TL;DR: Iowa and Minnesota authorities arrested Kelly Grant, 59, of Bertha, Minnesota, on October 16 and charged him with first-degree murder in the 1995 shooting death of Angela “Angie” Buck, 37, whose body was found along a creek east of Waterloo, Iowa. The case sat cold for 31 years until a renewed motive theory and the defendant’s shifting accounts gave investigators probable cause.
A 31-year-old Iowa cold case cracked open this week when deputies arrested a Minnesota man in the shooting death of a Waterloo woman found dead along a creek in 1995. PEOPLE, FOX 9, and Cedar Valley Now report that Kelly Grant, 59, of Bertha, Minnesota, was arrested October 16 and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Angela “Angie” Renee Buck, 37.
How investigators say the case came together
On August 11, 1995, two turtle hunters found Buck’s body along the bank of Poyner Creek near the 900 block of Pilot Grove Road, east of Waterloo. The Iowa State Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide from a gunshot wound. Investigators learned she had spent the night of August 10 into the early morning of August 11 at a home on Cottage Street in Waterloo with Grant and another man. The complaint says a witness saw men matching their descriptions forcibly remove Buck from the home and force her into a vehicle.
In January 1996, an associate told police that Grant had indicated he and the other man killed Buck because they believed she had stolen from them. Grant was interviewed in 1996 and 2001; he denied involvement but gave changing accounts of his whereabouts and his connection to the other man. In the last year, investigators added a possible new motive: that Buck was suspected of being an informant on drug activity. Combined with an admission from Grant that he and the other man had put Buck in their vehicle that night, investigators say they reached probable cause.
The arrest
Black Hawk County Sheriff’s deputies and agents with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation arrested Grant on Friday with assistance from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Todd County Sheriff’s Office. He is being held without bond in the Todd County Jail in Minnesota, according to jail records, and is expected to face proceedings on the Iowa murder charge.
“After 31 years, Angie Buck’s family is getting answers,” said Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, crediting the Black Hawk County Sheriff, the Iowa DCI, the county attorney, and the AG’s Cold Case Unit. “No one should get away with murder.”
Authorities stress the complaint contains allegations, not proven facts, and that the investigation is ongoing. Grant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Featured image: Todd County Courthouse in Minnesota, where Kelly Grant is being held in the county jail. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested in the 1995 cold case?
Kelly Grant, 59, of Bertha, Minnesota, was arrested on October 16, 2026, and charged with first-degree murder in the 1995 killing of Angela “Angie” Buck in Black Hawk County, Iowa.
Who was Angela “Angie” Buck?
Buck was a 37-year-old woman from Waterloo, Iowa. Her body was found by two turtle hunters along Poyner Creek near Pilot Grove Road on August 11, 1995. An autopsy determined she died from a gunshot wound.
Why did the case take 31 years to solve?
Grant was interviewed in 1996 and 2001 but never charged. Investigators say they built the case over time through witness statements, Grant’s changing accounts, a 1996 tip from an associate, and, in the last year, a new theory that Buck was suspected of being a drug informant.
What evidence led to the arrest?
The complaint cites a witness who saw Buck forced into a vehicle the night she died, a 1996 tip from an associate implicating Grant, Grant’s shifting statements in interviews, and a newly developed possible motive.
Where is Kelly Grant being held?
He is being held without bond in the Todd County Jail in Minnesota, pending proceedings on the Iowa first-degree murder charge.
What did the Iowa Attorney General say?
Attorney General Brenna Bird said, “After 31 years, Angie Buck’s family is getting answers,” crediting the agencies and cold-case investigators behind the arrest.
Could anyone else be charged?
The investigation is ongoing. The complaint references another identified man who was allegedly with Grant at the Cottage Street home, but no additional charges have been announced.
Is Grant guilty of the murder?
The charges are accusations. Grant denied involvement in prior interviews and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
