Albany man confesses on-camera to killing elderly parents; remains found buried in backyard
Lorenz Kraus admitted on CBS6 interview to choking his father and strangling his mother, hours after authorities uncovered two bodies on the family property.
An Albany man confessed on camera to killing his elderly parents and burying their bodies in the backyard of their Albany home, hours after police uncovered remains on the property. The exclusive interview aired Thursday on CBS6 as investigators worked to verify the identities of the two people found buried in the yard.
Authorities identified the suspect as Lorenz Kraus, 53, and said Franz Kraus, 92, and Theresia Kraus, 83, disappeared in 2017. The Social Security Administration had requested a welfare check in May, prompting officers to visit the house. When they arrived, the couple was missing and authorities later found remains buried in the yard.
In the interview, Kraus admitted he buried his parents in the backyard. CBS6's Greg Floyd asked, "You buried them in the back of your house in Albany?" Kraus replied, "Yes." He described choking his father with his hands and strangling his mother with a rope, saying it took him days to decide to bury them on the property. He framed the killings as mercy for his aging parents.
Investigators found the first body on Wednesday and a second body on Thursday as they excavated the yard. Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox said investigators were working to positively identify the remains and determine a cause of death.
Kraus told Floyd that he did his duty to his parents and that his concern for their misery was paramount, but he acknowledged that what he did was wrong. He was arrested shortly after the interview.
After the taping, Kraus sent a statement to CBS6 and other outlets that did not mention his parents but floated a plan to replace state and federal governments with a board of trustees and included incoherent politics and conspiracy language about Gov. Kathy Hochul and President Trump.
Authorities continue to confirm the identities and causes of death. The investigation also uncovered a February 2020 welfare-check call from a relative, and neighbors said the Krauses had moved out of the country at some point.