On the morning of July 5, 1988, Claremont Police Chief Gregory Lynn Lange, 39, was killed while responding off-duty to a nearby domestic disturbance. A neighbor had alerted him to a disturbance less than 200 feet from Lange’s home; when he went to assist the female victim he was ambushed by two brothers, Andrew and Robert Salinas. During the struggle one of the brothers took control of Lange’s service weapon. The chief was struck with a shovel and then fatally shot.

Both men fled to Missouri but were later captured and prosecuted. Andrew Salinas was convicted of first-degree murder and given a life sentence; Robert Salinas was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 18.5 years. Robert has been paroled multiple times and returned to custody at least once for violations; Andrew has been denied parole on multiple occasions, with a next hearing anticipated in 2025.

Are there anyone in Claremont or surrounding towns who remember the night or who can share details about Chief Lange and the events that led to his death?