BY PAUL SRUBAS
psrubas@greenbaypressgazette.com
The estranged husband of a woman found dead in a burning home a year ago has been arrested for her murder, the Oconto County Sheriff’s Department said today.
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Authorities said they have arrested Randall Staeven, 50, of Pulaski, and are recommending charges of first-degree intentional homicide, arson, mutilating a corpse and three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.
The charges relate to the May 14, 2009, death of Christine Staeven, 40, and a fire at her home at 740 Jaworski Road, in the town of Chase.
The sheriff’s department identified the Staevens as being married but going through a divorce at the time of her death.
Randall Staeven was angry that he could lose the family home as a result of the couple’s pending divorce, according to the criminal complaint filed Wednesday.
Randall and Christine’s relationship had a history of domestic abuse and Randall Staeven had been ordered to undergo anger management counseling, the complaint said.
In January 2009, Christine received a restraining order against her husband and had him removed from the Jaworski Road home, the complaint said.
Randall Staeven is scheduled to be in court for an initial appearance at 10 a.m. Friday before Oconto County Circuit Judge Michael Judge.
Investigators suspected murder early on, because an autopsy showed no carbon monoxide in her system, indicating that she had died before the fire.
Christine Staeven’s body — found in one of the home’s bedrooms — was significantly damaged during the fire, which had been set in three different places in the home, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday
Three of her children, then aged 11, 7 and 3, escaped the fire. Another child wasn’t home at that time.
Christine Staeven’s 11-year-old daughter told authorities she woke up the night of the fire to the smell of smoke as well as the fire alarm sounding and her brother screaming, the criminal complaint said. She found her two brothers in the house at the time and then helped them get out, it said.
Relatives had set up fundraising efforts to help care for the children.
The sheriff’s department had no comment on what led to the arrest other than to say it was as a result of a joint investigation by the sheriff’s department and agents from the state Division of Criminal Investigation.
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