On the morning of June 3, 2017, 36-year-old Mary Dudley was found dead inside her apartment at the Southbrook Green complex in Des Moines after reports of a shooting. Responders discovered Mary at the scene; witnesses in the complex said they heard three to five gunshots. Mary had been living apart from her husband after he filed for dissolution of their marriage a few months earlier.

Authorities identified her 50-year-old estranged husband, Harold Dudley, as the primary suspect. According to the investigation, Mary called 911 to report Harold’s presence at the complex before he forcibly entered her apartment armed with a handgun and fled afterward. He was arrested later that same day in Ames and returned to Des Moines to face charges of first-degree murder and first-degree burglary. Reports said he made statements referencing the seven deadly sins in connection with his actions.

The judge at sentencing described the killing as an execution and noted Mary was shot five times; family members delivered emotional victim impact statements remembering her as a vibrant person. If anyone knew Mary, her movements, or what happened at Southbrook Green that morning, please share information with investigators.