Naman Shrestha
When Angela Prichard was found dead in October 2022 in the kennel she operated, the entire community of Bellevue, Iowa, was shaken to its core. As the detectives began the investigation, they zeroed in on a potential suspect with the help of a series of evidence and his history with Angela. In the episode titled ‘Could Angela Prichard Have Been Saved?’ of CBS’ ’48 Hours,’ the entire case and the investigation that ensued are covered with the help of body-cam footage and exclusive interviews with the officials and Angela’s loved ones.
Angela Prichard Was Found Dead at Her Workplace
On April 14, 1967, in Dubuque, Iowa, Angela Odefey Prichard entered the lives of William and Barbara Odefey as a little bundle of joy. Growing up, she was also accompanied by the unwavering love and support of her siblings — Wendy, Lisa, Amy, and Scott. The life of the Dubuque Hempstead High School graduate revolved around her family. During her first marriage, she gave birth to two sons — Josh Close and Colton Hancock. Although the marriage didn’t stand the test of time, she was a doting mother. Later, her love extended to her six grandchildren — Milaya, Micah, Mirella, Maverick, Kinsleigh, and Kendra.
Being an animal lover, Angela was also a proud mother to five adorable huskies named Mishka, Indy, Zakari, Timber, and Charlie. Described as a warm and compassionate person, she had the ability to light up even the dullest of rooms. In her free time, she loved doing arts and crafts. Around 2017, she crossed paths with a man named Christopher Eugene Prichard, who was an established electrician in Bellevue, Iowa. By then, she had also found her calling and become the owner of the Mississippi Ridge Boarding Kennels, located at 31821 Highway 52 in Bellevue, Iowa, where she cared for several animals.
After dating for nearly two years, Angela and Chris moved in together and tied the knot in March 2019. With so much to look forward to, the kennel owner’s life was cut short on October 8, 2022. Around 8 am that fateful morning, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received reports of a gunshot at the Mississippi Ridge Boarding Kennels. When the officers went to the property, they found 55-year-old Angela Prichard dead on the floor. The autopsy revealed that she had died from a fatal gunshot wound to her chest. Without wasting any time, the police launched a homicide investigation to get to the bottom of the case and bring the perpetrator to justice.
Angela Prichard Had a Volatile Relationship With the Killer
As part of the investigation, the authorities referred to the CCTV footage of a property located near the Mississippi Ridge Boarding Kennels, where the murder took place. It showed that the potential killer had supposedly entered the Kennels after 4 am on the fateful morning of October 8, 2022, as the dogs could be heard in the surveillance video. After 7:30 am, Angela entered the premises in her car and headed inside the business to start her day of work. A few minutes later, at 7:39 am, a gunshot was heard, a couple of minutes after which, the potential assailant was seen walking out of the property.
Upon digging deep into Angela’s life and marriage, the detectives learned that her relationship with her husband, Chris, was volatile and involved violence. In fact, after a few months into their marriage, things began changing when he was fired from his job and charged with first-degree theft for allegedly stealing $36,000 worth of supplies from the electric company where he was employed. Although he got out on bail, he began drinking more and allegedly used methamphetamine. Things got worse on April 18, 2022, when he allegedly struck Angela. When her sons learned about the alleged violence, they informed the police, who arrested Chris and charged him with domestic assault. She also sought and received a temporary no-contact order against him.
The Killer Had Made Angela’s Life a Living Hell in the Months Leading to Her Demise
However, when Chris apologized and told her that he would be better, Angela withdrew the protective order. It turned out that things failed to get better between the couple. On September 1, 2022, she requested a second no-contact order against her husband. A couple of weeks later, he reportedly violated the order by sending her a text message. He was arrested for the same offense and spent one night behind bars before posting bail the following day. About a week before her unfortunate demise, Angela called the authorities and expressed her fear of being harmed by Chris. Although they intended to take him into custody, no efforts were reportedly made by the police to search for him.
The investigation into the murder then took the detectives to the Jackson County house of cattle farmer Jeff Junk and his girlfriend Kim Klein, who were former close friends of Chris. It turned out that around 8:15 pm on the night of October 9, 2022, Chris knocked on their door, but instead of alerting the police immediately about the fugitive, Jeff and Kim played along. Once Chris passed out after drinking and laughing, the couple called the police. He was then arrested and charged with first-degree murder and robbery as the investigators found several of Angela’s belongings in his possession at the time of the arrest. During his interview, he claimed that the murder was an accident as Angela had pushed him, after which the gun went off accidentally.
Chris Prichard is Currently Incarcerated at an Iowa Prison Facility
Christopher “Chris” Prichard pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and opted to take the matter to court. On February 7, 2024, his trial commenced. During his trial, the prosecution and defense presented their respective arguments. While the prosecution claimed that it was a premeditated attack, the defense argued that the gunshot was accidental, and he was in possession of the gun as he had to go coyote hunting. After four days of testimony, the jury deliberated and returned with a final verdict.
Finally, Chris was convicted of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery related to the murder of his wife, Angela Prichard. About a month later, on March 22, 2024, the killer was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. At his sentencing hearing, Chris took the stand and stated, “I want to tell the family how sorry I am,” said Prichard. “I did not go there to hurt Angie that morning. …I’m so sorry this happened, and I really wish it wouldn’t have.” As of today, 59-year-old Christopher Eugene Prichard is serving his sentence at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison, Iowa.
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