A former Democratic presidential candidate shocked viewers when he admitted to killing his parents during a live television interview in Albany.
Lorenz Kraus, 53, confessed to CBS6 anchor Greg Floyd that he had murdered his parents eight years ago, just one day after police discovered their bodies on his property. The stunning admission occurred during a 30-minute interview that aired Thursday evening, according to Breitbart reporting.
Police arrested Kraus immediately after he left the television studio following his on-camera confession. He was arraigned Friday in Albany criminal court on two counts of murder and concealment of human corpses, entering a not guilty plea to all charges.
Disturbing Details Emerge During Television Interview
Kraus initially showed reluctance to discuss the circumstances surrounding his parents' deaths when the interview began. The conversation took a dramatic turn several minutes in when anchor Greg Floyd pressed him about whether his parents knew what was happening to them.
When Floyd asked if the parents knew they were dying at Kraus's hands, the suspect responded affirmatively, saying, "Well, yes, no one else's."
The interview aired during the station's 6 p.m. broadcast, with police waiting in the parking lot by the time it concluded.
Alleged Mercy Killing Motivation Revealed
Kraus described the murders as mercy killings, claiming he wanted to prevent his parents from experiencing the deterioration associated with aging. Franz and Theresia Kraus would have been in their 70s and 80s at the time of their deaths in 2017.
The suspect admitted to strangling his father with his bare hands before using a rope to kill his mother after she had spent hours lying on her husband's chest. He then buried both bodies in the backyard of their Whitehall section home in Albany.
Kraus stated that while his parents did not request to be killed, "they knew they were going downhill," and he believed he had fulfilled his "duty to them as a son." The discovery of the bodies resulted from a Social Security Administration welfare check after investigators found Kraus had allegedly been collecting his parents' benefits for personal use.
Conspiracy Theories and Antisemitic Beliefs Surface
Court documents revealed that Kraus had shared a manifesto containing antisemitic and bigoted remarks with the news station. The document identified various groups, including Zionists, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Rhodes Scholars, as "domestic enemies" while requesting prosecution under German law.
Kraus's online presence over recent years demonstrated hatred toward multiple groups, including the British, Council on Foreign Relations, Freemasons, and Jewish people. His posts promoted various conspiracy theories that appeared to drive his extremist worldview.
The Albany Times Union reported that Kraus's conspiracy-driven content revealed deep-seated prejudices that had developed over several years. His online activity showed an escalating pattern of antisemitic rhetoric and anti-government sentiment.
Political Background and Presidential Campaign
Kraus mounted an unsuccessful Democratic presidential campaign in New Hampshire during 2020, running on a platform that called for dissolving the presidency. His campaign promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories while advocating for radical changes to the American political system.
During a 2020 campaign interview, Kraus referred to then-President Trump as a "lunatic Zionist waving a gun in everyone's face" when questioned about nationalism. He claimed that beating Trump would require being a "true nationalist," according to campaign coverage from that period.
Following his Friday court appearance, Kraus was ordered held without bond at the Albany County jail. The case has drawn attention due to the unusual circumstances of the televised confession and the defendant's history of political activism, combined with extremist beliefs.
