Husband Arrested For 1982 Ax Murder of Wife in Brighton

Written by Jasmine

On February 19, 1982, James Krauseneck found his 29-year-old wife, Cathleen Krauseneck, in their Brighton home dead, with the murder weapon still stuck in her head. James Krauseneck was at work at Eastman Kodak at the time of her death, and their 3-year-old daughter was left alone with the body all day.

“It was very grim. We called it the ax murder house,” said John Marozas, who also lived on Del Rio Drive in Brighton.

After years without an arrest, the case eventually went cold… until now. After being cold for nearly 40 years, the Brighton Police Department arrested a suspect in Cathleen Krauseneck’s murder, and it’s her very own husband James Krauseneck. It turns out, Krauseneck fled very suspiciously and shortly after his wife’s death. 

According to former Assistant District Attorney, Lou Pilato, “One of the stranger things out of everything is him obviously taking off very quickly, and never pursuing any further contact with any police agency in terms of ‘have you found my wife’s killer yet?’”

Krauseneck, now 67-years-old, was charged with second degree murder of his wife and plead not guilty to the charge. He is currently out on $75,000 bond, $25,000 bail and is due back in court at the end of January 2020.