Lorenz Kraus, 53, has been charged with two counts of murder after confessing to killing his elderly parents and burying their bodies in the back yard of their Albany home. The confession came during a remarkable interview with local television news channel WRGB, which aired on Thursday shortly after police discovered two sets of human remains at the property.
During the interview, Kraus told anchor Greg Floyd that he suffocated his father with his hands and used a rope to kill his mother. He added that his mother placed her head on his father's chest after his death, and he 'finished her' several hours later. Kraus buried the bodies after several days. Police arrested him outside the WRGB studios immediately after the interview.
Authorities began investigating after the Social Security Administration requested a welfare check on Kraus's parents, Franz and Theresia, who were thought to be 92 and 83. Officers found no sign of them, though benefits were still being collected. Investigators later uncovered human remains in the back yard, which police believe belong to the couple.
Kraus claimed the killings were an act of mercy, saying his parents were in decline after his mother was injured crossing a street and his father had cataract surgery. 'I did my duty to my parents,' he said, adding that 'communities need to widen up the law so that people can deal with these kind of problems'.
Kraus appeared in court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to two charges of murder and two counts of illicitly concealing a corpse. He was ordered held without bail. Local district attorney Lee Kindlon said the confession is helpful but physical evidence and witness testimony will be crucial.
Kraus, a former valedictorian and MBA graduate, had previously run an obscure presidential campaign and was known for adherence to conspiracy theories. A relative had contacted police in February 2020 to check on the parents, but a neighbour claimed they had moved abroad.
