Waterloo Man Faces Murder Charges in Deadly May Shooting
Kevin Ambrose makes his initial court appearance with Public Defender Tomas Rodriguez at the Black Hawk County Jail Friday, May 4, 2012, in Waterloo, Iowa. (MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor)
By
Lauren Peikoff
Story Created:
Jun 7, 2012 at 7:12 AM CDT
Story Updated:
Jun 7, 2012 at 2:30 PM CDT
WATERLOO, Iowa - A Waterloo man suspected of shooting his fiance and killing her mother has been charged with murder.
Waterloo police arrested Kevin Deshay Ambrose, 33, at the Black Hawk County Jail Wednesday afternoon for first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.
He has been in jail on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm since he was detained May 3, the day following the fatal shooting.
With the new charges, his bond was also hiked to $1,252,500. He also has a no-bond hold for allegedly violating parole.
The shooting injured Marlene Buss, 33, and killed her mother, 59 year-old Kay Straw. It came just hours after Buss sought a protective order against Ambrose, and he was escorted out of the house.
The attempted murder charges claim he shot Buss three times and tried to shoot Undray Reed, another man who was in the house at the time.
Reed had also been engaged to marry Buss in 2009, according to Courier archives.
Witnesses told police that Buss, Straw and Reed were at the home at 704 Newell St. at about 6:52 p.m. helping Buss pack her belongings so she could move out, according to court records.
Ambrose then showed up at the house with a .380-caliber handgun. He pointed the weapon at Reed’s face and pulled the trigger, but the gun didn’t fire, records state.
Ambrose racked the weapon’s slide, and the dud round ejected, according to court records.
Buss ran out of the house, and Ambrose chased after her. When Buss fell to the ground outside, Ambrose stood over her and fired several times, with three bullets finding their mark in her abdomen, back and hip.
Ambrose apparently left her, and Buss got up and started running away.
Witnesses saw Ambrose return to the house, and Buss told officers she heard more gunshots. Straw was later found shot by the back door.
She was taken to Covenant Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.
Shell casings that were discovered by Straws’ body and where Buss was shot were all of the same caliber and manufacture, court records state.
Police said children were inside the house at the time of the shooting but weren’t injured.
Ambrose’s brother, Jeremi Montgomery, 31, has been charged for allegedly unlocking the back door shortly before Ambrose entered the house and allegedly misleading investigators about his contact with Ambrose before and after the shooting.
