On the evening of May 17, 2023, a fatal shooting shattered the peace at the Lobster Claw II restaurant in Derry, New Hampshire. The victim was John Kratz Jr., a 64-year-old White male from Sandown who co-owned the restaurant with his brother. Derry police officers responded to a 911 call at approximately 5:48 p.m. and found Mr. Kratz Jr. in the kitchen, suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was rushed to the Elliot Hospital in Manchester, where he was pronounced deceased.
An autopsy later confirmed that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. The investigation quickly identified a suspect: the victim’s nephew, John Kratz, a 27-year-old from Candia who worked as a chef and kitchen manager at the family restaurant. He was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
According to a police affidavit, the suspect’s father and the victim’s brother, Lee Kratz, had run out of the restaurant shouting for help. The affidavit also stated that after his arrest, John Kratz confessed to shooting his uncle twice. He claimed he did so because he believed he was protecting his father from being murdered and that his actions were legal. He also told police about a history of mental health issues and said he had built the custom gun used in the shooting for protection.
In November 2023, a grand jury indicted John Kratz on two alternative counts of second-degree murder: one for knowingly causing his uncle's death and another for acting with extreme indifference to the value of human life. He was held without bail, and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. The case, however, took a significant turn as it approached trial.
In October 2024, weeks before jury selection was set to begin, the trial was suspended after a competency evaluation. John Kratz was moved to the Secure Psychiatric Unit at the New Hampshire State Prison. In December 2024, Judge Lisa English dismissed the murder charges against him without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled in the future. The decision was based on psychological evaluations that determined Kratz was mentally unfit to stand trial and was a danger to himself and others. The judge ordered him to be involuntarily admitted to the psychiatric unit for 90 days, after which he would be reevaluated for competency.
