Inset: Krystal Krause in court (WOIO). Background: The area in Ohio where Krause’s infant son died in 2023 (Google Maps).
In a grim recurrence of tragedy, a 41-year-old mother from Ohio is set to return to prison. Krystal D. Krause has admitted her involvement in the death of her second child, over a decade after she was incarcerated for a similar incident with her first child.
Appearing in Lake County Court on Thursday, Krause pled guilty to charges of reckless homicide and child endangerment concerning the 2023 death of her 2-month-old son, referred to in court as “DK,” as revealed in court documents.
This plea marks Krause’s second conviction following an earlier incident in 2009 when her 3-year-old son tragically drowned.
During the recent court proceedings, prosecutors disclosed new details about DK’s tragic demise. According to reports by CBS affiliate WOIO, DK suffocated after being placed in an unsafe sleeping environment, despite repeated warnings from doctors and caregivers about appropriate practices for infant sleep. This revelation was made public for the first time during the hearing.
A recently unsealed indictment alleged Krause, acting as the child’s parent, “recklessly” created a “substantial risk” to the infant’s health and safety by violating her duty of care and ultimately causing his death.
Officers with the Wickliffe Police Department on Nov. 15, 2023, responded to the family’s home on Ridge Road after receiving a report of an unresponsive infant, Cleveland NBC affiliate WKYC reported. First responders found the 2-month-old boy face down atop Krause’s bed. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
After an investigation, the case was presented to a Lake County grand jury, which returned the indictment in April, court records show.
The guilty plea marks the second time Krause has been convicted in the death of one of her children.
Court records show Krause was indicted in Summit County in 2009 on charges of involuntary manslaughter and child endangering following the death of her 3-year-old son.
According to WKYC’s reporting on that earlier case, investigators said the boy drowned after wandering outside and falling into a swimming pool while Krause was inside the home. She told police she had gone to the bathroom for about 10 minutes while the child was playing in the living room before discovering what had happened.
Under a plea agreement, the involuntary manslaughter charge was reduced to reckless homicide, and she pleaded guilty to reckless homicide and child endangering before receiving a two-year prison sentence.
Records show Krause was arrested April 9 in the current case after the grand jury returned the indictment two days earlier. She initially pleaded not guilty before changing her plea Thursday. She is represented by the Lake County Public Defender’s Office.
Krause is scheduled to appear for her sentencing hearing on Aug. 13, according to court records. Court records indicate she is facing between 18 months and six years in prison along with a fine of up to $20,000.