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ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — In the neighborhood where Franz and Theresia “Terri” Kraus called home, mourners gathered to remember the two lives lost and held a candlelight vigil that honored and memorialized their lives.
“Thank you very much for making this happen and joining in and being a part of honoring these two people,” said co-organizer Thomas Moore, who is the leader of the Whitehall Road Neighborhood Connection.
Elizabeth “Liz” Ammian, the Krauses’ neighbor and the other organizer of the vigil, said, “They were wonderful, beautiful people. And they deserve to be honored.”
Dozens of neighbors from the Whitehall Road community stood side-by-side with candles in hand to honor Franz and Terri.
Liz, who lives two doors down from the Kraus home, said she remembered her neighbors fondly. “Terri always had these floppy straw hats, but these beautiful cotton skirts and flowing. And when they walked hand in hand, they had a purpose and a determination. So, neighbors got together, and we would look out the window and just say, ‘Ooh! There goes Captain and Tennille.’”
Liz shared with the crowd the one memory of Franz that really stood out to her.
“Terri would leave to go to church. Franz would bring out a chair, a portable stereo, put on a Polish album, his hat, and he would proceed to dance. And it was the most amazing, uplifting dance. It was, to me, like an Irish jig. That man could kick his legs, hit the ground, come back up, spin around.”
Liz said it was the finale she loved most. “He would throw his arms up in the air and thank God. Then he would roughly check his watch, scoop everything out, bring it back in the house and come outside and start weeding. So that when Terri came home, Franz was weeding. And that will be my fondest memory, is their walks and his dancing, because that was priceless.”
Sadly, Liz said she always felt something was off ever since the Krauses’ son, Lorenz, claimed his parents had up and moved to Germany. “It’s like you knew in your heart something was not right. But maybe you’re wrong. Maybe you watch too much ‘Dateline,’ maybe? You know, it’s very mixed emotions. You think you’re in a cute, safe neighborhood, and then something like this happens.”
Lorenz was charged with two counts of second degree murder and two counts of concealing a corpse after he confessed to their killings in a television interview. Court documents allege he strangled his parents, Franz and Terry, to death some time between January 7 and September 30 of 2017 at their family home on Crestwood Court. He buried their bodies in the backyard allegedly to prevent them from being found.
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James De La Fuente
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