A Twentynine Palms Marine and his wife were arrested Wednesday, accused of murdering a Murrieta man. On June 2, a Joshua Tree National Park ranger discovered a shallow grave in the park just off Bighorn Pass Road that contained partially buried human remains. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department identified the remains as Henry Stange, 54. The investigation led to the 24900 block of New Clay Street in Murrieta where a crime scene was discovered. The Murrieta Police Department took over the investigation and on August 29, Murrieta police, with the assistance of San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, detained Curtis Krueger, 30, at 12:45 p.m. near Adobe Road and Condor Avenue in Twentynine Palms. Krueger is a first lieutenant with Combat Logistics Battalion-7 on board the Twentynine Palms Marine Base. Police also went to Copper Mountain College where they contacted his wife, Ashlie Stapp, 27 at 1 p.m. Curtis Krueger and Ashlie Stapp were arrested for investigation of conspiracy and for the murder of Henry Stange, booked into Riverside County Jails, with their bail set at $2 million each.
A friend of Henry Stange described him as a much loved an respected amateur radio operator in southern California. He liked to tell silly jokes and funny stories, and was a gifted guitar player.
