ALBANY, N.Y. (WRGB) — A man who confessed on camera to CBS6 that he killed his parents pleaded not guilty in court Friday, one day after his arrest in the CBS6 parking lot.
Lorenz Kraus, 49, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse after investigators discovered remains buried in the backyard of his parents’ home on Crestwood Court.
Kraus told CBS6 during a bombshell interview Thursday that he ended the lives of his parents, Franz and Theresia Kraus, to stop their suffering.
“I did my duties to my parents,” Kraus said during the interview.
He was arrested minutes later by police who were waiting outside.
Defense attorney Aaron Pam said the not guilty plea entered Friday is a standard step that preserves Kraus’ rights as the case moves forward. Pam noted the defense will likely focus on whether Kraus’ statements to CBS6 can be admitted as evidence — and how those statements align with forensic findings.
“We have a ruling law that a confession uncorroborated cannot be used as a basis for conviction.
He added how the confession will be measured against what the medical examiner finds, the condition of the bodies, cause of death, etc.
Legal experts say the medical examiner’s report could become one of the most critical factors in the case, both for prosecutors and the defense. The findings may determine whether Kraus’ statements are corroborated and how the case proceeds to trial.
“If there is either in this individual’s history or presently he’s showing signs of mental unhealth, then that may form the basis of an insanity type defense,” Pam said. “But certainly there’s a wide range of defenses available.”
Pam added that Kraus’ explanation — framing the act as ending his parents’ suffering — does not change the law.
“Any laws in support of assisted suicide in any state, especially New York, are not designed for home-based self-help,” Pam said.
For now, Kraus remains in jail without bail as investigators await the medical examiner’s report and a judge determines whether his on-camera confession will be admissible in court.
