,” as her mother Linda Grimsrud described, Kristil was a gifted dancer, mechanical whiz, and razor-sharp intellect who earned a degree in biochemical engineering. She worked as a project manager for a global pharmaceutical and technology company, balancing a demanding career with raising her three children – then aged 16, 12, and 10. Friends and family remembered her as active, giving, and kind – the friend everyone wanted in their life. She met Daniel Krug through an online dating site in the mid-2000s, marrying him in 2007. For years, they built what appeared to be a stable suburban life in the Anthem neighborhood of Broomfield, a quiet enclave near Denver.

But by 2023, cracks had formed. Kristil confided in loved ones that the marriage was troubled; she and Daniel were sleeping in separate bedrooms. She was contemplating separation, a decision that prosecutors later argued triggered Daniel’s desperate and deadly scheme.

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The terror began in October 2023. Kristil started receiving disturbing messages purporting to be from Jack Anthony Holland, an ex-boyfriend she had dated briefly at age 18. The texts began innocently enough – suggestions of a meet-up or hookup – but quickly turned menacing when ignored. One read: “R u there? U should say yes when I offer pity f**k. Whatev saw ur pics u got fat. U should kill urself. Don’t waste my time.” Emails followed from addresses using Holland’s surname, escalating to threats against Kristil and even Daniel.

Terrified, Kristil compiled a detailed dossier and reported it to Broomfield Police on November 7, 2023, meeting with Detective Andrew Martinez. Body camera footage captured her distress as she handed over evidence, including phone numbers and addresses. Police launched an investigation, obtaining search warrants and placing counter-surveillance on the family. They swept Kristil’s car after the “stalker” claimed to have tampered with it. The Krugs installed advanced security systems, practiced safety drills with their children, and Kristil began carrying a firearm for protection – first one loaned by her father, then her own.

Family members noticed oddities in the messages, like references to “going back East,” tied to Daniel’s background rather than Holland’s. Kristil confronted her husband, who denied involvement. Her stepsister Jenna recalled Daniel’s alarming behavior: red face, “dead black eyes,” and tense jaw when angry, making her step back in discomfort. Yet no one imagined he was capable of such depravity.

On the morning of December 14, 2023 – just 20 days after Kristil’s 43rd birthday – tragedy struck. After dropping the children at school, Kristil returned home around 8 a.m. Surveillance footage later revealed Daniel lying in wait in the garage. He ambushed her from behind, bludgeoning her head multiple times with a blunt object before stabbing her fatally in the heart. He deactivated the home security system using her phone, taped over the doorbell camera, and scheduled messages from her device to create an alibi.

Daniel left the house at 8:24 a.m. – 30 minutes later than usual – turned off his car’s dash camera, bought coffee, and headed to his job at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Around noon, he began calling and texting Kristil, then requested a welfare check when she didn’t respond. Kristil’s mother, Linda Grimsrud, arrived to find her daughter motionless in the garage, a police officer administering CPR in vain. Kristil had been dead for hours.

In initial interviews, Daniel sobbed, expressing fear for his and the children’s safety. But detectives grew suspicious. Digital forensics traced the messages to burner phones, IP addresses at Daniel’s workplace, and devices linked to him. He had even sent a “test” text from the burner to his work phone and taken a selfie-mode photo pretending to be surveillance of himself.

Meanwhile, police contacted Holland in Utah. He provided a time-stamped receipt for a sweatshirt purchase at 12:16 p.m. on the murder day – impossible for an eight-hour drive from Colorado. Holland was cleared immediately.

On December 16, 2023, Daniel was arrested. Charged with first-degree murder, stalking, and criminal impersonation, he pleaded not guilty. The trial began April 4, 2025, in Boulder County Court. Prosecutors, led by Kate Armstrong, portrayed Daniel as a “puppet master” who terrorized his wife to scare her back into his arms. When she suspected him and planned to leave, he killed her “to silence her and punish her for not wanting to be with him.” Evidence included burner phones, fake emails, and testimony from a former girlfriend alleging similar post-breakup stalking by Daniel years earlier.

Defense argued sloppy police work and lack of physical evidence – no Daniel’s DNA at the scene, clean shoes despite blood. But on April 17, 2025, the jury convicted him on all counts. The next day, he received life without parole plus 9½ years for stalking and impersonation.

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Kristil’s family endured profound grief. Linda discovered the body and later said, “We were just all numb.” Jenna felt guilt for avoiding visits out of fear. Holidays amplified pain – Christmas 11 days after the murder, with the home sealed. They held a celebration of life in February 2024, finding solace in the children thriving under their care. “I can see a piece of her in each one,” Linda shared.

The case highlights domestic abuse red flags: aggression, manipulation, control. Family advocates for faster telecom responses in stalking cases, believing quicker action might have saved Kristil.

Daniel, now 45, serves his sentence at Sterling Correctional Facility. His actions – framing an innocent man, terrorizing his family – embody “pure selfish evil,” as Kristil’s father Lars Grimsrud stated.

Kristil’s legacy endures in her children and calls for awareness. Her story warns: Manipulation can hide in plain sight, even from those closest. Vigilance saves lives.

If you or someone you know is experiencing stalking or domestic violence, contact authorities immediately or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.