A central Alberta man on trial for murder admitted to police he was involved in the 2013 deaths of his parents and sister, after he heard emotional pleas from family members desperate to learn the truth.
A Red Deer court was told Tuesday that the confession of Jason Klaus, 41, came last August after a gruelling day-long interrogation by RCMP investigators.
Klaus is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of his parents – Gordon and Sandra – and of his sister, Monica.
Court heard Staff Sgt. Mike McCauley laid his final card on the table when he showed Klaus videos from his grandparents and a cousin.
They begged him to be a hero and tell the truth about what happened at the Klaus home near Castor, Alta., in December 2013.
Klaus then shared his account of what took place the night Gordon, Sandra and Monica were shot and killed and their house burned down.
The remains of Gordon and Monica were identified but Sandra’s remains were never found. Police said they believed she was inside the farmhouse at the time of the fire.
Klaus said he was not at the house when the murders happened but waited at the end of the driveway after giving co-accused Joshua Frank a ride.
“Tell the truth what happened,” Klaus’s grandparents had begged in the video.
“Do it for us … only you can tell us.”
A cousin told Klaus in an even more emotional video that he had always been a role model.
“Growing up you were my hero … everything I wanted to be,” the cousin said to Klaus.
“I need you to be my hero again and be that guy I know you are and wanted you to be. We all need to know why.”
Court heard that Klaus told McCauley that the original intent that night was to break in and steal a trophy deer rack from the living room. Things evolved to the point where Frank offered to kill the family, Klaus said.
READ MORE: 2 men to stand trial in deaths of family in central Alberta house fire
“I didn’t flat out ask him, but he offered to take care of things,” Klaus told McCauley.
Klaus said he tried to back out at the last minute, but it was already too late. Frank had already lit the house on fire after shooting the three victims. In addition to three counts of first-degree murder, Frank has also been charged with killing the family’s dog.
“What was in it for him?” McCauley asked.
“Some cash down the road,” replied Klaus, who explained he’d promised to pay Frank $20,000 to $25,000.
The interrogation ended with Klaus crying and expressing regret over what happened.
“I’m not a bad guy, Mike. I’m not,” he sobbed. “My family meant the world to me.”
Justice Eric Macklin ruled on Tuesday that the Klaus statements to police were given voluntarily and are admissible as evidence.
A second voir dire is to be held regarding the admissibility of statements made by Frank.
READ MORE: Judge grants delay in 1st-degree murder trial for central Alberta men accused of killing family
— With files from Global News