Suvechha Sarkar
Mary Kay Heese was a 17-year-old high school junior with her entire life ahead of her. However, she never imagined that it would turn into a nightmare on March 25, 1969, when she suddenly went missing near her home in Wahoo, Nebraska. Just one day later, her remains were discovered in a ditch off a country road, raising questions in the minds of her loved ones and the detectives. The episode titled ‘The Girl from Wahoo’ of CBS’ ’48 Hours’ delves deeper into the investigation that lasted for 55 years before the person who conspired to kill her, Joseph Ambroz, was arrested. It also features interviews with the officials who worked tirelessly on the case to shed light on the truth.
Julius and Dorothy Heese Spent Decades Seeking Justice For Mary Before They Passed Away
When Julius and Dorothy M. Heese first crossed paths, it didn’t take them much time to come closer to one another. Ultimately, in 1950, the pair finally tied the knot in the presence of their loved ones on December 2, 1950. Eventually, they welcomed their daughter, Mary Kay, and their son, David, into the world. However, their life came crashing down on March 25, 1969, when 17-year-old Mary failed to reach home even when the clock struck 7 pm. Unfortunately, by around 1 am the following day, authorities discovered Mary’s remains in Wahoo, Nebraska.
It left both Julius and Dorothy searching for answers desperately, as they tried to find who was responsible for their daughter’s death. According to one of Mary’s cousins, Kathy Tull, Julius and Dorothy gradually became impatient, seeking justice for their daughter. Kathy stated, “We kept calling state patrol. We kept calling and calling and calling, and where the case was with new evidence.” Unfortunately, before the killer came into light, Julius unexpectedly passed away at the age of 89 on February 20, 1989. Amid the profound loss, Dorothy never gave up the pursuit of justice.
However, despite the best efforts from the detectives, Dorothy and Julius found no concrete evidence tying the suspect, Joseph Ambroz, to the crime. Reports state that by then, the couple had stepped back from their careers and had already retired. On November 10, 2007, Dorothy sadly passed away at the age of 79. Throughout their lives, both Julius and Dorothy carried the memories of their daughter in their hearts without ever finding closure. It is essential to note that since the loss of her sister, David has preferred to remain out of the limelight and appears to be leading a quiet life, as of writing.
Kathy Tull Carries Mary’s Memory in Her Heart While Finding Strength in Family
Kathy Tull is the cousin of Mary and also remained the closest part of the latter’s extended family. Following Mary’s death, she was also beside Dorothy and Julius and always made sure to urge the investigators to find her cousin’s killer. While speaking about her efforts in the matter, Kathy recalled, “Then we put the tip-line up, and when we did that, it seemed like things kind of took off.” When the person responsible for Mary’s death was finally arrested in November 2024, Kathy said that her and the family’s efforts to push the tip-line helped significantly in the indictment. However, Kathy was left completely shattered when Joseph received a two-year prison term in August 2025. During Joseph’s sentencing, Kathy took the stand to give a victim impact statement, remembering the time Mary was present in her life.
When Kathy first learned about the sentencing, she expressed, “I’m shocked. … I’m numb. I’m hurt. I’m angry… This is just an insult all the way around… She’s (Mary) just been put aside again.” Following the hearing, Kathy continued, “Would it have been necessary to have done that and gone through that if we had known they were going to just give him. I feel he’s just getting a slap on the hand.” To this day, Kathy continues to make sure that the memories of her dearest cousin live on through the years. Despite the heartbreaking loss, Kathy has never backed down from healing and moving forward in her life. She has been holding several pop-up sales, selling items such as couches and chairs. In her personal life, Kathy found love when she met John Tull through an online dating application.
Eventually, Kathy and John’s relationship blossomed, and they tied the knot at a beautiful venue. Over the next few years, they welcomed their son, Jonnie, into their lives. Kathy was further overjoyed when her household was lit up with the arrival of her grandchildren, including her granddaughter, Mary Austin. However, she faced a major predicament in December 2022, when she suffered a heart attack, but thankfully, she recovered after receiving proper treatment. Whenever she gets the chance, Kathy always makes sure to express her love for her husband, John. They often spend their time going on romantic dates or simply making memories together. Yet, amid every step, Kathy has never forgotten Mary and often speaks out about the injustice she and her family felt when the perpetrator received a lesser sentence.
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Mark Miller Has Channeled His Grief Into Building a Career as an IRS Manager
Mark Miller, another of Mary’s cousins, has always been quite vocal about their family’s feelings regarding the cold-case investigation that lasted for 55 years before Joseph was arrested. When Joseph accepted the guilty plea deal in July 2025, Mark came forward and stated, “It makes it look like they threw this whole case out just like they threw the trash out, just like he put her in the ditch and left her like trash.” While speaking on the matter, Mark further expressed, “We thought there would be answers, and we thought there would be closure. We thought — we spent our whole lives with this in our, in our family, and watched everybody go through so much pain throughout the years.”
Following the hearing, Mark stated, “He’ll (Joseph) get to have his family, he’ll get to have Christmas. He’ll get to do these things where we’ve been without. We can take flowers to the cemetery, but… 56 Christmases without Mary Kay. Without her having a family.” Just like Kathy, Mark also stepped up to the stand during Joseph’s sentencing in August 2025 and gave a victim impact statement before the court. It revealed the deep scar that he carries to this day due to the loss of his beloved cousin. Before the order changed the life of his family forever, Mark was completely dedicated to building a prominent future for himself.
After graduating from Arlington High School, Mark earned a degree from the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). As of writing, he has been working as a Manager at the Internal Revenue Service office since November 2015. Although Mark has shared that he has been in a relationship since 2019, he has decided to keep his soulmate’s identity out of the spotlight. Currently residing in Fremont, Nebraska, he has further chosen to keep other aspects of his personal life away from the public eye. To this day, Mark continues to honor Mary’s memory, which serves as a testament to his affection for her.
