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Investigation into Nebraska teen’s 1969 murder spans five decades

Cyber investigation

Jennifer Joakim, Saunders County authorized expert, and Richard Register, deputy county authorized expert, worked on what’s believed to be the longest unsolved frigid case in Nebraska history: the 1969 murder of 17-year-dilapidated Mary Kay Heese, a highschool junior.

Richard Register: Mary Kay Heese’s unsolved murder hung over this community for five decades. It wanted to be resolved.

Jennifer Joakim: I seek at this case as … the assign the community lost its innocence. Where other folk were educated we’re no longer going into Wahoo. You’re no longer going out on my own.

Richard Register: It turned into thoroughly identified. A murder, especially of this nature, uh, is no longer novel for this space.

Natalie Morales (riding down a rural freeway with Ted Inexperienced): This staunch here’s what Wahoo is fundamentally identified for, staunch?

Ted Inexperienced: Oh yeah —

Natalie Morales: I mean — for cow country —

Ted Inexperienced: — it is rural — cattle.

Natalie Morales: — corn country.

Ted Inexperienced: It hasn’t modified great.

Ted Inexperienced turned into the criminal investigator for the Saunders County Legal expert’s assign of job. He started engaged on the case in 2015.

Ted Inexperienced (in car with Morales): So this turned into the highschool here.

Natalie Morales: So on that day she had appropriate carried out her —

Ted Inexperienced: Walked dwelling and began heading north here on Linden Avenue.

Cyber investigation Murdered teen turned into “full of life”

Memories of Mary Kay Heese’s murder loom orderly in this small metropolis. Shadowy and white photos turned into filmed by a native tv space shortly after the murder. Valuable of Wahoo seems adore it did on March 25,1969,  when Mary Kay by no methodology made it dwelling after school.

Ted Inexperienced: So the last assign that she turned into considered turned into here on the corner …

That evening, Mary Kay’s other folk reported her lacking, and the community came out in force to survey her.

Ted Inexperienced: So that they had Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, church groups, school groups … and the Wahoo Police Department, Sheriff’s assign of job …  all browsing for her.

Nothing turned into came across till end to nighttime, when a farmer noticed Mary Kay’s school books and purse stacked neatly on a freeway near a arena. 

Jennifer Joakim: At some level of the books … turned into her name and so he brought the books into Wahoo and ran into … the police that were browsing for her. … All of them went assist to the assign the books were came across … and so that they came across her body, lying in a ditch … on the aspect of the freeway.

No longer far from Mary Kay’s bloodied body, investigators came across her sneakers in the freeway, tire tracks from a car, and shoeprints — potentially from the killer.

Natalie Morales: And the intention had she died?

Richard Register: Effectively, in a nasty methodology, she turned into chased down. The — the footprints, which were preserved by the ground freezing, showed that she bought out of the car and she or he ran … And likewise you should well more than doubtless more than doubtless recount by the strides that she turned into in actual fact making an try to accept away. … And then near the assign her body is came across … there could be a pool of blood … she’s laying there discarded like trash.

Investigators photographed the scene, measured and made a solid of that shoeprint, and despatched Mary Kay’s body for an autopsy. It turned into resolute that Mary Kay had been crushed and turned into stabbed to loss of life, leaving 14 wounds. No knife turned into came across on the scene.

Ted Inexperienced: She has a reasonably trusty mark on her jaw the assign she turned into punched. And … the stab wounds approach after that.

Natalie Morales: Stabbing somebody 14 cases though. What did that recount you referring to the personality of the crime?

Ted Inexperienced: Rage. Rage.

Natalie Morales: Change into as soon as she sexually assaulted?

Ted Inexperienced: No. No. … nonetheless I imagine she understood that is more than doubtless the assign it turned into gonna head.

The investigation turned into before the entire lot handled by assorted law enforcement departments. Mary Kay’s dresses turned into despatched to the FBI to J. Edgar Hoover’s consideration — earlier than the days of DNA making an try out, to hunt if one thing else could well more than doubtless be realized.

Investigators wondered other folk round metropolis referring to the day of the murder. A behold reported seeing Mary Kay that day at round 5 p.m., transferring correct into a car that had two males, at that aspect freeway corner.

Natalie Morales: In those early days and weeks, did you imagine, oh, they’re gonna — they’re gonna in finding whoever did this.

Kathy Tull: Oh yeah. Yeah.

Impress Miller: Oh, yeah.

Impress Miller and Kathy Tull are Mary Kay’s cousins.

