'I'm not a cold-blooded killer,' says Jason Klaus, accused of 3 counts of 1st-degree murder

Jason Klaus sat in the corner of a small interview room in the Stettler RCMP detachment on January 7, 2014 for what was going to be a grim conversation.

His parents and sister had died one month earlier in a massive house fire near the central Albertatownof Castor.

Only the remains of Gordon Klaus and his daughter, Monica, had been recovered and identified.

Sandra Klaus's remains have never been found.

"I can tell you right now we are treating them as if they've been murdered," Sgt. Rob Kropp told Klaus about the deaths of his father and sister. "The victims of homicide."

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Then the RCMPmajor crimes investigator dropped the other shoe.

"You're considered a suspect at this time," he told Klaus.

Klaus demanded to know why.

"You're the sole surviving family member,"Kropptold him."The last person to see your family alive. And I've heard some stories you may not have gotten along with the family."

Klaus angrily replied he wouldn't have lived his entire life with his family if he didn't get along well with them. Klaus and his friend, Joshua Frank, are accused of killing Gordon, Sandra and Monica Klaus on Dec. 8, 2013, then setting the family farmhouse on fire. The triple first-degree murder trial continues Wednesday in Red Deer.

"I lived for that family," Klaus said. "I've been there 38 years on that farm. Had breakfast, dinner, supper."

He admitted, "Dad and I would butt heads once in awhile. Mom and I would butt heads once in awhile and Monica never liked any of my girlfriends."

But, Klaus said, "I'm not a cold-blooded killer. I have a conscience. If I shoot a deer and it doesn't die right away, it bugs me."

Kropp bluntly asked, "Did you kill Gordon, Sandiand Monica Klaus?"

"No!"Klaus responded. "It hurts to be asked that. A reporter asked me that too."

CBC News posed the same question to Klaus on Dec. 24, 2013. His response was the same.

• Man who lost family in Castor fire feels targeted

Klaus told the Mountie, "I'll take a lie detector test. I don't know how they got killed or murdered or anything else."

Sgt. Kropp told Klaus that he was free to stop talking to police now that he was considered a suspect. Without hesitation, Klaus opted to stay.

"I would love to open up and talk to you about anything," Klaus said. "I'm most comfortable with you."

'Spirits are part of my world'

Klaus was so comfortable that he opened up about his beliefs in the afterlife.

"I have spirits in my house all the time," Klaus said. "Spirits are part of my world."

"If it makes me look crazy, I guess it makes me look crazy," he added.

Kropp quickly reassured him that he believed in spirits too.

Klaus revealed to the sergeant that his sister Monica's spirit had visited him twice since her death. The first time was just two or three days after she diedon Dec. 8, 2013.

"My sister has come to me and said, 'We miss you. We're all together. We're safe.'"

Klaus said his parents were right behind her when she appeared. He said his sister told him they didn't feel the fire and that they're OK.

"She said I have to stay focused. I have to trust them. I have no idea what that means."

Klaus said he was sure his sister's spirit would appear again, andnext time Monica would provide clues about the killer's identity. He promised to pass along any information to RCMP.

"At the end of the day, the truth is the truth," Kropp replied.

It took RCMP another eight months to charge Klaus and his friend Joshua Frank with three counts each of first-degree murder and arson.

The charges were laid after an undercover RCMP operation. Evidence from the Mr. Big sting won't be heard at the trial for another two weeks.