Joshua Frank claimed he had “no choice” but to kill Jason Klaus’ family

WARNING: The following story contains graphic details that may be disturbing to some readers.

Joshua Frank says he was blackmailed into killing Jason Klaus’ family nearly four years ago.

The two each face three counts of first degree murder in the deaths of Gordon, Sandra and Monica Klaus, Jason’s parents and sister, in Dec. 2013. 

Tuesday in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench, video recordings were played of Frank’s interview with police on Aug. 16, 2014.

During the day-long interrogation, Frank tried to present police with multiple versions of how the murders of Gordon, Sandra and Monica Klaus took place. However, investigators were easily able to disprove each of the theories offered up by Frank by ensnaring him in his own web of lies.

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The turning point in the interview came when investigators asked Frank if he had ever been sexually abused by Jason Klaus.

A tearful Frank then told them of an incident that took place when he was 14-years-old.

“He made me touch him, masturbate him, try to give him head,” Frank confessed, adding Klaus beat him up after he refused to do so.

“I never told anybody that before, nobody knows,” Frank added. “I just tried to pretend it never happened.”

Sitting in the prisoner’s box Tuesday, Frank cried while watching the video recording of his stunning admission. Klaus, meantime, showed little emotion outside of an occasional smirk.

Following his emotional admission, Frank gave investigators an in-depth description of what happened the night the Klaus family was murdered. 

After parking a short distance away, Frank said Klaus followed him up the driveway, tracing his footsteps to the Klaus family farmhouse before they went inside. Frank says Klaus was stride for stride with him as the events unfolded. 

“If I didn’t do it I’d be the first one shot,” Frank told police. “I had no choice but to go in there and do what he wanted me to do.”

Frank says Klaus led him to Gordon and Sandra’s bedroom and turned on the light before Frank shot each of them in the head. He then went in the next room and shot Monica after she awoke to see what was happening. 

While he was carrying out the murders, Frank says Klaus was standing right behind him, armed with a rifle, telling him what to do.

“Jason patted me on the back and said good job, go get the gas,” Frank recalled, saying the next thing he did was head to a nearby quonset for a can of aviator fuel. He says Jason used a butane barbeque lighter to set the house ablaze.

Frank then told police Klaus shot the family’s dog, a Labrador, before they fled the scene. He also admitted it was him who later threw the murder weapon, a 9mm handgun, into the Battle River. 

Frank maintained he went through with the killings over fear that Klaus would kill him if he didn’t. He was also scared that Frank would tell others about their sexual past, worried the community would think of him as “gay” because of it.

The voir dire (trial within a trial) to determine whether Frank’s statements can be admitted as evidence is slated to wrap up on Wednesday.