Natalie Morales: These are about a of Mary Kay’s personal assets staunch …

Kathy Tull: Mm-hmm.

Kathy Tull: … that is her 4H –

Natalie Morales: turned into she happy with what she did on the 4-H?

Kathy Tull: Oh yeah — seek at how small she turned into. (holds up T-shirt)

Natalie Morales: Yeah.

Kathy turned into 9, and Impress turned into 8, after they realized Mary Kay had been murdered.

Impress Miller: She’s the oldest of us cousins. So, she incessantly looked out for all of us.

Kathy Tull: She turned into a 17-year-dilapidated lady pudgy of life.

Kathy recollects being picked up early from school the day Mary Kay’s body turned into came across.

Kathy Tull: And so that they educated us we needed to approach assist to Wahoo.

Kathy’s household drove to her cousin’s dwelling. When they bought there, Kathy noticed and heard Mary Kay’s mom, Dorothy.

Kathy Tull: After we went in, it turned into appropriate — you should well more than doubtless more than doubtless hear her wailing. Or no longer it is the extra or much less pain you feel across the room.

Natalie Morales: And on the time, did they recount you the intention she turned into came across or turned into that too great to recount … the cousins, the kids?

Kathy Tull: I contemplate we heard it.

Impress Miller:  … after they educated us, then it turned into on the strategies.

The household, and the community, could well more than doubtless no longer realize why Mary Kay had been centered. There were no solutions, appropriate pain.

Kathy Tull: And I be conscious … thinking, “I’m scared.”

Impress Miller: Every thing modified. What our other folk allowed us to head attain.

Natalie Morales: You did no longer have the freedoms that you had earlier than …

Impress Miller: We lost so many assorted issues resulting from of it … our other folk making an try to overprotect us. 

Nonetheless being overprotective did no longer develop particular that security. Mary Kay’s other folk, especially her father, had incessantly been very watchful and careful with their daughter.

Ted Inexperienced: She had a in actual fact strict father and … she turned into jumpy. … She very great wanted to slot in. … And  there turned into a community of ladies that can … assign makeup on her before the entire lot of the day and replace her dresses out. So she would slot in socially. And then on the stay of the college, she’d replace assist. She wanted to be a phase of the crowd.

Mary Kay turned into making an try to steal half in school activities — practicing baton twirling, hoping to be a majorette. Fragment of fitting in for Mary Kay also alive to making an try to accept a date for an upcoming school dance. Mary Kay had even written a letter to any other cousin asking him to be her date.

Natalie Morales (finding out letter): “Will you go to the Sadie Hawkins dance with me …”

Natalie Morales: … appropriate wanted a date –

Kathy Tull: Mm-hmm.

Natalie Morales: — and so she would steal her cousin …

Natalie Morales: … this turned into March 18th, 1969. … So appropriate a week earlier than … she died.

Investigators conception that more than doubtless the stress to search out a date and slot in led the veritably jumpy Mary Kay to accept into that car with the males at that aspect freeway corner.

Kathy Tull: I contemplate she turned into so naive, she had no clue that one thing contaminated could well more than doubtless happen to her.

Richard Register: She appropriate wanted to accept a boy to head to the dance along with her. And unfortunately, the dance she went to turned into her loss of life.

Cyber investigation Why turned into Mary Kay Keese killed?   

Ted Inexperienced, beforehand the investigator for the Saunders County Legal expert’s Region of industrial, believes the 2 males who picked up 17-year-dilapidated Mary Kay Heese on March 25, 1969, were riding to an space identified in the neighborhood as The Grove.

Ted Inexperienced: Natural parking and celebration assign.

Natalie Morales: So kids coming down this methodology, they were — two issues in mind, either partying or hooking up?

Ted Inexperienced: Or hooking up. These were the 2 issues on every person’s mind.

Inexperienced’s theory of the crime is that as soon as Mary Kay realized the males’s intentions, she fled the car, and one in every of the males ran after her, in the extinguish stabbing her to loss of life. Nonetheless other folk that knew Mary Kay wondered why she bought in the car the 2 males.

Ted Inexperienced: She wouldn’t accept correct into a car with somebody that she did no longer know. … She knew these guys.

Working that theory, investigators in 1969 wondered males in metropolis, especially ones who could well have crossed paths with Mary Kay. They old what turned into then a model-unique crime solving diagram: polygraphs.

Richard Register: They polygraphed the majority of the male population of every and every the colleges. I mean can, are you able to imagine the uproar would happen on the present time? … And so that they were taking a survey that as their silver bullet.

