Arrest made 55 years after teen girl was found dead in roadside ditch, Nebraska cops say
A 77-year-old Oklahoma man was arrested in connection with the 1969 killing of a Nebraska teen, authorities said.
The United States Marshals Service arrested Joseph A. Ambroz of Ponca City on Nov. 18 on one count of first-degree murder, according to a news release from the Saunders County Sheriff’s Office.
Attorney information for Ambroz was not available.
Authorities said 17-year-old Mary Kay Heese was reported missing by her family March 25, 1969.
A farmer found Heese’s school books early the next morning and took them to authorities, the Kearney Hub reported.
An officer returned to the area with the farmer where they found Heese’s body in a roadside ditch in Wahoo, according to the outlet and authorities.
Heese had been stabbed more than a dozen times, Ponca City Now reported.
Investigators said they believe Heese tried to run from Ambroz but was chased down and overpowered in a struggle, according to the Kearney Hub.
Heese’s cousin told WOWT the case went cold for decades until authorities introduced a tip line, generating new leads.
According to Saunders County investigator Ted Green, that tip line led authorities to the indictment and arrest of Ambroz, the outlet reported.
Heese’s body was exhumed in September, though authorities have not specified what evidence they were looking for, WOWT reported.
Ambroz is awaiting extradition to Nebraska, KOKH reported.
Wahoo is about a 55-mile drive west from Omaha.
This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Arrest made 55 years after teen girl was found dead in roadside ditch, Nebraska cops say."
