Naman Shrestha
When the partial remains of Henry Stange were discovered in June 2018, the authorities launched a thorough investigation that led them to uncover a bunch of secrets related to the case. In Investigation Discovery’s ‘Fatal Affairs: Deadly Desert Secrets,’ the viewers are provided with a detailed account of the murder, thanks to the insightful and exclusive interviews with the victim’s loved ones and the officials associated with the case and its investigation.
Henry Stange’s Remains Were Found by a Hiker in Joshua Tree National Park
The son of Caroline Doherty, Henry Allen Stange was a resident of the Murrieta in southwestern Riverside County, California. The 54-year-old was quite close to his mother as well as sisters Judy and Diana Stange. Henry was a reputed individual in the community who would never shy away from lending a helping hand to those in need. His kindhearted, jolly, and humorous personality made him quite popular in the area and garnered him many friends who loved the amusing stories he had to share. It is said that there wouldn’t be a single upset spirit when Henry was around.
Henry loved everything about the outdoors and would often spend quality time basking in the gifts of nature. Sadly, his life changed forever after he was involved in a motorcycle accident that made it difficult for him to move without support. The doctors prescribed him Oxycontin to deal with the medical challenges. Nevertheless, the physical condition didn’t damper Henry’s spirit in any way. As an amateur radio operator, he made a name for himself in the ham radio community. He also had technical expertise and prowess in building antennas and was ever ready to impart his understanding to others. Since he was quite adept at playing guitar, he would often mark his attendance at radio events and display his skill.
On the personal front, sometime in the 2000s, he tied the knot with his love, and together, they built a lovely life for themselves. As years went by, the pair welcomed two sons into their lives. However, cracks eventually began to develop in their relationship, leading them to head for a divorce after 10 years of marriage. After a while, Henry moved on in life when he met Ashlie Nicole Stapp on Craigslist in 2016. Soon, the two entered into a relationship. An ecstatic Henry even introduced the young woman to his people, including his ex-wife, kids, and fellow ham radio enthusiasts. Just when everyone around him began to believe that the 54-year-old was happy and content in life, everything changed. On June 1, 2018, a hiker exploring Joshua Tree National Park spotted vultures hovering above what looked like a gravesite.
Sensing something afoul, the man took several pictures and later informed the rangers of Joshua Tree National Forest. When the authorities arrived on the scene, they uncovered a human body in a decomposed state. The condition in which the body was buried indicated it had been there for a few weeks — the upper part of the body was coated with soil, while the lower part was covered in a hurry. Soon, the police were informed. The autopsy revealed the person was a man who suffered multiple skull fractures. A fingerprint sample helped identify the victim as Henry Stange, and the cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma.
A Love Triangle Turned Deadly For Henry Stange
Upon diving deep into the death of Henry Stange, they searched his house at 24000 New Clay Street in Murrieta and found a gruesome crime scene. Since he was a regular Ham Radio operator, the police deduced that his death occurred around May 24, 2018, as that was the last time anybody heard his broadcasts. Soon, they learned about his girlfriend, Ashlie Stapp, who was also engaged to the Marine Corps 1st Lieutenant Curtis Krueger at the time and lived with him in Twentynine Palms, California.
Despite Ashlie’s attempts to hide her sexual relationship with Henry and her addiction from Curtis, he eventually found out about it and was furious at her. As per her, she was only maintaining a relationship with the victim to have access to drugs while she saw a future with the Marine Corps. In January 2018, as per Curtis’ claims, he found Ashlie at a Murrieta gas station and she told him that Henry had sexually assaulted her. Filled with anger, Curtis entered Henry’s house with a hammer and struck him several times while he was asleep, according to Ashlie. On the fateful day, Ashlie failed to make it to Memorial Day Service and gave a weak excuse to Curtis.
When she stopped replying to his texts and did not pick up his calls, he tracked her phone to her mother’s house but she was not there. Guessing she might be at Henry’s house, he drove down to Murrieta immediately and learned that his guess was correct. According to Curtis, he entered the garage and after a brief conversation, he ended up pulling a knife on him. A struggle between the two followed, which led to Curtis picking up a weight and hitting him with it multiple times. During the entire fight, Ashlie claimed she was in the washroom. Claiming self-defense, Curtis said he and Ashlie plugged out surveillance equipment from the victim’s house and disposed of it somewhere on their way back home to Twentynine Palms.
They also dragged Henry’s body out of the garage and loaded him in their vehicle before burying it in Joshua Tree National Park. After having enough evidence against the couple, the police obtained permission to wiretap their phones and managed to record conversations where they discussed Henry’s murder. On August 29, 2018, Ashlie and Curtis were taken into custody on suspicion of murder and conspiracy. At the time of her interrogation, Ashlie denied any involvement in the crime. Due to a lack of incriminating evidence, the prosecutors didn’t lodge a complaint against the couple. After a few months, on December 13, 2018, Curtis was arrested at Camp Pendleton, while Ashlie, who was staying at her mother’s house, was arrested in Canyon Lake.
Curtis is Serving His Sentence While Ashlie Has Adopted a Life of Privacy
On June 20, 2019, Ashlie Nicole Stapp pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact in the brutal killing of Henry Stange. As a result, she received a 309-day imprisonment sentence in addition to three years of probation after getting released from prison. On the other hand, Curtis Krueger pleaded not guilty to the crime, so his trial for the same commenced in August 2020. During the trial, he claimed he injured Henry only after the latter attacked him with a knife.
Three weeks after the commencement of the trial, on September 10, 2020, the jury returned with a guilty verdict and convicted Curtis of second-degree murder and assault in connection to the murder of 54-year-old Henry Allen Stange. More than a month later, he was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison. While Ashlie Stapp has since been released from prison and leads a private life, Curtis Krueger is incarcerated at California Institution for Men in Chino, California.
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