One amongst the other folk polygraphed and wondered about a days after the murder turned into Joseph Ambroz, 22 years dilapidated on the time. Ambroz had been considered weeks earlier than the murder speaking to Mary Kay round metropolis. They each and every frequented The Wigwam Café, a restaurant which unexcited stands on the present time. Ambroz stood out, as he turned into unique to metropolis. Investigators realized he turned into on parole after having been convicted of forgery and escaping from custody.

Richard Register: He wrote a $10 contaminated take a look at, with his buddy up in … Wayne, Nebraska. They accept stopped for that and so that they accept away this small county jail up there. And … they earn up in California and convey him your entire methodology assist.

Ambroz served about three years after which moved to Wahoo.

Ted Inexperienced: And he’s out on parole. He’s bought a job. He’s working at a packing plant.

Natalie Morales: So, a slaughterhouse.

Ted Inexperienced: And, yeah. Slaughterhouse. And — she knew him.

Authorities narrate they realized that Ambroz turned into identified to mingle with highschool girls and had a reputation for having a temper. He also drove the fashion of car, equivalent to this one, that somebody said they noticed near the crime scene.

Ted Inexperienced: A local resident … had considered two cars trot away that night. One car turned into a white over crimson, ’56 Chevy … The 2d car … turned into a white over blue ’56 Chevy with two gloomy haired males in it, riding at a high rate of lag. Ambroz drove that white over blue … He’s a person of hobby.

Ambroz denied any involvement in the murder. And his polygraph looked as if it would fortify that. Ambroz said he had an alibi:  that the night of murder, he turned into hanging out at assorted areas with his friend Wayne Greaser, who turned into also wondered and polygraphed.

Richard Register: Wayne Greaser turned into … appropriate that wannabe kid who turned into appropriate following round Ambroz. … And so he’s — he says he’s with him.

Nonetheless while being wondered, Ambroz did be in contact about issues, says Inexperienced, that bought him in hassle with the law, and he turned into in the present day despatched to jail.

Ted Inexperienced: He blows his parole staunch in the pre-polygraph interview. … He violates it, says I’m taking a survey booze for minors. I’m having intercourse with minors … so he’s booked, parole violation.

Nonetheless no longer for Mary Kay’s murder.

Natalie Morales: Why did this case no longer switch along extra on the time?

Jennifer Joakim: That is — that is a in actual fact trusty question.

Apply up in the initial investigation, prosecutors narrate, looked as if it could perchance perchance maybe more than doubtless be lacking, with inexperience a component. Automobiles weren’t checked for blood, and suspects’ shoe sizes weren’t in comparison to shoeprints came across on the scene.

Richard Register: This turned into the open of the Impart Patrol. On memoir of earlier than that they appropriate gave tickets for rushing. … And so these other folk were thrown into this unique investigative unit.

Jennifer Joakim: There were assorted agencies alive to. … And it did no longer appear like there turned into in actual fact a lead … investigator.

Richard Register: And so that they were appropriate counting on those polygraphs.

For decades, the case sat frigid.

Sgt. Bob Frank (1999): After seeing the photos and taking a seek on the case, which you should visualize it, I mean the entire lot is the the same after 30 years, it is your entire the same, nothing has modified.

Then, 30 years later, in 1999, with the creation of the Nebraska Impart Patrol Cool Case Unit, Mary Kay’s murder turned into getting consideration again. “48 Hours” cameras followed Sgt. Bob Frank as he worked the case.

Sgt. Bob Frank (1999 | referencing a 1969 crime scene pronounce while on the crime scene): And her body turned into came across staunch in here and that’s the assign we’re at staunch there …

And we spoke with Frank again in 2025, now retired from the Impart Patrol.

Bob Frank (2025): One component about doing frigid conditions you detect is that tales develop, tales replace. … And so, you know, making an try to separate reality from fiction is infrequently worthy.

To steal a seek at to accept to the reality, Frank, in 1999, scoured the dilapidated case reports. He noticed that Joseph Ambroz and Wayne Greaser, the males who were each and every assorted’s alibis, saved establishing in behold statements.

Bob Frank: And I started speaking to assorted other folk that … had been educated by these two folk that they had carried out this homicide.

Greaser had died by suicide in 1977. Ambroz turned into long out of jail, having served a year-and-a-half of for that parole violation after Mary Kay’s murder. He had moved round and worked as a truck driver. Bob Frank knew at some level he would are making an try to hunt the recommendation of with Ambroz nonetheless first wanted to steal a brand unique seek on the dilapidated evidence.

