Lake County Mother Convicted in Second Child's Death After Previously Serving Time for Drowning of First

Krystal D. Krause, 41, of Wickliffe, has pleaded guilty in Lake County Court to reckless homicide and endangering children in the 2023 suffocation death of her 2-month-old son — the second time she has been convicted in connection with the death of one of her children.

Krause previously served a two-year prison sentence following her conviction in Summit County for the 2009 drowning of her 3-year-old son, who wandered outside and fell into a swimming pool while Krause was inside the home. She was originally indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter and child endangering, but the manslaughter charge was reduced to reckless homicide under a plea deal.

On Nov. 15, 2023, Krause's 2-month-old son was found face down and suffocating in Krause's bed at a residence on Ridge Road in Wickliffe, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

A Lake County grand jury secretly indicted Krause in April 2026, and she was arrested on April 8. She initially pleaded not guilty before changing her plea to guilty in July 2026. Krause is represented by the Lake County Public Defender's Office and faces a potential sentence of 18 months to six years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000 at her upcoming sentencing hearing.

The Lake County Department of Job and Family Services administers Child Protective Services in the county. Lake County officials have not explained whether child services conducted a safety assessment before Krause had custody of the infant, whether any court authorized her contact with children, or which agency was responsible for monitoring a mother with a known history of a child's death.

Beyond the criminal penalty Krause faces, the central accountability question remains: who in Lake County allowed a mother convicted of one child's death to have custody of another infant, and what will officials do to ensure it never happens again.