Fresno man charged in slaying of fiancee

Stanley Pipes, 55, was booked by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office in the slaying of Kristie Claassen, 62, who was shot to death Monday morning in Sunnyside.

Fresno County Sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti said Pipes and Claassen were engaged to be married at the time of the homicide. Deputies went to the 1000 block of South Rogers Lane, near Kings Canyon Road and Clovis Avenue, about 7 a.m. Monday after dispatchers received a call from a man who was threatening to kill himself and reported that someone else was dead in the home. Deputies broke down a door and found Claassen dead from a gunshot wound.

Pipes was detained and a firearm was recovered. Pipes was taken to a hospital for medical treatment before he was booked.

The homicide was the ninth in the Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction this year.

This story was originally published December 29, 2015 at 11:12 AM with the headline "Fresno man charged in slaying of fiancee."