Joseph Ambroz Sentenced in 1969 Mary Kay Heese Murder Cold Case
Joseph Ambroz, 77, received a two-year prison sentence in August 2025 after pleading no contest to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the 1969 death of 17-year-old Mary Kay Heese in Wahoo, Nebraska. Heese was found beaten and stabbed to death after she did not return home from school on March 25, 1969. Wayne Greaser, who died by suicide in 1977, was identified as the other individual involved in the conspiracy. The case remained unsolved for decades until a renewed investigation in 2015 led to Ambroz's indictment in 2023.
After more than five decades, Joseph Ambroz was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in the 1969 murder of Mary Kay Heese, ultimately serving less than one year due to time served and sentencing reductions.
The 1969 Murder of Mary Kay Heese
On March 25, 1969, Mary Kay Heese, 17, was discovered deceased on a road outside Wahoo, Nebraska, after failing to return home from school. She was last observed around 5 p.m. entering a vehicle with two men at the intersection of 12th and Linden streets. Her parents reported her missing that evening.
Later that night, Heese's school books and purse were located neatly stacked on a road near a field. Her body was subsequently found in a nearby ditch. Investigators at the scene noted her shoes, tire tracks, and a size 9 1/2 shoeprint. An autopsy determined she had been beaten and sustained 14 stab wounds. No knife was recovered, and sexual assault was not reported.
Decades Unsolved: Initial Investigations and Challenges
The initial investigation in 1969 involved multiple law enforcement agencies. Witnesses reported seeing Heese enter a vehicle with two men, but the individuals were not identified at the time. Joseph Ambroz, then 22 and on parole for forgery and escape, was questioned and polygraphed. Ambroz was known to frequent the same café as Heese and drove a white over blue 1956 Chevy, a vehicle reportedly seen near the crime scene.
Ambroz denied involvement, stating he was with his friend Wayne Greaser. He admitted to parole violations during questioning, leading to his incarceration for approximately 18 months.
Prosecutors later noted several shortcomings in the initial investigation, including the absence of a clear lead investigator, insufficient follow-up on evidence such as unexamined cars for blood, and a heavy reliance on polygraph tests.
The First Cold Case Review (1999)
In 1999, the Nebraska State Patrol Cold Case Unit, led by Sgt. Bob Frank, reopened the Heese case. Forensic testing for DNA and fingerprints on Heese's belongings, including schoolbooks and gloves, yielded no conclusive evidence. Sgt. Frank interviewed individuals who reported hearing alleged confessions from Joseph Ambroz and Wayne Greaser, which were considered hearsay.
In September 1999, Frank interviewed Ambroz in Florida. Ambroz denied involvement, provided an alibi that differed from his previous account, and voluntarily provided a blood sample for DNA testing, which did not match any forensic evidence in the case. Frank noted that Ambroz's shoe size (9 1/2) matched the shoeprint found at the crime scene. The evidence gathered was presented to the county attorney but was deemed insufficient for charges at the time.
A Renewed Push: The 2015-2024 Investigation
Ted Green, a criminal investigator with the Saunders County Attorney's Office, initiated a new investigation into the murder in 2015. Green consolidated reports from various agencies and reinterviewed witnesses. Heese's cousins described her as someone who desired social acceptance. She had expressed intentions to attend a local Sadie Hawkins dance. Investigators theorized that Heese would likely not have willingly entered a vehicle with unknown individuals, or may have fled upon realizing the occupants' intentions.
Key Breakthroughs
The renewed investigation brought forward several critical developments:
- A witness reportedly claimed Ambroz had expressed a desire for sexual contact with Mary Kay Heese.
- Another witness reported seeing Ambroz and Greaser involved in an argument concerning a girl on the night of the murder.
- A co-worker recalled Ambroz stating, "I can do six months, but I can't do life."
- In 2019, a Facebook tipline, established by Heese's cousin Kathy Tull and friend Josh Eberhardt, received a tip regarding men pushing a car resembling Ambroz's into a reservoir shortly after the murder. Green initiated a five-year process to search the reservoir, which yielded metal and fiber consistent with a car, though no definitive proof was found.
- In 2021, Green interviewed Ambroz, who admitted to having blood on his car's left rear fender on the night of the homicide, attributing it to hitting an animal.
- In 2024, Heese's body was exhumed for a second autopsy. The pathologist noted that the stab wounds were consistent with techniques used in slaughterhouses, where Ambroz had been employed. Green also observed that the pattern of the crime scene shoeprint matched prison-issued shoes that Ambroz might have worn while on parole.
Investigators believe Ambroz and Greaser transported Heese to a known gathering spot near town. It is theorized that Heese attempted to exit the vehicle, and Ambroz pursued her, leading to her being stabbed to death.
Arrest, Plea, and Sentencing
In 2023, Green presented his findings to the county attorney. A grand jury subsequently indicted Joseph Ambroz for first-degree murder. On November 18, 2024, Joseph Ambroz, then 77, was arrested in Oklahoma and extradited to Nebraska.
In July 2025, Ambroz accepted a plea agreement, pleading no contest to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The agreement identified Wayne Greaser as the co-conspirator. Ambroz stated he accepted the plea due to health issues, despite maintaining his innocence. Due to sentencing guidelines in place in 1969, the maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit murder was two years.
On August 27, 2025, Ambroz was sentenced to two years in prison. This sentence was subsequently reduced to one year under Nebraska's Good Time sentencing reduction law. With credit for time served, Ambroz was released on November 15, 2025. Investigator Ted Green retired immediately following the plea agreement.
Heese's cousins, Mark Miller and Kathy Tull, expressed disappointment with the plea agreement and sentence, stating that Ambroz had experienced many years of life that Mary Kay Heese was denied. Other family members and investigator Ted Green also expressed disappointment, citing unanswered questions.