Dateline: The Phantom – Who was Kristil Krug and what happened to her? Details from the latest true crime episode, explored 

You know it won't be a relaxing Friday night watch when Dateline teases a case called The Phantom! The episode (to air on September 26, 2025, at 9/8c with Josh Mankiewicz reporting) looks at the passing of Kristil Krug, a 39-year-old Colorado biochemical engineer, wife, and mother of three.

The Phantom was a fraud pulled off inside her house, resembling a stalker nightmare from a thriller. Kristil reported to the police about being harassed, watched, sent disturbing texts, and stalked.

She thought it might be her ex-boyfriend. But she was blind to the fact that Daniel Krug (her husband) was the so-called "phantom." Later, lawyers characterized him as a puppet master who used fear to get back at her.

In December 2023, Kristil died in her garage in suburban Denver.

Who was "The Phantom" in this marriage?

The Phantom is an unbelievable story. In late 2023, Kristil kept a log of the threats. According to NBC, the emails/texts were from her ex-boyfriend.

However, investigators later proved the account was created in Daniel Krug's workplace. He even used a gift card to buy the burner phone, which was making threats. Jurors learnt that Daniel, whose marriage was in trouble, thought the stalking would frighten Kristil before stepping in to protect her.

Prosecutors said that he wanted to set up a shared enemy to bring them closer by turning her fear into dependence on him. However, the plan turned into murder when Kristil refused to make amends. Daniel said he came home on December 14, 2023, after dropping off two of their kids at school.

According to the defense, he stabbed Kristil in the chest and left her unconscious. The surveillance system saw one camera taped over, and three (strangely) not recording! Kristil's mother installed the cameras for their safety.

The courtroom showdown on The Phantom

The Phantom trial was far from simple. Daniel was not directly linked to the crime scene by DNA, the defense claimed.

Despite wearing the same clothes throughout the morning, according to his daughter's testimony, there was no blood on them or in his car. Defense lawyers took the partial DNA of a mystery individual found on Kristil's neck.

By claiming that investigators mishandled the murder investigation as well as Kristil's earlier stalking complaints, they painted the police as careless, as you'll see on The Phantom. They even made the case that Daniel complained about being given an iced drink rather than a hot one, and that he went for his usual latte after authorities claimed that the crime had occurred.

As defense attorney Phillip Geigle argued: Is that really what a 'cold-blooded killer' would care about? Prosecutors said Daniel deliberately kept his cool.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Kate Armstrong told the jury:

"He didn't love her. He hated her. Think about what he did to her."

The jury thought the digital trail was stronger than the lack of DNA. Daniel was found guilty on four counts: criminal impersonation, stalking, and first-degree murder. He is facing a life sentence without parole.

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You can watch The Phantom on NBC on Friday, September 26, 2025, at 9/8c. The following day, it will stream on Peacock.

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