Shivangi Sinha
Cathy Krauseneck’s death came as a devastating shock to her father. In his eyes, she had gone from living a happy life with her husband and young daughter to being brutally killed in her bedroom overnight. That February day in 1982 left him with countless unanswered questions. Over the years, some details began to surface, but he never imagined how accurate his suspicion about the killer would prove to be. In CBS’ ‘48 Hours: The Brighton Ax Murder,’ he opened up about the tragedy and shared how losing Cathy forever changed him and the rest of their family.
Bob Schlosser Initially Did Not Believe That John Krauseneck Had Killed His Daughter
Robert “Bob” Schlosser built a life with his wife, Anna Theresa Schlosser, in Mount Clemens, Michigan. They raised six children in a close-knit and content household. When his daughter Cathy fell in love with her high school sweetheart and married in 1984, Bob happily celebrated alongside her. The arrival of his granddaughter Sara in 1979 marked one of the happiest moments of his life. However, that joy was shattered on February 19, 1982, when he received the devastating news that Cathy had been killed in her bedroom. It was so sudden and tragic that he struggled to believe it was real.
In a later interview, Bob said that he had never initially suspected his son-in-law, James Krauseneck, of being involved, but over time, he began to have his doubts. What raised his concern was how his granddaughter, Sara, was cut off from him after James moved to Michigan and allegedly did not allow her to have any contact with the maternal side of the family. Bob also noted that James had only spoken to the police once after the incident and had not communicated with them since, which further fueled his suspicions. When the case was reopened in 2015 and detectives began investigating again, charges were brought against James in 2019. For Bob, it felt as though the right person was finally being brought to justice.
Bob Schlosser Stood For His Daughter’s Justice in His Last Few Years
After John Krauseneck’s conviction, Bob Schlosser spoke with a mix of relief and sorrow. He said he wished the man would live 100 years, so that he could spend more of them in prison. In 2018, Bob’s wife had passed away, and though he was 95 years old at the time of the trial, nothing stopped him from being there to witness justice for his daughter. Outside the courtroom, his words carried the weight of four decades of waiting. He said, “We got our justice. It took 40 years. … Thank God, we got it.”
Bob had hoped to have his daughter’s remains removed from the Krauseneck family plot, but he was unable to do so. His granddaughter, Sara Krauseneck, stood in support of her father and did not authorize the request. In the years following the trial, Bob remained surrounded by his children and grandchildren. On June 20, 2025, he passed away peacefully at his home in Pellston, Michigan. As per his wishes, the ceremony was kept private, and he was laid to rest beside his beloved wife.
Read More: James Krauseneck: How Did Cathy Krauseneck’s Husband Die?
