New York man confesses on Live TV to killing parents 8 years ago, arrested moments after interview

United States: Shock and disbelief swept through New York after 53-year-old Lorenz Kraus was arrested following a live television interview in which he confessed to killing and burying his parents eight years ago. The interview was conducted by local news outlet CBS6 in Albany.

Reportedly, the confession was made on Thursday a day after the police found his parents, Franz and Theresia Kraus, buried in the backyard of their Albany home.

According to official sources, police launched an investigation into alleged financial fraud after Franz and Theresia Kraus had reportedly gone missing for years, yet their Social Security payments continued. Lorenz Kraus is now accused of misusing his parents' benefits during their absence.

After the discovery of Franz and Theresia Kraus's bodies by police, 53-year-old Lorenz Kraus reportedly emailed a two-page statement to local news outlet CBS6, which included his phone number.

Lorenz Kraus was charged Thursday with murdering his parents and concealing their bodies -- moments after a lengthy interview with CBS6 anchor Greg Floyd. Greg sat down with fellow anchor Tom Eschen to share his impressions of the interview, Kraus, and the shocking confession. pic.twitter.com/QJ0cVHWx5u

— CBS 6 Albany - WRGB (@CBS6Albany) September 26, 2025

The news director, Stone Grissom quickly reached out to Kraus over the phone and asked him if he had killed his parents to which Kraus replied, “I plead the fifth.” Grissom asked him to come to the news station and within an hour Kraus was there to have an interview.

News anchor Greg Floyd, with only 10 minutes to prepare for the interview, began with asking Kraus about the deaths of his parents. Initially Kraus was reluctant to answer any questions although by the 8th minute of Floyd pressing on with the question “Did you kill your parents?” Kraus began admitting to the murdering of both his parents by suffocation sometime in August 2017.

During the interview, Floyd asked Kraus if his parents realized it was him when he suffocated them, to which Kraus replied, 'Yes, it was so quick.' Kraus went on to admit that he buried his parents on the backyard of this parent’s property, a house in Albany.

Kraus noted that his concern for his parents' misery was paramount as the mother had been injured in a fall and his father could no longer drive after cataract surgery, leading him to make the decision to end both his parents' lives as an act of mercy.

Franz and Theresia Kraus, were reportedly aged 92 and 83 at the time of their death, with the son describing them as World War II survivors from Germany.

Kraus was immediately arrested after his interview in the parking lot of CBS6 news studio, where he has been charged with two counts of murder. He reportedly appeared before Judge Joshua Farell at Albany City Court on Friday, September 26 but did not speak although his public defendant entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Kraus is currently being detained without bail.