48 Hours: "The Girl From Wahoo"
Original Air Date: February 16, 2026
Host: CBS News
Episode Overview
This episode of 48 Hours revisits the haunting 1969 murder of Mary Kay Hesse, a 17-year-old from Wahoo, Nebraska. After decades as Nebraska’s oldest unsolved cold case, the investigation’s breakthroughs, setbacks, and eventual resolution are explored in depth. Through interviews with investigators, family, and key witnesses, this episode paints a portrait not only of a persistent search for justice but also the lasting impact on Mary Kay’s family and community.
Key Themes & Discussion Points
1. Impact of Mary Kay Hesse’s Murder on Wahoo
- The episode opens with community members reflecting on the shock and fear that gripped Wahoo in 1969.
- “The murder of Mary Kay Hesse has been on the minds of the people of Wahoo, Nebraska, for 56 years now... It didn't happen that often in Nebraska. Murders were rare.” – Ted Green [00:10]
- The crime changed the town’s atmosphere, leading to lost innocence and increased fear among residents.
- Family members recall the immediate aftermath and long-term trauma:
- “It’s the kind of pain you feel across the room.” – Interviewer referencing the reaction of Mary Kay’s mother [09:04]
- “Everything changed. What our parents allowed us to go do. We lost so many things...” – Ted Green [09:42]
2. Initial Investigation & Missed Opportunities
- The early investigation was hampered by inexperience, lack of coordination among agencies, and an overreliance on polygraphs.
- “They polygraphed virtually the entire male population of both the schools. I mean, can you imagine the uproar would happen today?” – Ted Green [13:51]
- Crucial evidence, like the potential murder vehicle, was never examined.
- Major suspects emerged early but evidence remained circumstantial.
3. Prime Suspects: Joseph Ambrose & Wayne Greaser
- Both were connected to Mary Kay through the local Wigwam Cafe and social circles.
- Ambrose, new to town and on parole for unrelated crimes, became the main person of interest:
- “He wrote a $10 bad check with his buddy...they escape...they catch up in California and bring him all the way back.” – Ted Green [14:36]
- Ambrose drove a vehicle matching witness descriptions seen near the crime scene.
- Greaser, Ambrose’s close associate, died by suicide in 1977; both had alibis for each other that later cast suspicion.
4. Decades of Cold Case Efforts
- The case languished for years until the Nebraska State Patrol Cold Case Unit revived it in 1999, led by Sgt. Bob Frank.
- “One thing about doing cold cases, you find, is that stories grow, stories change. So trying to separate truth from fiction is sometimes difficult...” – Bob Frank [17:57]
- Forensic advances provided new hope, but testing on old evidence (books, clothing, gloves) yielded no usable DNA or fingerprints.
- “We're hoping for prints to come off. It's been 30 years.” – Ted Green [19:50]
5. Community Involvement & Social Media in Modern Push
- In 2019, a Facebook tipline revived local interest and produced new leads regarding Ambrose’s car potentially being dumped in a reservoir.
- “Dear Mary Kay, 50 years have come and gone since someone took you from us all. I sit here...working to find justice for you.” – Josh Eberhardt (reading a post) [30:22]
- Underwater search teams pulled up debris consistent with the missing vehicle, but the reservoir couldn’t be fully drained for confirmation.
6. Exhumation & New Forensic Insights
- In 2024, Mary Kay’s body was exhumed for a modern autopsy, revealing her wounds matched slaughterhouse killing techniques—skills Ambrose would have possessed:
- “The angle, exactly how her body was showed in the autopsy is exactly how [slaughterhouse workers] were told to do it.” – Ted Green [35:01]
- Investigators tied shoeprints at the scene to Ambrose’s known shoe size and potentially to prison-issue shoes he would have worn on parole.
7. Interview & Interrogation Breakthroughs
- Greene personally interviewed Ambrose in 2021, pinning him down on forensic coincidences and inconsistencies:
- Regarding blood on Ambrose’s car:
“He said that blood is on the left rear fender, the back, the back fender. You don't hit a deer or rabbit on the left rear fender...” – Ted Green [36:17]
- Regarding blood on Ambrose’s car:
- Witnesses remembered Ambrose confessing to handling Mary Kay and to the presence of blood.
8. Grand Jury, Indictment, and Plea Deal
- In 2024, a grand jury indicted Ambrose for first-degree murder. Prosecutors hurried as time and living witnesses waned.
- “We were getting to a point that... we’re starting to lose witnesses. So the decision was made to take it before the grand jury.” – Ted Green [37:02]
- In 2025, Ambrose, by then frail and elderly, took a plea deal for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He maintained his innocence and gave no details, to the dismay of Mary Kay’s family and investigators.
- “There's no justice for Mary Kay. There's no justice for the family.” – Ted Green [39:11]
- “He gets off. I didn’t do it. ...I laid my keys on the table and walked out two minutes after he pledged. I retired right then and there.” – Ted Green [39:39]
- Due to 1969 sentencing guidelines and time served, Ambrose was released from prison almost immediately after sentencing.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|--------------|-------| | 00:10 | Ted Green | “The murder of Mary Kay Hesse has been on the minds of the people of Wahoo, Nebraska for 56 years now...” | | 07:32 | Ted Green | “Rage. Rage.” (on the 14 stab wounds) | | 13:51 | Ted Green | “They polygraphed virtually the entire male population of both the schools. I mean, can you imagine the uproar would happen today?” | | 19:50 | Ted Green | “We're hoping for prints to come off. It's been 30 years.” | | 30:22 | Josh Eberhardt (reading post) | “Dear Mary Kay, 50 years have come and gone since someone took you from us all. I sit here at my computer every day working to find justice for you.” | | 35:01 | Ted Green | “The angle, exactly how her body was showed in the autopsy is exactly how [slaughterhouse workers] were told to do it.” | | 39:11 | Ted Green | “There's no justice for Mary Kay. There's no justice for the family.” | | 41:48 | Interviewer | “...the maximum penalty under the law as it existed in 1969 and which is applicable today...is two years of imprisonment.” [On Ambrose’s sentence] | | 42:11 | Ted Green | “He got all these years to live. And Mary Kay never had the chance to live.” |
Important Segment Timestamps
- 00:10 – 06:38: Ted Green recounts the day of the murder and the immediate shock to the community.
- 08:22 – 10:05: Family reactions and changes to town life.
- 12:43 – 14:36: The two primary suspects, the Wigwam Cafe, and early investigation focus.
- 17:29 – 20:54: The cold case unit’s renewed efforts, evidence review, and forensics.
- 28:04 – 29:33: Ted Green tracks down old and new witnesses, uncovers new claims, and interviews.
- 30:14 – 32:50: The social media campaign and reservoir tip.
- 34:21 – 35:41: Exhumation and new forensic revelations.
- 35:53 – 36:30: 2021 confrontation with Ambrose and the significance of blood evidence.
- 37:02 – 42:11: Indictment, plea deal, sentencing, and family/investigators’ disappointment.
Conclusion
“The Girl from Wahoo” explores the persistence, sorrow, and frustration that comes with half a century of searching for justice. The final resolution—marked by a plea bargain, minimal sentence, and lack of closure—deeply disappointed the family and those who worked the case tirelessly. Through the episode’s nuanced narrative, listeners experience the emotional and investigative complexities of one of Nebraska’s most stubborn cold cases.