Dakota Valkyrie
February 10th, 2009, 08:34 AM
An estranged husband’s alleged murder-suicide plot was apparently foiled by the weapon he attempted to use to carry out the plan, according to Scranton police.
William Krause lit candles, displayed wedding photos and presented an urn to stage what might have been his and wife Marie Krause’s last day on Earth. Instead, two lives were spared by a semi-automatic pistol that wouldn’t fire, and the suspect is locked away in lieu of $1 million bail.
Krause, 48, was arrested hours after his wife’s report and charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats, attempted sexual assault, unlawful restraint and false imprisonment.
Mrs. Krause left work at about 2 p.m. with her husband, from whom she separated six weeks earlier. He wanted to talk, and she agreed.
The two ate lunch together, and “everything appeared to be fine.” They even visited briefly with one of their sons, Jeffrey, before he left to go to work.
After Mrs. Krause said goodbye to her son, she told her husband she had a cold and asked for a ride home. He asked her to follow him upstairs to his bedroom so he could “show her something.”
Mr. Krause turned off the bedroom lights to draw his wife’s attention to a television stand with a burning candle, three wedding pictures and, knowing Mrs. Krause wanted to be cremated, the Japanese urn she picked out for her ashes.
Then he handed her a letter explaining his love for her and how they would be together forever and apologizing for what he was about to do.
As his wife began to cry, Mr. Krause removed a small, black semi-automatic handgun from his dresser drawer.
“I’m sorry I have to do this,” he said. “It’s the only way we can be together forever.”
Mr. Krause pushed her on the bed, face first, then put the gun under her chin, creating a red, circular mark that remained a day later.
She heard a clicking noise, as if the trigger on the .38-caliber gun was being pulled two or three times. She screamed and pleaded for her husband to stop.
Mr. Krause then knocked his wife’s top teeth out and stuck the gun in her mouth, according to the affidavit.
Again, she heard the gun click several times.
The two struggled on the bed as Mr. Krause punched his wife in the mouth and left eye. He ripped off her pants and underwear, but Mrs. Krause continued to struggle and plead for help.
She convinced her husband to call another son, William Jr., to whom Mrs. Krause believed her husband would listen.
When their son arrived a short time later, he took the gun from his father and removed the clip. One cartridge fell from the chamber.
William Jr. gave the weapon to an uncle, Carl Krause, who turned it over to police. The cartridge showed a mark from the gun’s firing pin, but it hadn’t discharged.http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/articles/2009/02/08/news/sc_times_trib.20090208.a.pg3.tt08murderattempt_s1. 2289062_top5.txt
William Krause lit candles, displayed wedding photos and presented an urn to stage what might have been his and wife Marie Krause’s last day on Earth. Instead, two lives were spared by a semi-automatic pistol that wouldn’t fire, and the suspect is locked away in lieu of $1 million bail.
Krause, 48, was arrested hours after his wife’s report and charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats, attempted sexual assault, unlawful restraint and false imprisonment.
Mrs. Krause left work at about 2 p.m. with her husband, from whom she separated six weeks earlier. He wanted to talk, and she agreed.
The two ate lunch together, and “everything appeared to be fine.” They even visited briefly with one of their sons, Jeffrey, before he left to go to work.
After Mrs. Krause said goodbye to her son, she told her husband she had a cold and asked for a ride home. He asked her to follow him upstairs to his bedroom so he could “show her something.”
Mr. Krause turned off the bedroom lights to draw his wife’s attention to a television stand with a burning candle, three wedding pictures and, knowing Mrs. Krause wanted to be cremated, the Japanese urn she picked out for her ashes.
Then he handed her a letter explaining his love for her and how they would be together forever and apologizing for what he was about to do.
As his wife began to cry, Mr. Krause removed a small, black semi-automatic handgun from his dresser drawer.
“I’m sorry I have to do this,” he said. “It’s the only way we can be together forever.”
Mr. Krause pushed her on the bed, face first, then put the gun under her chin, creating a red, circular mark that remained a day later.
She heard a clicking noise, as if the trigger on the .38-caliber gun was being pulled two or three times. She screamed and pleaded for her husband to stop.
Mr. Krause then knocked his wife’s top teeth out and stuck the gun in her mouth, according to the affidavit.
Again, she heard the gun click several times.
The two struggled on the bed as Mr. Krause punched his wife in the mouth and left eye. He ripped off her pants and underwear, but Mrs. Krause continued to struggle and plead for help.
She convinced her husband to call another son, William Jr., to whom Mrs. Krause believed her husband would listen.
When their son arrived a short time later, he took the gun from his father and removed the clip. One cartridge fell from the chamber.
William Jr. gave the weapon to an uncle, Carl Krause, who turned it over to police. The cartridge showed a mark from the gun’s firing pin, but it hadn’t discharged.http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/articles/2009/02/08/news/sc_times_trib.20090208.a.pg3.tt08murderattempt_s1. 2289062_top5.txt