Natalie Morales: In ‘ninety nine now, are you hoping you’re gonna accept some fabricate of DNA?

Bob Frank: Something.

Cyber investigation Attempting out the crime scene evidence

By 1999, when Sgt. Bob Frank led the Nebraska Impart Patrol’s Cool Case Unit, advances had been made in forensic science that weren’t readily accessible in 1969 when Mary Kay Heese turned into murdered. “48 Hours” cameras filmed Frank going thru Mary Kay’s assets, as he hunted for DNA and fingerprints. Amongst the objects examined were Mary Kay’s schoolbooks, came across stacked on the scene.

Bob Frank (1999):  Uh, we’re hoping for — for prints to approach assist off. … it has been 30 years.

The belief turned into that Mary Kay left the books and her purse in the car. The killer noticed the objects, and no longer making an try to be linked to her assets, dumped them.

Bob Frank (2025): So, we know it turned into more than doubtless the suspect that — that assign those books on the freeway. What we were taking a survey there turned into any form of fingerprint evidence.

A fingerprint examiner worked to search out and steal prints off the schoolbooks, along with one titled, “Building a Successful Marriage.”

Natalie Morales: Were there any fingerprints that came forward?

Bob Frank:  No. No.

Bob Frank (1999): This what we in actual fact had them be conscious of were — were these gloves. …

Man (1999): — and she or he turned into wearing these on the time, wasn’t she?

Bob Frank: Yes … We were taking a survey, um, — somebody else’s blood on, on those gloves.

They also examined Mary Kay’s dresses. 

Bob Frank (1999):  After I seek this, it appropriate motivates me extra. I mean, it is — one thing you wanna clear up. Or no longer it is one thing you choose — you are making an try to accept closure on. I recount you the reality when I assign this out and laid it out, the main component I believed of turned into Mrs. Heese.

Frank spoke several cases with Mary Kay’s mom, Dorothy, over the direction of his investigation.

Dorothy Heese (1999, taking a seek at photos): That is when she started the highschool.

“48 Hours” spoke along with her as effectively, in 1999.

Dorothy Heese (1999): I fabricate no longer contemplate it’ll be solved. I in actual fact fabricate no longer. Or no longer it is long past all these a long time and I appropriate, I’ve appropriate given up hope.

Hope could well more than doubtless be diminished again when the forensic making an try out led nowhere. Still, Joseph Ambroz and Wayne Greaser remained on the discontinue of Frank’s suspect listing.

In Could 1999, Frank determined to impeach other folk that knew Ambroz and Greaser round the time of the murder and had been named in prior police reports.

Bob Frank (1999): For this reason I need two guys in there so one guy can in actual fact take a look at up on how these guys are reacting to the questions being asked of them.

The conception turned into the passage of time could well maybe develop any individual extra coming near near. And the investigators took several steps to steal a seek at to abet that along.

Bob Frank: We created an atmosphere to the assign it regarded we were a pudgy-fledged job force taking a seek at this case.

In actuality, there turned into no designated “Heese task force,” nor turned into the case “getting hot,” as a label on the door implied. It turned into appropriate one in every of the measures taken by Frank and his personnel as they tried to hunt if somebody would give unique info.

Jay Petersen (1999):  I wrote their names down on the board and — and a few numbers leisurely those names, which fabricate no longer in actual fact have any relevancy either.

Investigator Jay Petersen.

Jay Petersen (1999): Nonetheless it absolutely’s appropriate gonna accept them to thinking that we know a heck of plenty extra about them than more than doubtless we indubitably attain.

They also tried to develop the environment a small depressed for those being interviewed.

INVESTIGATOR (1999): Did you grease the desk down too?

JAY PETERSEN: Yeah.

Jay Petersen (1999): What we did turned into we took a bottle of furnishings polish. We waxed the desk, we waxed these chairs. … So, after they take a seat down, they’re no longer gonna be in a role to accept correct into a comfort zone. … So, sustain ’em on edge reasonably bit and confidently that’ll uh, accept them speaking reasonably bit too.

Bob Frank: We assign digital gadgets in to — to anecdote in the room. We let these other folk know when we brought them in that they were gonna be … monitored repeatedly.

Nonetheless despite all those efforts, nothing usable turned into realized.

Bob Frank (2025): We had other folk telling us that … Wayne Greaser educated us this … Joe Ambroz educated us this … nonetheless it turned into all hearsay evidence, you know? We did no longer have that behold that … turned into there or you know knew the info without delay.

So Frank determined it turned into time to interview Joseph Ambroz himself.

