A Twentynine Palms Marine and a Joshua Tree woman who were arrested last week, accused of murdering a Murrieta man, were released from jail Friday after the Riverside County District Attorney’s office failed to file formal charges against them within 48 hours of their arrest. First Lieutenant Curtis Krueger, 30, and Ashlie Stapp, 27, were arrested Wednesday afternoon and booked into Riverside County jails on suspicion of conspiracy and murdering Henry Stange, 54. Stange’s body was found partially buried in a shallow grave June 2 near Bighorn Pass Road in Joshua Tree National Park. Murrieta police say that a crime scene was found in the 24900 block of New Clay Street; Stange lived in the 24900 block of New Clay Street. Investigators have not said when Stange was murdered or if he was murdered at his home, or specify a motive. The district attorney’s office has said it is reviewing the case but no criminal charges are pending at this time, although detectives are continuing to work on re-submitting the case to the DA’s office. A Marine Corps photo identifies Stapp as Krueger’s wife, but the victim’s relatives say that Stange and Stapp were dating. Curtis Krueger enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2005 and is now a communications officer with Combat Logistics Battalion-7 on board the Combat Center in Twentynine Palms. Ashlie Stapp was arrested at Copper Mountain College. Henry Stange was a HAM radio operator.
