ALBANY — The investigation into the disappearance of an elderly couple who vanished from their residence off Whitehall Road about eight years ago was triggered by a wellness check conducted by the Social Security Administration, where officials had not heard from the pair in years, according to a person briefed on the matter.
Franz K. Kraus and his wife Theresia — who would today be 92 and 83, respectively — have continued to receive direct-deposit Social Security payments into their bank accounts, but neighbors said the couple suddenly disappeared without a trace around 2017. The person briefed on the matter said law enforcement agencies presume the couple are deceased.
An excavator was brought in Wednesday to dig up the backyard of the couple’s home at 6 Crestwood Court. Police Chief Brendan Cox and Albany County District Attorney Lee Kindlon were on hand while investigators searched the home and yard…