BELLEVUE, Iowa (KCRG) – A man that law enforcement officials were seeking in connection to a woman’s death was arrested on Sunday morning. Christopher Prichard was taken into custody without incident, according to officials, during the early morning hours. He was arrested on a warrant that had been issued on Sept. 30 for a violation of a no-contact or protective order, and is being held at the Jackson County Jail. At around 7:49 a.m. on Saturday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office was sent to a report of an incident at the Mississippi Ridge Kennels, located at 31821 Highway 52 west of Bellevue. Deputies arrived and located Angela Prichard, 55, dead at the location. Officials said she died from a gunshot wound, and are treating her death as a homicide. An autopsy on Angela Prichard’s body was scheduled to be conducted Sunday at the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s office in Ankeny.
VINTON, Iowa (KCRG) – A collision involving two vehicles in eastern Benton County on Saturday led to two deaths, according to officials. At around 4:04 p.m, the Iowa State Patrol was sent to a report of the crash in the 2800 block of 61st Street Lane, located east of Vinton. Troopers believe that a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 and a 2013 Polaris Ranger utility vehicle were traveling eastbound near the corner of 28th Avenue Drive. The pickup, according to troopers, attempted to execute a pass of the UTV, with the UTV then trying to make a left turn in front of the truck. As a result, troopers said the truck struck the all-terrain vehicle. The collision caused the UTV to roll into the ditch and eject both of its occupants, killing them. The pickup came to a stop on the road’s shoulder. The two people killed were identified as William Geater, 76, and Mary McElhinney, 60, both of Vinton. An investigation into the collision is ongoing.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A fire ravaged a barn on the edge of Cedar Rapids on Saturday morning, according to officials. At around 11:22 a.m, the Cedar Rapids Fire Department and other emergency responders were sent to a report of a fire at 5511 Tower Terrace Road NE. The report initially came from a person living in the home near the barn, with flames visible from an opening on the side. By the time firefighters arrived at the scene, much of the barn had caught fire. Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames, including enlisting a nearby heavy equipment operator to help overturn hot spots. The homeowner was able to rescue a pet from inside the barn before the fire became too widespread, officials said. An investigation into the cause of the blaze is ongoing.
DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) -Next month, the Iowa Court of Appeals will be taking up the case of a Dubuque man convicted of killing his girlfriend. Fontae Buelow was convicted of second degree murder in the fatal stabbing of 21 year old Samantha Link at his home in 2017. This is the second appeal in this case. Buelow was originally convicted in 2018, but the appeals court said Link’s mental health struggles should have been part of the trial. Those records were part of the 2021 trial where Buelow was again convicted of second degree murder. The Iowa appeals court will take up his case on November 1st.
