DES MOINES—Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird today announced that the Attorney General’s office secured a first-degree murder conviction for Marique Ruth, an Altoona woman who killed her boyfriend.

On August 10, 2022, Altoona police responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting at a home in Altoona. Upon arrival, officers found John Killen’s dead body in the living room. It immediately appeared that Ruth had shot him dead. Ruth claimed that she shot Killen in self-defense. Following an investigation, Ruth was charged with first-degree murder. She was convicted by a Polk County jury on November 5.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Andy Prosser and Scott Brown of the Iowa Attorney General’s office. The Altoona Police Department conducted the investigation. Sentencing is set for December 13.

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