A man from Albany, New York, confessed on camera to killing his elderly parents and burying them in their backyard, just hours after their remains were uncovered.
According to the New York Post, 53-year-old Lorenz Kraus admitted during a televised interview with CBS6 that he had suffocated his father and strangled his mother in 2017 before concealing their bodies on the family’s property. The chilling confession aired only after police located two bodies in the yard of Franz and Theresia Kraus, who had been missing for years.
Investigators began digging behind the home on Wednesday, initially recovering one set of human remains before uncovering a second body on Thursday. Police said Kraus was arrested immediately after the broadcasted interview.
Chilling details from confession
In his interview, Kraus calmly detailed how he killed his parents, stating he first choked his father with his hand and later strangled his mother with a rope. He said it took him several days before he decided to bury them in the backyard.
When pressed by CBS6 anchor Greg Floyd, Kraus admitted he had “basically suffocated” his parents, at one point nodding when asked directly if he killed them. He appeared to shift between acknowledging the crimes and attempting to backpedal by invoking his Fifth Amendment rights.
Kraus also described how his mother placed his father’s head onto his chest after his death, before he “finished her” hours later. The remarks left even the interviewer visibly shaken.
Investigation into disappearance
Authorities revealed they had long been monitoring Kraus, initially in connection with possible financial crimes. The Times Union reported that the Social Security Administration alerted police in May after benefits continued being claimed under the couple’s names.
When officers performed a welfare check, they found no trace of Franz and Theresia, who would now be 92 and 83 years old. Investigators had also previously received a welfare check request in 2020, though a neighbor told them at the time that the couple had moved abroad.
The discovery of the bodies this week resolved the nearly decade-long mystery surrounding the Kraus family’s disappearance. Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox stated authorities are still working to formally identify the remains.
Claims of mercy killing and bizarre justification
During his interview, Kraus attempted to portray the murders as acts of compassion. He said his mother had been injured while crossing the road, and his father struggled with vision problems that prevented him from driving.
“I did my duty to my parents,” Kraus told Floyd, claiming his concern was for their suffering. He said he hoped Americans would expand laws to allow families to handle similar challenges with aging relatives.
Despite calling it “misery,” Kraus later contradicted himself, admitting that he knew what he did was wrong. He went on to link the murders to broader societal issues, suggesting baby boomers nationwide would face similar struggles.
Arrest and strange political statement
After his interview concluded, Kraus walked out of the CBS6 studio, where officers were waiting to arrest him. Police took him into custody without incident.
He later issued a lengthy statement to media outlets that did not address the killings, instead focusing on his personal political theories. Kraus suggested dismantling federal and state government institutions and replacing them with a board of trustees.
In the same statement, he referenced New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and President Donald Trump, attaching them to baseless conspiracy claims. He even claimed at one point that if his proposed plan were not accepted by the public, he could be prosecuted under German law.
