Peoria man facing charges in 1982 NY ax murder case

A Peoria man has been charged in the ax killing of his wife more than 37 years ago.

James Krauseneck Jr., 67, was arrested and brought to Brighton, New York — a small suburb of Rochester — where he’s accused of delivering a fatal ax blow to the head of his then-wife, Cathleen “Cathy” Krauseneck, who was 29 at the time of her death on Feb. 19, 1982, according to a report from the Democrat & Chronicle.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Krauseneck was extradited from Arizona as of Monday afternoon. The U.S. Marshals Service, which typically handles extraditions, didn’t respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Krauseneck appeared in court on Friday with his daughter, Sara, who

was 31⁄2 years old and inside the home when her mother was murdered. She reportedly told police that she saw a “bad man” at the time of the incident. Krauseneck pleaded not guilty. During the initial investigation, Krauseneck told police he found his wife dead in bed where she had been struck in the head with ax. He then grabbed his daughter and went to a neighbor’s house where he called the police.

A broken window signaled a possible burglary, but investigators said money and jewelry were in plain sight throughout the home. Brighton police said the ax handle and surfaces across the house had been wiped clean of fingerprints.

Brighton police asked the FBI for help in more advanced DNA testing but didn’t disclose the results. Details about why Krauseneck was charged with his former wife’s murder nearly four decades later also were not immediately available.

Reports say Krauseneck is represented by Rochester attorneys William Easton and Michael Wolford, who represented him during the initial investigation.

“Over 37 years ago, Sara Krauseneck lost her mother and Jim Krauseneck lost his wife,” Wolford told The Democrat and Chronicle after the plea. “Today marks a further tragedy — Jim being charged with Kathleen’s murder.”

Krauseneck was released on $25,000 cash bail and partially secured bond of $75,000.

Cathy’s sister, Annet Schlosser, told the Democrat & Chronicle that her family had awaited the criminal charges against Krauseneck for decades despite the family supporting him during the initial investigation.

Records show Krauseneck and his current wife, Sharon, have owned a home in Peoria since 2017 and had purchased a home in Scottsdale in 2012.

Brandon Sheffert, a spokesman with the Peoria Police Department, said the department had no evidence of contacting Krauseneck or receiving calls to his home address.