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William Delany was killed and his son, Devon, was injured during a dispute between neighbors in February 2021 at this house at the corner of Cold Springs Road and Shriver Driver in Lysander. Saman tha House, shouse@syracuse.comSYRACUSEMan who killed his neighbor admits stealing from his momDouglass Dowty ddowty@syracuse.comA former Lysander man who shot his neighbor to death with a ghost gun during a dispute in February 2021 pleaded guilty Monday to stealing thousands from his own mom to support his substance abuse.William Kratz, 45, will spend nine years in prison under pleas that involve both his use of an illegal gun and his recent theft of money from his mother’s residence.Kratz was charged with illegal gun possession in the Feb. 22, 2021 death of his neighbor, William Delany, during a dispute between families who resided in the same duplex on Cold Springs Road along the Baldwinsville-Lysander line.During the dispute, William Delany’s son, Devon, eventually armed himself with a shovel and Kratz’s wife, Alicia, pulled a taser. The confrontation turned deadly when William Kratz pulled out a ghost gun and shot the elder Delany to death. The shooting also injured Devon, who was hospitalized for days.Ghost guns are untraceable, illegal firearms that are shipped in pieces and assembled by the purchaser.Kratz was charged with a felony that could have resulted in a maximum of 15 years in prison. He avoided a homiciderharop hp ronvinppH a crrnnH inrvDelany swung the shovel.William Kratz’s attorney, Charles Keller, asked a judge Monday to release his client from jail until sentencing next month, arguing that the burglary from his own family stemmed from Kratz’s substance abuse problem.But prosecutor Anthony Copani responded that William Kratz’s substance abuse problem is exactly what would get him in trouble again if he were released before going to prison. Keller noted that the Kratzs have lost all three of their children to Child Protective Services in the past year. William Kratz was hoping to see them again before going to prison.If he were released, William Kratz planned to live at the Rescue Mission homeless shelter in Syracuse, Keller added. County Court Judge Thomas J. Miller wouldn’t budge: William Kratz would remain jailed before beginning his prison sentence.His wife, Alicia Kratz appeared in court Monday to be arraigned on charges that she helped her husband during the thefts from his mom. She remains free.Devon Delany recently pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of attempted assault for arming himself with the shovel before William Kratz’s deadly response. DevonDplamr will Qprvp rtn iail lt;3pnfpnr,p if hp
Newspaper Details
Syracuse Post Standard
Syracuse, New York, US
Tue, Jul 19, 2022
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Amanda B.
NA, 20 Sep 2023
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