New York man confesses to killing both parents, burying them in backyard during TV interview

A New York man, Lorenz Kraus, 53, confessed during a local television interview to killing both of his elderly parents and burying them in their Albany backyard, authorities said. Police have said Franz and Tereza Kraus vanished in 2017, and investigators later uncovered remains on the Crestwood Court property after officers executed a search warrant related to suspected financial crimes on Tuesday. A body was found in the backyard on Wednesday, and investigators recovered additional skeletal remains from the dirt on Thursday, according to Albany police.

Kraus sat for a sit-down with CBS6's Greg Floyd after police raided the family home on Tuesday, and the interview — described by authorities as a rare, seemingly frothy morning-news-style confession — included details that stretched beyond what is typically broadcast in such segments. Police spokesman Brendon Cox indicated Kraus agreed to speak with the station shortly after the raid, and the remarks were aired following the investigation into the property.

In the interview, Kraus described the killings as taking place in August 2017. He said he used his hand to smother his father and then used a rope to kill his mother a few hours later. When asked whether his parents had told him to kill them, Kraus replied, "Implicitly but not explicitly." He added that after his sister died, his mother would give him do-not-resuscitate prompts every few months, and that they had become increasingly dependent and less able to live independently. "There is something special about our family that we can somehow read each others minds. The context of all of this came to bear on me," he said. He described the moment of the killings as swift, acknowledging that he suffocated his father and, after his father died, his mother lay nearby for several hours before he finished her. Kraus said it took him several days to decide to bury them on the property.

Authorities disclosed that the search on the property began as part of a financial-crimes probe, and the discovery of human remains prompted a broader investigation that led to additional skeletal finds. Kraus was subsequently questioned by investigators and later arraigned on two counts of murder in the second degree and two counts of concealment of a human corpse, according to a statement from Albany police. Officers said the financial-crimes inquiry revealed Kraus had been using his parents’ Social Security benefits to support his own life, a detail that ties the broader investigation to the killings, though police emphasized the case remains under active adjudication and there is no ruling that the financial matters triggered the homicides.

During the interview, Kraus also gave a number of controversial and rambling responses. He alluded to his awareness that what he did violated the law, saying he knew he was breaking it, but he asserted that he was “doing his duty” as a son and claimed that the deaths were part of a larger, tragic family dynamic. He offered other provocative lines, including criticisms of political figures and theories about broad social issues, and at times invoked what appeared to be his Fifth Amendment rights when pressed about the killings. He told Floyd that his actions arose from a belief that he was acting in his parents’ interests, but he also described personal reflections that were difficult to reconcile with the facts.

After the interview concluded, Kraus was taken into custody by police outside the news station. He remains in custody as prosecutors prepare to present the case in Albany City Criminal Court. Investigators have said the social-security spending uncovered in the financial-crimes portion of the probe is part of what prompted the initial search of the property, though they have stressed that the murder charges are separate from those financial aspects. Authorities did not indicate any motive tied to the social-security funds beyond the claim that Kraus had used those benefits to sustain his lifestyle, with little if any direct personal gain apparent.

The case has drawn national attention for the sensational nature of the confession and the presence of remains found in a residential yard. In addition to the criminal charges, investigators and local authorities are evaluating the timeline of events between the 2017 disappearance and the discovery of the bodies, as well as any potential links to Kraus’s personal and online activity. Reports compiled by media outlets indicate that Kraus maintained a public profile on social-media platforms that included extremist content, though investigators have not said such material is tied to the homicides. A Daily Mail review noted posts linking to extremist sites and praise for Adolf Hitler, along with references to anti-Semitic conspiracies and other controversial topics; Kraus also had previously run for a presidential nomination on a New Hampshire ballot in 2020 as a Democrat, though his campaign site reportedly included anti-Semitic memes. Authorities have not indicated that these online activities are connected to the killings, and they note the ongoing legal process will determine any relevant implications.

Neighbors had told reporters that Kraus had suggested the family was moving to Germany, his mother’s birthplace, in an apparent attempt to conceal their disappearance. Kraus’s statements during the interview included references to political figures and a range of provocative opinions, some of which centered on nursing-home policies and the handling of deaths during the pandemic era. The interviewer pressed for clear answers, but Kraus offered a mixture of direct admissions and digressions, including remarks about state leadership and national politics. The interview also included Kraus’s requests that the footage be shared publicly, with him asking for the video to be posted on YouTube.

While prosecutors pursue the murder and concealment charges, the investigation into Kraus’s financial behavior continues. Police have said the money involved in the social-security spending helped fund Kraus’s personal life, but investigators stressed that the two murder counts and two concealment counts are the central charges at this time and that the case remains very much active in court.

The Albany community and national observers are awaiting further developments as legal proceedings continue. The district attorney’s office has not announced a date for a trial, and prosecutors are expected to provide additional updates as the case further unfolds. The events have raised questions about how family members’ financials and personal records are managed in such situations, and they have drawn scrutiny over the timeline of the 2017 disappearances and the subsequent discoveries in 2025.