A promising PBS employee and military veteran tragically passed away a few days after being shot outside her residence, reportedly by her estranged spouse, as confirmed by both police and her family.
Ivy Unruh, a 25-year-old engineer associated with PBS Kansas, sustained gunshot wounds to her upper body just outside her Wichita apartment early on a Friday morning.
Despite being swiftly transported to the hospital, the former Marine succumbed to her injuries on Monday, as reported by KAKE.
The suspect, Unruh’s estranged husband, Joshua Orlando, 29, dialed 911 to report the incident and was subsequently detained at the scene. A firearm was also seized by the authorities, according to the Wichita Police Department.
Initially charged with aggravated battery, Orlando’s charges were escalated to first-degree murder following Unruh’s passing, as noted by KWCH.
Victor Hogstrom, the president of PBS Kansas, expressed profound grief, highlighting the deep impact Unruh’s loss has had on the station’s team.
“I heard about it and I was first informed, and the first thing I did was slam the desk with my two hands — bang, what? That was my reaction. I couldn’t believe it,” Hogstrom said.
Hogstrom said Unruh was “very motivated” and “trustworthy.”
“She worked with people well. She was smart and very intelligent. She was a good employee. We’re all missing her from here, a very dependable person,” Hogstrom said.
A GoFundMe launched for Unruh’s family to help cover funeral costs says she was a US Marine who “served her country with honor, strength and selflessness.”
“To those who knew her, she was more than a Marine — she was a daughter, a sister, and a friend who brought light into the lives of others,” the fundraiser states.
“She had the courage to walk away from a dangerous situation, yet tragically, her life was still taken.”
Police said Orlando and Unruh were married but separated.
Investigators are treating the case as a domestic violence homicide.