Bob Frank (1999): We are able to appropriate trot seek what we can accept by knocking on the door. … Let’s attain it.

In September 1999, Frank traveled to Orange Park, Florida, the assign Ambroz turned into residing. Working with native law enforcement, Frank went to Ambroz’s dwelling the assign he answered the door and willingly went to be wondered on the Florida Department of Regulation Enforcement.

BOB FRANK (1999): Recall for me what — what you did that night? I mean, if — you know, you’ve been wondered about it earlier than.

JOSEPH AMBROZ:  Yeah. Uh –

BOB FRANK: You know, recount me what — what you did.

Ambroz said, on the day of the murder, he bought off work round 5:30, went dwelling after which went to a membership till closing time. Not like his earlier interview, the assign his now deceased friend Wayne Greaser turned into his alibi, he did no longer mention being with Greaser.

BOB FRANK (1999): Nonetheless you had said in interview reports, and I indubitably have those interview reports, that you were with Wayne.

JOSEPH AMBROZ: OK. I — it is which that which you should contemplate of. I will recount you, it has been a long — it is which that which you should contemplate of I turned into with him.

Frank also asked many questions about Ambroz’s job at a slaughterhouse.

JOSEPH AMBROZ (1999): Uh, I worked on the raze ground.

BOB FRANK: Abolish ground?

JOSEPH AMBROZ: Yeah.

Since Mary Kay turned into stabbed to loss of life, Ambroz turned into asked about his accept admission to to knives.

BOB FRANK (1999): Change into as soon as there a assorted form of instrument you needed to use for that? Or turned into it appropriate a fashioned knife?

JOSEPH AMBROZ: Uh, no. I had, uh, I contemplate like three assorted knives nonetheless …

Ambroz turned into adamant he had nothing to attain with Mary Kay’s murder, even when Frank implied they came across any individual’s DNA on the scene.

BOB FRANK (1999): Now we have a vivid making an try component known as DNA —

JOSEPH AMBROZ: Good.

BOB FRANK: And we’re gonna be in a role to display who she struggled with.

JOSEPH AMBROZ: Lovely.

BOB FRANK: … Um, again, you know, we have gotten all this small bits of info here and there that match together that you were there. No longer necessarily that you did it, nonetheless that you were there when it happened.

JOSEPH AMBROZ: Effectively that – that — that is but to be proven. I mean, I wasn’t there. Bask in I said, I had nothing to attain with it. And, uh, you’re — you’re free to steal blood. Something you choose.

Despite Ambroz’s cooperation, Frank came across several issues suspicious – like Ambroz’s motive leisurely giving assorted versions of the assign he turned into on the time of the murder.

JOSEPH AMBROZ (1999):  I fabricate no longer be conscious the entire lot.

BOB FRANK: … The reports here display a measurement 9 1/2 shoe on the scene.

And there turned into that shoeprint came across on the scene, which turned into the the same measurement that Ambroz wears.

BOB FRANK (1999): You got a 9 1/2 shoe. Any other time, any other coincidence.

JOSEPH AMBROZ:  Yeah.

Frank also asked Ambroz about a document from 1972, earlier than Wayne Greaser died, thru which a buddy of Greaser educated authorities Greaser had confessed to him that he and Ambroz drove Mary Kay to the arena, and that it turned into Ambroz who killed her. When Frank brought it up, Ambroz bought agitated.

JOSEPH AMBROZ (1999): I had nothing to attain with it. I fabricate no longer know what Greaser turned into announcing. And that’s the rationale all I bought to claim.

After the interview, Ambroz gave his blood for DNA making an try out and submitted to any other polygraph. Nothing incriminating turned into came across at his house, and his DNA did no longer match any came across on Mary Kay’s objects.

Bob Frank: We presented what we needed to the — to the county authorized expert on the time and he appropriate felt there turned into no longer adequate to even steal it forward.

In 2000, Frank stopped working the case, nonetheless held out hope that one day, one thing could well more than doubtless be came across.

Bob Frank: We would have appreciated one thing … to, to pressure this case forward.

Cyber investigation Facebook publish results in unique tip in 2019

What precisely happened in that arena in 1969 turned into unexcited a mystery when Ted Inexperienced, in 2015, then the Investigator for the Saunders County Legal expert’s Region of industrial, started taking a seek into Mary Kay Heese’s murder.

Ted Inexperienced: It turned into inserting this puzzle assist together.

He had tranquil reports out of your entire assorted agencies that worked the case over time. He came across memos and statements that had by no methodology been filed.

