Ivy Unruh, 25, died three days after police found her wounded outside an apartment building.

WICHITA, Kan. — A Wichita man has been charged with premeditated first-degree murder after police said his estranged wife, a 25-year-old Marine veteran and PBS Kansas engineer, was shot outside an apartment complex and died three days later.

Joshua Orlando, 29, remains in custody in Sedgwick County as prosecutors move forward in the death of Ivy Unruh. Wichita police said the case began as an aggravated battery investigation on April 17, then became a homicide case after Unruh died April 20. The formal murder charge followed the next morning, putting the case before the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office and into the early stages of a felony prosecution.

The shooting was reported at 8:03 a.m. April 17 at 7272 E. 37th St., the address for the Remington Apartments in northeast Wichita. Officers arrived near Building 5 and found Unruh with a gunshot wound to her upper body, police said. A firearm was recovered at the scene. Police said Orlando, who was married to Unruh but separated from her, was taken into custody at the apartment complex. He was brought to the Wichita Police Investigations Bureau for an interview and later booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on an aggravated battery charge. PBS Kansas President Victor Hogstrom said the news stunned the station. “I couldn’t believe it,” Hogstrom said in an interview with a Wichita television station.

Unruh was taken to a local hospital in grave condition after the shooting. Police have not publicly released a full account of what happened before officers arrived, and the precise sequence of events remains under investigation. Authorities have said the killing is being investigated as a domestic violence homicide. Court records cited in public reports say the complaint accuses Orlando of killing Unruh intentionally and with premeditation during a domestic violence offense. Police said Orlando was rebooked after Unruh died, and the case was presented for formal charging April 21. Orlando had not entered a plea in the first public reports after the charge, and an attorney response was not immediately available in those reports.

The charge marks a sharp turn in a case that began while Unruh was still alive and in critical condition. Under Kansas procedure, prosecutors can revise allegations as a victim’s condition changes and as investigators gather evidence. The initial booking on aggravated battery reflected the information police had after the shooting. After Unruh’s death, the case shifted to a murder prosecution. The first-degree charge carries an allegation of premeditation, which means prosecutors must show more than a killing occurred. They must prove the killing was intentional and planned, though the public record released so far does not lay out the evidence prosecutors will rely on to make that argument.

Unruh’s death drew grief beyond the apartment complex because of the life she had built in Wichita after military service. She worked as a broadcast engineer at PBS Kansas, a behind-the-scenes role that helps keep station programming and news operations running. Hogstrom described her as motivated, trustworthy and dependable, saying she worked well with others and was missed by co-workers. Unruh also served in the Marine Corps from 2020 to 2024 and reached the rank of sergeant while in the Individual Ready Reserve. Military records described in public reports say she was last assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego and received medals for good conduct, among other awards.

Family members and supporters also described Unruh through a fundraising page created after her death. The page said she was “more than a Marine,” calling her a daughter, sister and friend. It also said she had “the courage to walk away from a dangerous situation,” a statement that added to the public picture of the case but did not replace the police investigation or court record. Another family update said Unruh’s donated organs saved six people, extending the family’s account of her life beyond the violence that ended it. Police have not released further details about prior incidents between Unruh and Orlando or any possible protective orders.

The procedural focus now rests with Sedgwick County District Court. Public reports said Orlando was held on a $1.5 million bond after his first court appearance and had a preliminary hearing set for May 5. At that type of hearing, prosecutors typically present enough evidence for a judge to decide whether the case should move forward toward trial. The defense may challenge probable cause, question witnesses or seek later rulings on evidence. The presumption of innocence remains in place unless and until a conviction is entered, and the public charging documents are allegations, not findings of guilt.

At the Remington Apartments, the scene described by police was brief but stark: a morning call, multiple officers, a wounded woman near a building and a gun recovered nearby. The response included Wichita police, with public reports also noting help from other local agencies. For co-workers, the official timeline did not capture the shock of losing a young engineer who had become part of the station’s daily rhythm. Hogstrom said Unruh was smart and reliable, and that the loss was difficult for staff members who had worked with her.

The case remains under investigation under Wichita police case number 26C071136. As of the latest public updates, Orlando remained jailed in Sedgwick County on the murder charge while investigators and prosecutors continued building the record for the next court step.

Author note: Last updated May 17, 2026.