FILE 604 / 14 June 2025 / 72 MIN / express

Death Of The Dog Lady

Bellevue, IowaListen

The town

N ↑Public placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

James says this is Bellevue, Iowa, in far eastern Iowa on the Mississippi River, about 30 minutes from Dubuque, in Jackson County, area code 563 about 0:03:44

History, in brief

2010

On July 5th, 2010, during the Heritage Days parade, a team of horses harnessed together broke loose and charged down the street for about six blocks, and a wagon flipped, ejecting the two people in it.

about 0:05:19

Town note

Janet Steins, aged 60, died from injuries after being trampled by the horses; 23 others were injured, including two children in critical condition.

about 0:05:35

Town note

The horses took off after one rubbed its head against the other, removing that horse's bridle.

about 0:06:19

Town note

Jeff Junk watched the stampede and said people, including little kids, were being mowed over and the horses were probably going 40 miles an hour.

about 0:07:33
All 4 history facts

2010

On July 5th, 2010, during the Heritage Days parade, a team of horses harnessed together broke loose and charged down the street for about six blocks, and a wagon flipped, ejecting the two people in it.

about 0:05:19

Town note

Janet Steins, aged 60, died from injuries after being trampled by the horses; 23 others were injured, including two children in critical condition.

about 0:05:35

Town note

The horses took off after one rubbed its head against the other, removing that horse's bridle.

about 0:06:19

Town note

Jeff Junk watched the stampede and said people, including little kids, were being mowed over and the horses were probably going 40 miles an hour.

about 0:07:33

The figures, as told

Money

Median home value252,500
Median household income71,786
All figures and comparisons, as told in 2025

Population

"2345"

No direction stated.

As told in 2025 about 0:04:33

Median household income

"71,786"

Comparison: "slightly above the national average". Direction: above.

As told in 2025 about 0:04:40

Median home cost

"252,500"

Comparison: "below the national average". Direction: below.

As told in 2025 about 0:04:47

The reviews

3.0 / 5 · average of 2

5 stars

“A beautiful river town on the Mississippi with many activities for singles and families; would advise anyone to move there.”
about 0:07:49

1 star

“How far you get in Bellevue depends on who you sleep with; if you have slept with a big enough name in town you can get away with almost anything, and if not you get picked on for everything, including traffic tickets.”
about 0:08:08

In Iowa

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The story

This express episode is set in Bellevue, Iowa, a town of 2,345 people on the Mississippi River in Jackson County, about 30 minutes from Dubuque. The median household income is 71,786, slightly above the national average, and the median home cost is 252,500, below it. The town's one event of note in the history section is the Heritage Days parade of July 5th, 2010, when a team of harnessed horses broke loose and ran six blocks through the crowd, killing 60 year old Janet Steins and injuring 23 others, including two children in critical condition. A local cattle farmer, Jeff Junk, watched it happen and returns later in the story.

The murder took place on October 8th, 2022, at Mississippi Ridge Kennels. Its owner, Angela Pritchard, known as Angie and born Odefey on April 14th, 1967 in Dubuque, was a nurturing woman who lived for her sons Josh and Colton, called CJ, and her five huskies.

She got a no contact order but lifted it a few weeks later, hoping the marriage could be saved, and then found a tracking device in her car and two hidden cameras at home. She obtained a second no contact order. When Angela went back to the marital home with Wendy and an officer, it had been wrecked with ink and paint, her mattress had been rubbed in dog faeces and guns had been left around; police said it was his house and they could do nothing. A warrant was issued eight days before the killing but never served. Angela kept post-it notes recording her fear.

The call recorded her scream, a shotgun blast at 7:39 and 43 seconds, and a man saying fuck you. Police found Angela dead in the washroom from a close range shotgun wound to the chest; the medical examiner said she died within seconds.

A large manhunt followed, with dogs, planes and drones, but the dogs lost his scent. Junk made him hand over the gun. He fell asleep in a recliner and Kim photographed him. He had a 20 gauge shotgun and Angela's purse, money and phone.

Police said none of this fitted the downward trajectory of the shot, which showed he fired standing over her. The defence argued reckless gun handling and an accidental discharge.

The city argued it owed only a general duty to the public.

The case

Murder of Angela Pritchard

Victims

Angela 'Angie' Pritchard (born Odefey) (55). Owner and operator of Mississippi Ridge Kennels, born April 14th, 1967 in Dubuque, mother of Josh and Colton (CJ), owner of five huskies

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 14 June 2025.

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Wendy. Angela's sister; Angela moved in with her; gave a victim impact statement
CJ (Colton). Angela's younger son, born about 1990
Josh. Angela's older son, born 1987
Jeff Junk. cattle farmer, 60, old friend of , in whose house was found asleep; texted the chief deputy
Kim Klein. Jeff Junk's girlfriend; took a picture of asleep in the recliner
Michael and Laurie Blazer. friends of whose farm pole barn and horse trailer he used the night before; Laurie called 911
Special Agent Kedley. interviewed

The timeline

  1. April 14th, 1967 Angela Odefey is born in Dubuqueabout 0:10:45
  2. 1987 Angela's son Josh is bornabout 0:11:41
  3. 1990 Angela's son Colton (CJ) is bornabout 0:11:41
  4. 2017 Angela and meet; she then opens her own kennelabout 0:14:10
  5. 2019 Angela and marryabout 0:14:52
  6. summer of 2021 Angela discovers is using methabout 0:16:39

Places and phrases

N ↑Public placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

Places in the story

Public places are marked on the map.

Heard in this episode