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Lorenz Kraus, a 53-year-old man from Albany, is scheduled to appear in court today after confessing to the 2017 murders of his parents, Franz and Teresa Kraus. On Thursday (September 25), Kraus admitted to the killings during an interview with WRGB, a CBS affiliate in Albany. He claimed the acts were "mercy killings" and revealed that he buried their bodies in the backyard of their home on Crestwood Court.
The confession came shortly after a multi-agency investigation uncovered human remains at the Kraus residence. Excavation teams recovered one set of remains on Wednesday (September 24) and another on Thursday morning. Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox stated that while they believe the remains belong to Franz and Teresa Kraus, formal identification and forensic testing are still pending.
The investigation began as a financial crimes case initiated by the Social Security Administration, which continued to send benefit checks despite losing contact with the couple. Authorities discovered that Lorenz Kraus had been collecting his parents' benefits for personal use.
Kraus, who was arrested immediately after his interview, faces charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse. He is known for his extremist views and even appeared on the 2020 New Hampshire presidential ballot as a Democrat with controversial statements.