Ted Inexperienced: Then I started going thru the listing of names and all those volumes and reinterviewing and so … I turned into in a role to open tracking down folk.

Inexperienced says one in every of those other folk educated him that Ambroz had considered Mary Kay no longer appropriate at that café they frequented, nonetheless also round metropolis, and that Ambroz educated him he wanted to have intercourse with Mary Kay.

Ted Inexperienced: And he says, effectively, Mary Kay turned into up in her driveway twirling her baton … and he had made the observation that, yeah, the suspect educated me, he wanted to attain her.

Inexperienced, like Frank, focused his investigation on Joseph Ambroz. Inexperienced says any other person educated him he had considered Ambroz and Wayne Greaser arguing that night.

Ted Inexperienced: They bought correct into a wrestle that very night about some lady and … this guy is coming forward and announcing this wrestle came about and no one paid consideration to him.

Inexperienced also reinterviewed a co-worker of Ambroz —who said Ambroz educated him after the murder that, “I can do six months, but I can’t do life.” For Inexperienced, this turned into Ambroz’s motive. Inexperienced theorized that Ambroz could well more than doubtless contend with serving six months for a parole violation, nonetheless no longer extra for making an try to sexually assault Mary Kay.

Ted Inexperienced: He knows he’s going assist … it is no longer a assign he must head.

Natalie Morales: So you suspect he killed her resulting from he turned into making an try to develop particular that that –

Ted Inexperienced: He turned into going to, yeah, she –

Natalie Morales: She did no longer document him.

Ted Inexperienced: Yeah.

Inexperienced turned into frustrated with the initial investigation’s lack of follow-up. Particularly irritating to him, turned into that Joseph Ambroz’s car turned into long long past and had by no methodology been examined.

Ted Inexperienced: Why wasn’t this in those reports? These were novel questions I turned into asking.

Whereas Inexperienced worked the case, this man, Josh Eberhardt, a buddy of Kathy Tull — Mary Kay’s cousin — wanted to convey consideration to the decades dilapidated murder that continued to hang-out the household.

Josh Eberhardt: The methodology that I could well more than doubtless feel their pain when I spoke with them, I could well more than doubtless no longer let it trot … I knew I wished to abet them by some ability.

That abet came in 2019, when Eberhardt, with the abet of Kathy, role up a Facebook page tipline.

Josh Eberhardt: And I started writing the posts for this page, and I turned into making an try to drag on the heartstrings of the community

Josh Eberhardt (finding out publish): Expensive Mary Kay … Fifty years have approach and long past since any individual took you from us all. …  I take a seat here at my computer on on daily basis basis, working to search out justice for you. (cries)

Eberhardt hoped the posts could well maybe spin other folk’s recollections. Pointers came in that went nowhere. Nonetheless then —

Josh Eberhardt: Any individual came forward … with a in actual fact enormous tip.

The tip alive to a reservoir no longer far from the murder scene. The person had heard tales about males taking apart a car that regarded like the one Jospeh Ambroz drove and pushing the car into the water shortly after Mary Kay’s murder.

Josh Eberhardt: We heard the phrases, white over blue, ’50s Chevy … So we knew it turned into foremost adequate to cross to Ted, and he took it from there.

Ted Inexperienced also conception it turned into foremost. He incessantly wondered what happened to the car witnesses reported seeing Mary Kay accept into. A car he believed belonged to Joseph Ambroz.

Natalie Morales: You imagine it is — the Chevy that is in that lake?

Ted Inexperienced: Yeah … They removed the car.

Natalie Morales: There turned into blood on it. It turned into a murder scene.

Ted Inexperienced: It turned into a murder scene. I contemplate the murder weapon is there also.

So, Inexperienced tried to search out out what turned into on the backside of that reservoir. It turned into a process, considered here, that went on for about five years, along with having a fraction dredged.

Ted Inexperienced: And we started establishing with bits and pieces of bizarre steel.

Nonetheless he wanted to approach assist up with extra.

Then Inexperienced noticed a YouTube video from an underwater search and recovery dive personnel, known as Adventures with Goal. The organization is essentially alive to with browsing underwater for lacking persons.

Ted Inexperienced: I known as ’em up and said … that is an curious, ongoing investigation. We fabricate no longer have a body in there. I’m taking a survey evidence. And so that they agreed to attain it.

Ted Inexperienced: We pulled up extra and additional metal. We also … pulled up fiber … per the coloration of the within of the car we’re taking a survey.

Still though, they’d maybe more than doubtless moreover no longer present the metal and fiber were from a car. To envision one thing else extra, the reservoir would will must be drained — which turned into no longer doubtless.

