Groton Quadruple Homicide: Neighbor Says Suspect Told Him 'I Murdered Four People'

GROTON, MA — Authorities are investigating a quadruple homicide and have arrested a man in the murder of four in what officials are calling a "tragic incident of family violence."

Twenty-two-year-old Orion Krause will be charged with four counts of murder, Middlesex DA Marian Ryan and Groton Police Chief Donald Palma Jr. said in a release.

Groton Police responded to a call of a person needing assistance on Common Street at 5:52 p.m. When they arrived, they were led to a second Common Street residence. It was there they located the bodies of an elderly man and woman and two middle-aged women, one outside a home and three inside. They are believed to have been killed by blunt force trauma.

The identities of the victims and and other details had not been released Saturday.

The violence is believed to have been targeted, and the town is not in danger, officials said.

Neighbor Wagner Alcocer, 52, said the suspect, Orion Krause, showed up at his back door Friday evening, naked and muddy with blood splattered on his face, and said "I murdered four people" after asking for help.

"I was totally shaken," Alcocer told The Sun newspaper in Lowell. "I didn't want him to run, so I told him to go to the backyard and sit in a chair."

When asked where his clothes were, Krause told Alcocer they were in the woods, Alcocer said.

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Alcocer said he contacted the authorities after Krause was seated and two officers showed up and spoke to Krause. Alcocer and his wife, Thekla, gave police a white sheet to cover him. Krause was questioned and taken away on a stretcher.

Alcocer said he was in disbelief about the deaths until police later confirmed the killings had taken place.

Alcocer didn't immediately return a message left for him by The Associated Press on Saturday. According to the town's website , a community vigil will be held Sunday for the four victims.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.

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