Angela Prichard's Fight for Her Life

Angela Pritchard, a beloved mother, grandmother, and kennel owner in rural Iowa, was gunned down in her own business on October 8, 2022 — a murder investigators believe was not an accident, but a premeditated act by her estranged husband, Chris Pritchard. Her sister Wendy Buddy recounts a months-long nightmare of escalating abuse, stalking, and fear, with Angela repeatedly calling police only to be told there was nothing they could do. Despite multiple restraining orders, repeated violations, and even a court-ordered arrest warrant, Bellevue police failed to enforce the law, allowing Pritchard to remain free and armed. The evidence, including a 911 call where Pritchard is heard on the line, surveillance footage showing him lying in wait for hours, and a blood trail leading from the crime scene, all point to a calculated murder. After a 16-month manhunt, Pritchard was captured and convicted of first-degree murder and robbery. Though justice was served in the courtroom, the family’s fight continued in federal court, where they argued the police’s inaction created a state-created danger. A judge dismissed the lawsuit, citing lack of evidence of favoritism, but new claims of withheld evidence and false statements have reopened the case. Angela’s final act — naming her killer on the 911 call — became the key to her justice, and her family now urges law enforcement nationwide to take restraining orders seriously and enforce them without exception.