John Kratz, 31, of Candia is being held without bail after a Rockingham County grand jury re-indicted him on two counts of second-degree murder in the May 17, 2023, shooting death of his uncle, John Kratz Jr., 64, in Derry, Attorney General John M. Formella announced Nov. 13.
The indictments were returned under seal on Nov. 4, along with an arrest warrant, according to the Department of Justice announcement. Derry police arrested Kratz on Nov. 10. Rockingham County Superior Court arraigned him on Nov. 12, and the indictments were unsealed at that hearing.
One count alleges that Kratz knowingly caused his uncle's death by shooting him in the head with a firearm. The second is an alternative count alleging that he recklessly caused the death under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life, also by shooting him in the head with a firearm.
Earlier charges against Kratz for the same death were dismissed without prejudice in 2024 after a finding that he was then incompetent to stand trial. The release does not say what changed since that finding, whether a new competency evaluation has been ordered, or when the case returns to court.
The Department of Justice noted that the charges and allegations are merely accusations and that Kratz is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The release does not include a statement from Kratz or his attorney, and it does not name a defense lawyer.
The announcement was issued Nov. 13, the day after the arraignment.
