On the afternoon of December 14, 2023, Anthony Holland was enjoying a television show when law enforcement arrived at his residence near Salt Lake City, Utah.
“I genuinely thought I was being arrested for something,” Holland recounted in an interview with “48 Hours.” However, he had no idea what alleged crime he was being accused of.
“Are you familiar with the name Kristil Krug?” one of the officers inquired. Holland mentioned that he had previously dated a woman by that name, who was actually his first love. They had broken up in the fall of 2000 and had not been in contact for years.
Unbeknownst to him, 43-year-old Kristil Krug—a mother of three—had been fatally shot in the garage of her Broomfield, Colorado home at approximately 8 a.m. that very day.
The murder of Kristil Krug and the ensuing investigation are featured in “The Setup Murder of Kristil Krug,” an all-new episode of “48 Hours” reported by correspondent Peter Van Sant. The episode is currently available for streaming on Paramount+.
In the weeks leading up to her death, Kristil Krug had informed authorities that she and her husband, Dan Krug, were receiving threatening texts and emails from a stalker, whom she suspected to be Holland.
Therefore, just hours after Kristil Krug’s murder, investigators in Colorado requested that Utah police visit Holland at his home, located about 500 miles from the crime scene.
However, Holland possessed an unassailable alibi. At 12:16 p.m. on the day of the murder, he was at a local department store purchasing a sweatshirt, making it impossible for him to have traveled to Colorado and back. He presented police with a time-stamped receipt and was swiftly cleared of any suspicion.
Holland shared with “48 Hours” that he feels Kristil’s “spirit” significantly contributed to his alibi and eventual exoneration that day.
“What prompted you to buy that new sweatshirt that morning?” Van Sant asked Holland. “I just felt an urge. I need another one. I don’t have enough,” Holland answered.
He further expressed that his late mother also played a role in vindicating him.
“I believe, either my mom or Kristil—since she was murdered shortly before I went to the store—her spirit might have traveled, and I think they had some influence on me because I was urged to go,” he explained.
“It was as if I was being told to go to the store. So, I did,” Holland recounted. “Later, I returned home, relaxed on my bed while watching TV, when I heard a loud knock at the door.”
Two days following Kristil Krug’s death, police arrested her husband, Dan Krug, charging him with stalking and murder.
Holland still possesses that sweatshirt. Its significance to him surpasses mere clothing; it stands as a symbol of justice for a woman he once cherished.
