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Grover Beach man sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for murder

October 28, 2022

David James Krause

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A judge on Thursday sentenced a Grover Beach man to 30 years to life in prison for the murder of 90-year-old Oceano activist Lawrence “Larry” Bross. [KSBY]

David James Krause, 42, 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.

Following the incident, prosecutors gave Krause a plea deal in which they dropped felony charges of arson, possession of a firearm by a felon and theft of a vehicle. Krause 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’s neighbors found the elderly man’s battered body inside his home in the 1400 block of Strand Way in Oceano. Bross had been beaten and stabbed.

After an extensive investigation, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s detectives managed to identify Krause as a suspect in the case. Detectives conducted significant laboratory followup, which resulted in DNA that matched Krause’s. Deputies arrested Krause in April 2021, while he was in SLO County Jail on unrelated charges.

Krause assisted his wife, Irene Krause, with cleaning Bross’s home about a week before the Oceano man was killed. That was the first time David Krause and Bross had met, according to court testimony in the case.

Irene Krause told investigators she had cleaned Bross’s home multiple times prior to bringing her husband. At the time, David Krause had recently been released from prison.

Larry Bross

While at the house for the cleaning, her husband had a side conversation with Bross, Irene Krause said. She did not know what the conversation entailed, according to testimony.

A couple days later, Irene Krause told her husband to leave their home. Irene Krause kicked out her husband because of his drug habits.

After kicking out her husband, Irene Krause dropped off a backpack for him at the mobile home of a friend with whom he was staying. The backpack contained personal items, including a tool with a hammer head on one end and a bladed axe on the other.

The tool appeared to be a roofing hammer, Irene Krause told investigators. If Bross was killed with an axe or hammer, she would know who did it, Irene Krause said.

John McDaniel, a sheriff’s coroner sergeant, testified Bross’s injuries included a cracked skull, black eyes and cuts to the top of his head. Bross’s cause of death was multiple chop force traumatic injuries, McDaniel said.

Earlier this month, Krause pleaded no contest to charges of murder and elder abuse. He also admitted to having a prior conviction for residential burglary. The conviction counts as a strike under California’s Three Strikes law, and it led to the doubling of Krause’s sentence.

During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Bross’s daughter described her father as a collector of ideas and people. Bross would walk the beach, strike up conversations and invite people to his home, where he would share his art and wisdom.

“Our home was a place of peace for our family, friends, and strangers alike – and my father, a rock amid the turmoil of life,” Bross’s daughter said.


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Let me get this straight.


This guy was convicted of three felonies committed in June of 2016, and sentenced to 6 years. Even if he started serving his sentence the day he committed the crimes, he would still be incarcerated until June of 2022. Even with 50% time off for whatever reason, he still should have been incarcerated on January 24, 2019, when he murdered Mr. Bross? So, I can only reach two possible conclusions. Either, some judge, bureaucrat, or other “public” servant failed to do xis job (letting him out early), or he (being incarcerated at the time), has a really, really good alibi which was ignored at trial.


This article says that he has received 30 years to life for the murder of Mr. Bross, and that his sentence was doubled due to a prior conviction. Does this mean he was actually sentenced to 15 years to life (which would be a travesty), and it was doubled to 30 years to life, or does it mean his real sentence is 60 years to life (getting closer to what it should be)? After all, this was intentional murder. He can’t claim “Yah, I accidently hit my friend over the head multiple times with an axe”. Sounds to me like another judge failing to do xis job, and passing out light sentences to people who are an obvious danger to the public.


My ballot shows 16 judges currently up for election. Absolutely all of them appear to be unopposed. It is just a “yes” or “no” vote for each one. In the absence of information to the contrary, I must assume they are all appointed incumbents who simply agree with whoever originally appointed them and dispense injustice without regard to the effect on the public. I am voting “NO” for all the judicial positions.


11

Unfortunately, this coward will continue to have life. I feel for Larry Bross, his family and friends. This repeat criminal deserves worse. May he rot there in prison and then spend eternity in the depths of hell.


10

Look where this soft on crime, “social justice” ethos has gotten us. Not just in California but nationwide. I have friends that ask me, “well, how many prisons are you gonna build “


My answer, “ as many as it takes”


10

Hopefully a very special place in Dante’s Inferno for this miscreant.


5

I’m sorry, but a 30 to life isn’t sufficient. He murdered an innocent man. I prefer the death sentence without appeal, but because there is a “moratorium” here in Kalifornia, a life without parole would be fine.


29