When Angela Prichard arrived at work at Mississippi Ridge Kennels in Bellevue, Iowa, the morning of Oct. 8, 2022, her estranged husband, Christopher Prichard, was waiting inside with a shotgun. The routine morning shift turned to tragedy when he fatally shot her in the chest.
Background
Angela Prichard had been granted a restraining order against her husband on Sept. 1, 2022, after she reported being continuously harassed, stalked and threatened by him, according to investigators. She had moved out of the home they shared and relocated to her sister's residence. Nine days before Angela's murder, authorities issued an arrest warrant for Christopher Prichard for violating that restraining order.
According to Special Agent Dustin Henningsen of the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, who led the case, Christopher Prichard sneaked into an acquaintance's barn a few miles away from the kennels on Oct. 7 and later trekked through the woods in the middle of the night. Angela Prichard's sister, Wendy Budde, told investigators that Christopher Prichard knew the combination to gain entry inside the facility.
The Investigation
"You can hear dogs start to bark in the middle of the night," Henningsen said in an interview with CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti for "48 Hours." "We had determined that was most likely the point when he arrived at the kennels. It was very, very early in the morning, when there was no daylight … close to 4 a.m."
When Angela Prichard arrived to tend to the dogs, Christopher Prichard appeared with the shotgun. She called 911 almost immediately. On the recording of that call, she can be heard yelling "please get out" before shouting "Chris!" The sound of a gunshot follows. Investigators said Angela Prichard named her killer before succumbing to her injuries.
Christopher Prichard fled after the shooting and remained a fugitive for approximately 16 hours before being apprehended and charged with first-degree murder and robbery, authorities stated. He was found guilty at trial, and in March 2024, he received a sentence of life in prison without parole.
The Civil Suit
Angela Prichard's family subsequently filed a lawsuit against the City of Bellevue and three police officers, alleging they failed to perform their duties related to enforcing the restraining order. In January 2025, a federal judge dismissed the case entirely. According to court records, the family is now appealing that decision.
Key Takeaways
- Christopher Prichard was sentenced in March 2024 to life in prison without parole for first-degree murder and robbery
- Barking dogs at the kennel helped investigators establish the approximate time of his arrival — around 4 a.m. on Oct. 8, 2022
- An arrest warrant had been issued nine days before the killing for Christopher Prichard's violation of a restraining order
- Angela Prichard's family is appealing the dismissal of their civil suit against the City of Bellevue and three officers
What's Next
The family's appeal of the dismissed civil lawsuit proceeds through federal court. No further criminal proceedings are pending, as Christopher Prichard remains incarcerated serving his life sentence.
An encore presentation of "Could Angela Prichard Have Been Saved?" is streaming on Paramount+.