Upstate New York man confesses on TV: He killed his parents 8 years ago and buried them in his backyard

A man in upstate New York contacted a television station for a live interview, publicly confessing to killing his parents eight years ago and burying their bodies in their backyard. Police immediately responded to the station and arrested him, and prosecutors charged him with murder and concealment of a body.

According to the New York Times, Lorenz Kraus, a 53-year-old man from Albany, New York, confessed to the murders during an interview with WRGB, a local CBS affiliate, on the 25th.

During the half-hour interview, Krauss confessed to CBS6 anchor Greg Floyd, “I buried them at home.” Floyd then responded, “Did you bury them in the backyard of our Albany home?” Krauss replied, “Yes.”

Krauss said he killed his parents because they were becoming increasingly frail. Floyd asked, “Did they know they were done, that they would die at your hands?” Krauss replied, “Yes, and I was very quick.” He revealed that he strangled his 92-year-old father with his hands and his 83-year-old mother with a rope. He even argued, “I fulfilled my responsibilities to my parents. Their pain was my primary concern.” After the interview, Krauss was arrested by police as soon as he left the television station.

The Albany Police Department released a statement confirming that Franz and Theresia Kraus had been missing for years. Police suspected Kraus of “continuously stealing and misappropriating his parents’ Social Security funds,” and thus obtained a search warrant. Two bodies were discovered in the backyard of the deceased’s home on the 24th. Unexpectedly, Kraus contacted WRGB the next day for an interview, confessing to “all crimes” in the murders of his parents.

The 20-minute interview aired at 6 p.m. that evening. Albany County Assistant Public Defender Rebekah Sokol issued a statement reminding the public that Krauss’s innocence remains presumed until his sentencing is finalized. “It is extremely concerning if the constitutional rights of vulnerable groups are violated for the sake of ratings,” she added. “I am beginning to question whether television interviews will be admissible in court, but these are still early days and time will tell.”

An anonymous neighbor of the deceased’s residence also revealed to the media that she discovered the elderly couple missing in June 2017, but Krauss lied about his parents moving to Germany. She said, “Every time I asked him about his parents, he never looked me in the eye and his answers were always brief and hasty.”