In a New York criminal case that has its share of unusual twists, the “Brighton ax murder” now has another: James Krauseneck Jr. is appealing his murder conviction from the grave.
The appeal, filed in the regional appellate court, is novel: Krauseneck died in prison May 5 and, because an appeal was pending, New York law calls for his indictment to be dismissed. So, as far as the state law is concerned, Krauseneck no longer stands convicted of the February 1982 murder of his wife Cathleen, who was killed with a single ax blow to her head as she slept.
