In the quiet community of West Orange, New Jersey, a retired couple, 81-year-old Michael Krieger and his 78-year-old wife Betty, were looking forward to a Thanksgiving celebration in New York with their family in 1992. However, the holiday took a tragic turn, and the couple would never make it to the gathering. Their lives were cut short in a brutal act of violence within the very place they called home.
The day before Thanksgiving, a handyman named Frank Masini, who had done carpentry
work for the Kriegers in the past, was at their residence. Trusting him as a familiar face, the couple had no reason to suspect the horrific events that would unfold. Masini, for reasons that would later become chillingly clear, launched a violent attack on the elderly couple. After the murders, he took money and other items from their home before leaving the scene.
When Michael and Betty failed to arrive for the Thanksgiving party, their concerned son contacted the police and asked them to check on his parents. Officers arriving at the West Orange home discovered the devastating scene. The investigation into the double homicide began, and detectives noted that there were no signs of a forced entry, leading them to believe that the perpetrator was someone the Kriegers knew and had willingly let into their home.
The focus of the investigation soon turned to individuals who had a connection to the couple, including Frank Masini. Although he denied any involvement when initially questioned, a crucial piece of evidence would ultimately link him to the crime. A bloody footprint left at the scene was found to be a match to a specific pair of specialized hiking boots owned by Masini. This, along with other evidence, led to his arrest.
Following his arrest, the full scope of Frank Masini's crimes came to light. He was not only responsible for the deaths of Michael and Betty Krieger but was also a serial killer. He confessed to the murders of two other elderly individuals. In 1993, Masini was sentenced to life in prison for his heinous crimes, bringing a close to the tragic case that had shaken the community of West Orange.
