Iowa man convicted of murdering wife after months of ignored protection orders

This story originally aired on March 15, 2025. It was updated on June 13, 2026.

On the morning of Oct. 8, 2022, the Mississippi River town of Bellevue, Iowa, population about 2,500, woke to news of an apparent homicide, the first in nearly a decade.

Dozens of investigators from six law enforcement agencies searched the crime scene at the Mississippi Ridge Boarding Kennels. Angela Prichard, 55, who ran the kennels, had been shot and killed.

Her sister, Wendy Budde, told investigators she believed Angela's estranged husband, Chris Prichard, was responsible.

"He knew how to get in the front door," Budde said. She said Angela had been trying to leave him for months and feared he would kill her.

Special agents Ryan Kedley and Dustin Henningsen with Iowa's Department of Criminal Investigation led the case after Bellevue police asked the state for help.

A 911 call placed by Angela Prichard captured her final moments. She can be heard pleading with someone to leave before saying the name "Chris" and a gunshot is heard. A male voice is also heard saying, "F*** you."

Kedley said the call was difficult to hear but provided key evidence early in the investigation.

Angela was found face down in the kennel's washroom with a large gunshot wound to the chest. Investigators found a blood trail leading out of the building.

Surveillance video showed Angela arriving at the kennels at 7:34 a.m. A gunshot was recorded at 7:39 a.m. About two minutes later, a man investigators identified as Chris Prichard was seen leaving the area.

Prichard, a longtime Bellevue resident and electrician, had a history of domestic violence with Angela. In April 2022, he was arrested for domestic assault after hitting her. She obtained a temporary no-contact order but later withdrew it.

In the summer of 2021, Angela discovered Prichard was using methamphetamine. By September 2022, she had obtained a second no-contact order after he placed a tracking device in her car and hidden cameras in the house.

Angela documented the abuse on sticky notes. One read: "I fear for my safety. Fear for my life. He has guns."

Angela's sons, Joshua Close and CJ Hancock, said police were repeatedly called about violations of the order but made few arrests.

On Oct. 8, 2022, Prichard was on the run for about 12 hours. He was arrested at the home of former friends Jeff Junk and Kim Klein after they contacted police. He was found asleep in a chair with a shotgun nearby.

In a police interview, Prichard said the shooting was an accident. He said Angela shoved him and the gun went off. Prosecutors rejected that account, noting the medical examiner found the shot had a downward trajectory and that Prichard took Angela's phone and fled.

Prichard was charged with first-degree murder and robbery. His trial began Feb. 7, 2024.

Prosecutors said Prichard borrowed a white pickup truck the day before the shooting and hid it in a barn near the kennels. They played audio from his interviews and pointed to his final words on the 911 call as evidence of premeditation.

After four days of testimony, the jury convicted Prichard of first-degree murder and robbery. In March 2024, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Angela's family filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Bellevue and three officers, alleging they failed to enforce the no-contact order. The suit claimed 12 violations occurred in the 37 days before the murder.

In October 2024, Chief Federal Judge C.J. Williams dismissed the lawsuit, ruling the officers did not put Angela in greater danger. A request to reconsider was denied in January 2025.

Wendy Budde said she still feels guilt that she was not with her sister the day she was killed. Angela's sons said they hope other police departments will enforce protection orders more strictly.

Angela's family has appealed the dismissal of the lawsuit.