A Texas man charged with fatally slashing the throats of his wife and infant son allegedly told co-workers he heard voices telling him to “kill people” and had dreamed of hurting his spouse, according to a newly released police affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.
The accusations detail suspect Craig Vandewege’s bizarre behavior before and after his 36-year-old wife, Shanna Vandewege, and their 3-month-old son, Diederick, were found dead in Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 15.
Before he was detained last week in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Craig, 35, allegedly told a man he met inside a 7-Eleven that he was bound for Las Vegas — where, he allegedly said, he planned to meet with President-elect Donald Trump to talk about the killings.
Forth Worth police allege Craig told the unnamed man at the gas station that “he was on the run” and that “the government was trying to conspire against him by saying he had killed his family.” He also allegedly said he was getting together with Trump “to work it out with him.”
On Wednesday, police were dispatched to the 7-Eleven in Glenwood Springs on reports of an individual acting suspiciously. The officers arrived just as Craig drove off.
Police tailed Craig’s vehicle and initiated a traffic stop soon after the car exceeded the posted speed limit, according to the police affidavit.
He allegedly showed “no emotion” as he explained to the arresting officers “it had been a long week and his wife and kid were murdered in Fort Worth, Texas,” the affidavit states. Shanna and Diederick were found in the master bedroom of their home with apparent knife wounds to their necks, authorities have said.
Before taking him into custody in Colorado, local police searched Craig and found a loaded pistol in his waistband, another gun in an ankle holster, and “a number of condoms in his pockets,” according to the affidavit He was also carrying a wedding ring
Inside his vehicle, officers recovered “camouflage, clothing, numerous bottles of medication and an AR-style rifle.”
Craig was arrested for allegedly speeding and not having proof of insurance. At the time of his arrest, Fort Worth authorities had prepared an arrest warrant for him on capital murder charges.
He is awaiting extradition to Texas, but authorities have not provided a timeline for when he may be returned from Colorado.
He has yet to enter a plea to the charges against him and his attorney, Leslie Barrows, was not available Monday for comment.
‘The Only Way He Could Tolerate His Wife Was by Drinking’
Fort Worth detectives have interviewed several of Craig’s co-workers since the Dec. 15 killings and learned that Craig allegedly often complained “about his wife and her appearance” and made statements about harming her, according to the affidavit.
Days before the slayings, Craig allegedly told a co-worker he’d had a dream in which “he ‘sliced the heads of his wife and father like bologna.’ ”
Soon after learning Shanna was pregnant, he allegedly told the same co-worker “he wished he could push her down the stairs and kill her that way.” Craig also told co-workers he was taking prescriptions that made him “hear voices that tell him to kill people,” police allege in the affidavit.
His wife “could not do anything right and she dressed and wore her hair poorly” and “the only way he could tolerate his wife was by drinking,” Craig allegedly said at work.
The affidavit characterizes his interactions with investigators as “overly calm” and notes that trace amounts of blood were detected on the rims of two sinks in the Vandewege home, suggesting someone attempted to clean the crime scene. Investigators further allege someone took steps to stage a robbery of the family’s home.
Shanna’s friends previously told PEOPLE she and Craig moved from Colorado in May after he got a promotion at work. Shanna was a registered nurse at a nearby hospital but was on maternity leave.
In an email to PEOPLE, childhood friend Monica Vance wrote, “ had wanted a family since she was a little girl. She planned it out, including names, before she was 12.”
Longtime friend Cindy Prevatt said, “Shanna was wonderful,” adding, “I can not think of one single thing that she ever did wrong. We are heartbroken, confused and angry.”
Mark Riddle, Shanna’s father, told ABC8 that the couple had three miscarriages prior to having their son.
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