31-Year-Old Iowa Murder Case Takes Dramatic Turn: Two Arrested

More than 31 years after Angela Renee Buck was found shot to death in rural Black Hawk County, two men have been charged with first-degree murder in a case that investigators pursued for decades.

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Kelly Grant (below), 59, of Bertha, Minnesota, was arrested October 15th, 2026. Lindell Jackson, 50, of Waterloo, was charged October 28th. According to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Jackson was already being held at the Black Hawk County Jail on an unrelated charge.

Buck, 37, was found dead on August 11th, 1995, after two people hunting turtles discovered her body near the 900 block of Pilot Grove Road, east of Waterloo. Deputies found her along a creek bank on the east side of a bridge. An autopsy determined she had died from a gunshot wound, with her death ruled a homicide.

According to reports on the investigation, Buck, Grant, and Jackson were together at a home in the 300 block of Cottage Street in Waterloo during the night before her death. The complaints describe a fight in which Buck was allegedly physically assaulted.

A witness told investigators that Grant and Jackson forced Buck into a vehicle and drove away. Her body was later found about eight miles east of the home. Reports describe a possible motive tied to a belief that Buck had provided law enforcement with information about drug activity in the neighborhood. Investigators continued examining the case over the years, including through interviews with Grant and Jackson.

According to reporting, an associate told investigators in 1996 that Grant had insinuated he and another man killed Buck because they believed she had stolen from them. Grant reportedly gave changing accounts about whether he knew Buck and another man connected to the investigation. In a later interview, he reportedly acknowledged living in Waterloo around the time of the killing, after previously claiming he had been in Florida.

“This is a great example that highlights the cooperation and tenacity of multiple agencies working together to bring closure to a case that is over 30 years old. I would also like to credit the retired deputies who originally worked this case. This arrest would not have happened without their efforts.”

-Nate Neff, Black Hawk County Sheriff

In a March 2025 interview, Grant reportedly described an encounter involving Buck and several others near Sumner and Cottage streets. He allegedly acknowledged that Buck and another man got into his vehicle and that he drove them to another location in Waterloo. Grant denied involvement in Buck’s death.

Jackson’s complaint describes a different interview history. In 1996, he reportedly told investigators he was outside Waterloo when Buck was killed and claimed he had been in the Linn County Jail. Investigators later determined he was not in jail at that time, according to the complaint.

Jackson subsequently said he was in Cedar Rapids and learned of Buck’s death from a relative. In a September 2026 interview, he reportedly acknowledged knowing Buck and Grant and said he had sold crack cocaine in the area around the time of the killing. Investigators also cited his alleged access to a relative’s handgun near the scene.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed all the evidence that led to the charges. The investigation remains active, and officials have said no further details are currently being released. Both men face first-degree murder charges, but are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.