Michelle A. Shelly Key, 51, of Waterloo, was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound inside a residence at 621 1st St. NE in Hampton, Iowa, on December 13, 2015. Officers initially responded to a call about a suicidal individual; the scene was later treated as a homicide when investigators determined Key had been shot and killed in a domestic violence incident.

The investigation focused on Key’s boyfriend, 60-year-old Ronald Lee Rand, who lived at the Hampton home. Rand was arrested at the scene without incident and charged with first-degree murder. Neighbors described the area as ordinarily quiet and said the residence was not known for disturbances; the Hampton Police Chief said officers had been to the house before but could not recall prior domestic violence reports. This was the first murder investigation in Hampton in over a decade.

Anyone with information about Michelle Key, her movements before December 13, 2015, or who saw activity at 621 1st St. NE around that time is asked to come forward.