BOSTON (AP) – A recent college graduate accused of killing his mother, grandparents and a caregiver was described Monday as a good friend and talented jazz musician who showed no signs that he was troubled.
Orion Krause, who was charged in the slayings, was ordered Monday to be sent to Bridgewater State Hospital pending a competency hearing. After the killings Friday, a neighbor said the 22-year-old Oberlin College graduate from Rockport, Maine, showed up naked and muddy at his home in Groton, a town about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Boston, and said he “just murdered four people.”
A longtime friend of Krause’s said he was shocked, calling him a great student and phenomenal musician who was well-liked by everyone. Wolfgang Boegel said he played basketball with Krause just two weeks ago and everything seemed normal.
“This is the most devastating news I’ve ever heard in my entire life,” said Boegel, 22, who now lives in Portland, Maine. “I was in complete disbelief. I didn’t think it was real at first.”
Krause’s attorney didn’t immediately respond to a phone message left Monday.