Justice Served: California Man Sentenced Years After He Killed 90-Year-Old War Vet Remembered for His 'Zest for Life'

A 90-year-old Coast Guard vet was in his home when a man broke in and killed him. Now, the murderer will spend decades behind bars.

A California judge recently sentenced David James Krause, 42, to 30 years to life on a murder charge. Krause pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and elder abuse resulting in death for killing Larry Bross, 90, in 2019.

Krause was previously convicted of burglary, which automatically doubled his murder sentence to the 30 years to life, according to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office.

On Jan. 24, 2019, Bross was found dead in his home in Oceano, California, prosecutors stated. According to charging documents, the victim died from blunt force trauma and was attacked with an unidentified object.

Krause was identified as a suspect early in the investigation but was not arrested.

Leads ran dry until April 2021 when Bross’ blood was confirmed to be on a shoe taken from Krause years earlier, prosecutors said. That led to his arrest and charge.

Bross moved to Oceano in 1988 after serving in the Coast Guard during the Korean War, prosecutors said. He also taught history and government at a California high school for 30 years.

“My father was a collector of ideas and people,” his daughter said at a sentencing hearing, according to prosecutors. “When he walked the beach he would strike up conversations and invite people to his home, a place where he loved to share his art and wisdom, and that zest for life that he just had. 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’ son said his elderly dad had spent 50 years turning the Oceano cabin into a home. He welcomed strangers and friends with open arms.

“Although this sentence will not alter the impact of this senseless crime, it is an important step in the grieving process for the Bross family,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “We thank the Sheriff’s Office for their dogged determination in solving this crime and striving to keep our community safe. Our hearts remain with the Bross family and loved ones who are suffering the pain of his loss.”