Grand jury indicts Albany man who confessed to killing his parents

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)– A grand jury has indicted Lorenz Kraus in connection to the 2017 homicide of his parents, officials said. The case against Kraus will now move into county court from city court.

Kraus confessed to killing his parents in a TV interview after a social security investigation unveiled human remains in the backyard of 6 Crestwood Court in Albany. He was arraigned in city court on Friday, where he pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse.

He is expected to be arraigned in county court on the grand jury indictment in the coming days.

According to court documents, Kraus allegedly strangled his parents Theresia and Franz to death between January 7 and September 30 of 2017 in their home. Kraus allegedly then buried their bodies to prevent them from being found.

Police said his parents were still receiving social security benefits, which sparked a series of search warrants at the home. While conducting the warrants, investigators found the remains of two people, which they believed to be Theresia and Franz.

Hours later, Kraus admitted to CBS6 that he killed his parents.

Community members said Kraus told them his parents moved to Germany, but the remains’ discovery was shocking to them.

“It was shocking, obviously, but not particularly surprising once we sort of started talking about the circumstances that we were pretty, most of us were pretty, convinced that something very terrible had happened to the couple and that the son was clearly involved in some capacity,” Neighbor Chris Grill previously told NEWS10.

A vigil is expected to be held on Friday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. along Crestwood Court.