If the reservoir could well more than doubtless no longer present extra clues, Inexperienced and the county authorized expert conception more than doubtless Mary Kay herself could well more than doubtless. In 2024, the choice turned into made to have her body exhumed and make any other autopsy.

Jennifer Joakim: The first autopsy turned into no longer a quality autopsy or on the least by on the present time’s standards. … Obviously, it is science, issues evolve.

Nonetheless first, the household needed to consent. Inexperienced and Kathy Tull had been in end contact thru the direction of his investigation. Kathy turned into incessantly pushing to study extra, so she gave her permission to have Mary Kay’s body exhumed.

Kathy Tull: It turned into — it turned into tense. I, uh — one thing else that maybe would accept the solutions we were taking a survey, nonetheless it turned into a tense need.

Nonetheless what extra or much less solutions could well more than doubtless be came across from a body that had been buried for bigger than 50 years?

Ted Inexperienced: We did no longer know what we were gonna in finding.

Cyber investigation What clues could well more than doubtless Mary Kay Heese present?

Mary Kay had been buried for 55 years when her casket turned into lifted out of the ground to make any other autopsy. Remarkably, narrate prosecutors, her body turned into effectively-preserved, permitting a pathologist to study extra about her knife wounds.

Jennifer Joakim: The 2d autopsy turned into extremely precious. It added readability to the … manner of killing.

Primarily essentially based on investigators, the manner thru which Mary Kay turned into stabbed turned into per how slaughterhouse personnel are taught to raze animals.

Richard Register: The attitude, precisely how her body turned into showed in the autopsy, is precisely how they were educated to attain it.

For Ted Inexperienced, it turned into any other fragment of the puzzle tying Joseph Ambroz, who had worked on the raze ground of a slaughterhouse, to Mary Kay’s murder. There turned into also that shoeprint on the murder scene — a measurement 9 1/2.

Ted Inexperienced: And he wore a 9 1/2 shoe. And that’s the rationale the scale of the shoe that turned into there.

Nonetheless it absolutely turned into bigger than appropriate the scale. Inexperienced says it turned into also the pattern of the print. It matched a penal complex-issued shoe that Ambroz, on parole on the time of Mary Kay’s murder, could well were wearing.

Ted Inexperienced: So these small consistencies are initiating to add up.

Natalie Morales: At what level though … attain you feel you’ve gotten adequate … which that which you should then trot to the county authorized expert’s assign of job and narrate, I contemplate I’ve bought a reasonably trusty case here?

Ted Inexperienced: It turned into his interview.

In 2021, Inexperienced interviewed Ambroz, traveling to Ohio the assign he turned into residing. Primarily essentially based on Inexperienced, other folk educated him they had considered blood on Ambroz’s car round the time of the murder. Inexperienced says when he asked Ambroz about this, he admitted there turned into blood on his car resulting from he ran over a deer or rabbit.

Ted Inexperienced: He said that blood is on the left rear fender.

Natalie Morales: The assist — the assist fender.

Ted Inexperienced: You fabricate no longer hit a deer or rabbit on the left rear fender and assign blood on that. And he admitted the blood turned into there the night of the homicide.

Inexperienced believed Ambroz pinned Mary Kay on the car trunk, and the blood turned into hers from those 14 stab wounds.

In 2023, Inexperienced presented his investigation’s findings to the county authorized expert: the behold statements, the shoeprint evidence, Ambroz’s interview. Prosecutors knew it could perchance perchance maybe more than doubtless be a tense case. The murder weapon turned into by no methodology came across, nor turned into there DNA evidence connecting Ambroz to the killing. Nonetheless they also knew time turned into running out.

Jennifer Joakim: We were attending to about a degree that … 55, 56 years previously, this came about, so we’re initiating to lose witnesses. … So the choice turned into made to steal it earlier than the huge jury.

The massive jury fleet indicted Joseph Ambroz for the main-level murder of Mary Kay Heese. The then-77-year-dilapidated turned into arrested on Nov. 18, 2024, in Oklahoma, the assign he turned into residing. Ambroz turned into then extradited to Nebraska.

Impress Miller: Extremely tickled to loss of life.

Kathy Tull: I turned into overjoyed.

Impress Miller: Extremely tickled to loss of life that in the extinguish, in the extinguish … Mary Kay will have justice.

For Mary Kay’s household, the arrest turned into relaxing, especially for Kathy. She had promised Mary Kay’s mom, Dorothy, who died in 2007, that she would wrestle for justice and no longer neglect Mary Kay.

