GROTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A man charged in a gruesome quadruple murder in Groton appeared in Woburn District Court Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to killing three family members and a caretaker.
Orion Krause, 23, of Rockport, Maine, is accused of fatally beating his mother, grandparents and their home health aide with a baseball bat in September 2017.
Prosecutors say Krause traveled from his Maine home to Groton, where he shared a meal with his family before murdering them.
Krause allegedly beat his grandparents to death as they sat in their armchairs. The home health aide tried to escape, but prosecutors say Krause chased her down and killed her outside the home.
In March, a Middlesex County Grand Jury indicted Krause on four counts of murder.
“It’s a really difficult situation,” Krause’s aunt said outside the courtroom. “That’s really all we have to say.”
Krause has been found competent to stand trial as he undergoes treatment at Bridgewater State Hospital.
Krause’s lawyer told 7News that he believes mental illness is to blame for the murders. His lawyer says an insanity plea is likely.
This is a developing news story, 7News will be adding information as it becomes available.
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