Naman Shrestha
The brutal and untimely murder of 29-year-old Cathy Krauseneck in her upstate New York residence in February 1982 shook the entire community to its core. The investigation, which spanned over four decades, was full of twists and turns, as the detectives moved heaven and earth to get to the bottom of the case. The case and the intricate details of the investigation are covered extensively in ’48 Hours: The Brighton Ax Murder’ and NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Bad Man.’ The documentaries also feature exclusive interviews with Cathy’s loved ones, who recount the impact the loss had on their lives.
Cathy Krauseneck’s Life Was Rooted in Her Family and Friends
On April 14, 1952, Cathleen Rose Schlosser Krauseneck arrived as a ray of sunshine in the life of Robert Edwin and Anna Theresa Zablocki Schlosser in Mount Clemens in Macomb County, Michigan. The Schlosser household was filled with the laughter and footsteps of six kids, all of whom shared a great bond. The truck driver father and Polish-American matriarch raised their kids with immense love and warmth. Just like the others, Cathy grew up to be a free-spirited and bright woman who had high hopes for the future. Due to her kindhearted, enthusiastic, and helpful personality, she made friends wherever she went. She had an infectious zest for life and could turn up the energy of even the dullest room.
On the personal front, Cathy crossed paths with a local from her town, James Frederick Krauseneck, Jr., in high school. One thing led to another, and they began dating while they were pursuing higher education at Western Michigan University. While they hailed from opposite ends of Mount Clemens, with James’ father running a carpet store (Krauseneck Carpets & Rugs), their love transcended boundaries. They tied the knot on May 3, 1974, and left the town to settle down in Fort Collins, Colorado. Cathy had pursued a career in Physical Therapy and served as an Orthopedic Therapist. Meanwhile, James enrolled at Colorado State University to obtain a degree in economics. In April 1978, the pair welcomed their first child, an adorable little girl they named Sara.
Cathy Krauseneck’s Murder Was Staged as a Burglary Gone Wrong
Not long after Sara’s birth, the trio moved to Virginia, particularly to Lynchburg. James had taken up a job as a Professor of Economics at Lynchburg College in 1979 and worked there until 1981, when they relocated again, this time to New York, in September. By the time 1982 rolled around, the Krausenecks had built a comfortable life on Del Rio Drive in the affluent suburb of Brighton in Rochester. Jim was employed as an economist for Kodak. Cathy was a doting mother who loved to create beautiful memories with her 3-year-old Sara. The mother-daughter duo often headed out for some fun time, which involved activities like sledding.
In her downtime, Cathy loved to simply walk or take her bike out and drive around the community. Cathy was looking forward to heading to the circus with her baby girl on February 20, 1982, but tragedy struck the Krauseneck household a day before, on February 19. Sometime in the evening of that fateful day, the authorities received a call from Cathy’s neighbor, reporting a possible murder. She further informed that a panic-stricken James arrived on their doorstep holding Sara in his arms. When the police arrived at their residence, they witnessed a horrific scene — Cathy had an axe still lodged in her skull.
While looking around, the authorities observed that the house was in disarray, with several items, such as her purse and pieces of crockery, strewn across the floor of the dining room. They also recovered a trash bag containing a subtle shoe print. While no foreign fingerprints were discovered, the police determined that nothing of value was taken from the residence, and it looked like a staged burglary. Furthermore, the murder weapon (ax) was owned by the family. The autopsy reports confirmed that there was no evidence of sexual assault and determined the cause of death of the 29-year-old to be the ax wound. It also disclosed that Cathy was killed sometime in the morning, likely between 4:30 am and 7:30 am.
Cathy Krauseneck’s Killer Was Apprehended Four Decades After the Murder
As Cathy Krauseneck was last seen alive by her husband, James Krauseneck, on the morning of February 19, 1982, the detectives interviewed him. He claimed that he left for work around 6:30 am and returned in the evening, only to find the garage door open and his wife dead. In the next bedroom, their 3-year-old daughter, Sara, was not harmed. She told the detectives that she saw a “bad man” who had many colors on his face. The investigators concluded that she was describing her late mother, covered in blood. During the initial phase of the investigation, James was fully cooperative, but within 24 hours, he was considered a prime suspect in the case. Amidst the suspicion, he also relocated to Michigan with his daughter and hired a lawyer a few days later. Given the lack of evidence, Cathy’s murder case went cold for several decades.
During these decades, James got into a couple of brief marriages before meeting Sharon at a trade show in 1997. As they connected romantically, they dated for two years and took the next step in their relationship by tying the knot in 1999. In 2012, a convict named Edward Laraby, who was tied to attempted murder, robbery, and rape, emerged as a possible suspect. At the time of Cathy’s death, he lived in the same area as her and James. Moreover, he wrote a confession, claiming that he was responsible for her murder. However, his claims did not match the details of the case, so he was eliminated as a suspect. In 2014, he passed away in prison. The following year, the murder case of Cathy was reopened as the FBI provided resources to help with the investigation.
On April 16, 2016, the detectives paid an unannounced visit to James and Sharon’s house in Gig Harbor, Washington, where they interviewed him. During the visit, the investigators accused him of murder while James denied any involvement. A few years later, on November 1, 2019, he was officially indicted in light of the circumstantial evidence against him. About a week later, James voluntarily surrendered himself to the authorities. After pleading not guilty, his trial commenced on September 6, 2022. The jury deliberated for about 10 hours before reaching a verdict. On September 26, he was convicted of second-degree murder of his first wife, Cathy Krauseneck. A few months later, on November 7, 2022, 71-year-old James was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
Read More: Sharon Krauseneck: Where is James Krauseneck’s Wife Now?
