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Deputes accuse Grover Beach man of murdering local activist

April 9, 2021

David James Krause

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson announced Friday the arrest of a Grover Beach man suspected of the brutal murder of 90-year-old Lawrence Albert Bross of Oceano.

On April 8, deputies arrested 41-year-old David James Krause of Grover Beach for second-degree murder, meaning the death was not premeditated. At the time of his arrest, Krause was in jail on charges of vandalism, under the influence of a controlled substance and a parole violation.

Krause has a lengthy criminal history.

On a single day in June 2016, while a felon in possession of a firearm, Krause started a fire, stole a bus and crashed it, burglarized a home, and stole a car and crashed it. As the result of a plea deal, felony charges of arson, possession of a firearm by a felon and theft of a vehicle were dropped.

Krause then pleaded no contest to a felony charge of first-degree residential burglary and two felony counts of theft of a vehicle with prior convictions and was sentenced to six years in prison.

On Jan. 24, 2019, one of Bross’ neighbors found his body in his home on the 1400 block of Strand Way in Oceano. He had been beaten and stabbed.

After an extensive investigation, Detectives were able to identify Krause as a suspect in this case. Detectives conducted significant laboratory followup which resulted in DNA which clearly identified Krause.

Investigators are not disclosing a motive for the brutal murder, while noting Krause and Bross had met before.

Bross, a longtime Oceano resident and activist, had worked as an educator. Since the early 80s, he worked to stop vehicles from driving on the Oceano dunes in front of neighborhoods.


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Yep from the start I felt this was a robbery AKA extortsion by a person strung out on drugs needing money and had seen an elderly single man as an easy target .It had been hinted that he was killed over objecting to use of the dunes by motor vehicles ….I felt that was way way off base ….I’ve never met any off-roader in my life that would kill someone over use of an off-road facility and I have met thousands of off-roaders in my life so far


0

What a Smile! Looks like he is Happy to be caught, must be a big relief to be in jail and not out in this harsh world. Which he obviously can not function in, But geese oh Mighty! I have a hard time getting over the judge dropping charges of felon in possession and theft of a vehicle? As though its ok to do these things? SO if you go on a rampage, just do whatever, cause chances are if you break several laws, you won’t be held accountable for at least half of them.


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I’m glad the sheriff’s detectives didn’t give up on this case. In the press reports they talked about forensic evidence, which would include DNA. The state crime labs are hopelessly back logged which could be the reason for the two year delay. Another reason could be advancements in DNA tests that might have allowed a private lab to re-examine physical evidence for DNA. Now if the sheriff’s detectives can solve the Kristen Smart case using forensic evidence that would really be something!


17

Does Dan Dow ever work? Because of him there’s a serial predator cop walking the streets. Looks like it’s going to cost the city of Paso millions of dollars. The Get out of jail free card seems to be Dows signature response. Especially when it’s crimes against women. Why did it take police two years for a DNA test on this murder? That should’ve taken one month. The only reason they caught Rex Allen Krebs was because his parole officer David Zaragoza did an amazing job zeroing in on Krebs. Dan Dow needs to retire. His record is pathetic. Don’t know Who’s side he’s on, the victim or the criminal.


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“Deputes”???


9

Krause sentenced to six years in prison 2016.

Bross murdered in 2019.

Is this the new math or is there something intrinsically wrong with our justice system.


118

I agree that there are things intrinsically wrong with our legal system, but I don’t think that not enough time in prison is the problem.


I’m would bet that those that made the decision to let him out a bit early didn’t do so under the belief that it was likely that he’d go out and kill someone.. and even if he served the full six years, that doesn’t mean he’s not going to kill someone in 2022 or 2023 instead of 2019. In other words, spending a couple more years in prison wouldn’t necessarily make the public safer in this case.


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