Kathy Tull: This is Aunt Dorothy inquiring for us to proceed to survey whatever happened to Mary Kay …

Kathy Tull: I did no longer are making an try to let her down …

Kathy Tull: I educated her that I’d no longer stay, that I’d proceed.

Kathy and Impress were making ready themselves to in the extinguish have some solutions to 56 years of questions about what happened to Mary Kay. There were pre-trial hearings the assign Ambroz regarded worn and on oxygen.

Months handed, after which, in July 2025, Kathy and Impress bought info they weren’t expecting. A plea deal had been reached — no longer for first level murder as charged — nonetheless for conspiracy to commit first-level murder. As phase of the deal, Ambroz pleaded no contest, which meant he did no longer must give any foremost capabilities referring to the murder.

Impress Miller: The household by no methodology bought the likelihood to claim no.

Kathy and Impress narrate they weren’t consulted referring to the deal, which also named the deceased Wayne Greaser because the assorted person conspiring to raze Mary Kay. It turned into a blow to Kathy and Impress — and to Ted Inexperienced.

Ted Inexperienced: There’s no justice for Mary Kay, there could be no longer any justice for the household.

Natalie Morales: And no acknowledge.

Ted Inexperienced: And no acknowledge.

In an e-mail to “48 Hours,” Joseph Ambroz’s authorized expert said that, “Mr. Ambroz maintains his innocence … Due to Mr. Ambroz’ age he states he took the plea bargain due to his health issues … since he may not have lived until trial to try to clear his name.”

Ted Inexperienced: He gets off — I did no longer attain it, in actual fact? … I’m sorry, if you’re gonna fold like that, I laid my keys on the desk and walked out two minutes after he pled. … I retired staunch then and there.

Jennifer Joakim: I realize with any other folk the plea deal wasn’t in particular attention-grabbing.

County authorized expert Jennifer Joakim knew there could well more than doubtless be a backlash for accepting the plea deal. Nonetheless she also felt, as they proceeded to trial, the case turned into most effective getting weaker.

Jennifer Joakim: You know, it is wanted to hunt on the possibilities of even attending to trial.

There were chain of custody disorders from the evidence going thru so many hands over time. And with some witnesses ineffective, testimony could well more than doubtless be deemed inadmissible. It turned into leaving them perilous the case could well more than doubtless be proven past an sensible doubt

Jennifer Joakim: We needed to analyze the case and the evidence. … It turned into foremost to accept the conviction.

Nonetheless since Mary Kay’s murder came about in 1969, sentencing tricks from then would will must be old. A conviction of conspiracy to murder in 1969 carried most effective two years of penal complex time.

Jennifer Joakim: We’re sure to use those statutes as they existed for the time being.

Kathy Tull: Oh, I’m inflamed. I’m easy inflamed.

On Aug. 27, 2025, appropriate earlier than formal sentencing turned into to happen, “48 Hours” spoke with Kathy and Impress. They already knew the maximum sentence that can maybe more than doubtless be imposed turned into two years.

Impress Miller: We all know that is no longer justice.

Kathy Tull: His component turned into he did no longer are making an try to die in jail. He did no longer are making an try to die in penal complex. Mary Kay did no longer are making an try to die that day either.

At sentencing, Kathy and Impress addressed the court docket.

MARK MILLER (in court docket): I be conscious Mary Kay Heese as a person that would by no methodology hurt somebody.

Joseph Ambroz chose to claim nothing.

JUDGE MARROQUIN (in court docket):  Mr. Ambroz, is there one thing else you might want to claim earlier than a sentence is imposed? 

JOSEPH AMBROZ: No. 

JUDGE MARROQUIN: The utmost penalty, under the law, because it existed in 1969, and which is appropriate on the present time in the topic, is 2 years of imprisonment.

As a result of Nebraska’s Staunch Time sentencing low cost law, Joseph Ambroz’s sentence turned into sever in half of. With time served, he turned into released on Nov. 15, 2025.

Impress Miller: He bought all these years to reside, and Mary Kay by no methodology had the likelihood to reside.

For Mary Kay Heese’s household, the hunt for justice, after bigger than 50 years, remains elusive.

Kathy Tull: She did no longer deserve this in any admire. She turned into a 17-year-dilapidated lady pudgy of life.

Produced  by Ruth Chenetz. Michael Loftus is the arena producer. Richard Barber and Michael Vele are the editors. Anthony Batson is the senior broadcast producer. Nancy Kramer is the government anecdote editor. Judy Tygard is the government producer.