In the early morning hours of Sunday, January 22, 2017, the life of 55-year-old Denelius "House" Nesby, a Black male, was tragically cut short in Waterloo, Iowa. At approximately 5:05 a.m., Waterloo police responded to reports of gunfire in the 700 block of Logan Avenue. Upon arrival, they discovered Nesby lying on the ground in a parking lot adjacent to the Greer Funeral Home, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was rushed to UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The investigation into Nesby's death, which was officially ruled a homicide following an autopsy by the Iowa State Medical Examiner's Office, uncovered several potential leads, though none have led to an arrest. Detectives explored the possibility that Nesby was the victim of a robbery. Information suggested he had been gambling at a nearby establishment and may have been targeted after winning. Police collected evidence from the scene, including a parked vehicle near where Nesby was found, to examine it for bullet holes and other clues. The vehicle's ownership was not immediately clear. Adding a layer of mystery to the case, officers were called to Nesby's home on St. Albans Street later that same day, around 2:30 p.m., for a report of vandalism. A surveillance camera had been ripped from the house, though family members reportedly managed to repair it.
In the weeks and months that followed, the investigation continued, but no suspects were publicly identified. The parking lot where Nesby was killed had been the scene of other recent crimes, including a shots-fired incident on New Year's Day of the same year and an armed robbery just five weeks after his death, raising concerns about the safety of the area. In an effort to generate new leads, the Waterloo Police Department released several surveillance images in late March 2017. The photos depicted individuals who investigators believed might have information pertinent to the case. A reward was also offered for information that could lead to a break in the investigation. Despite these efforts, the case of who killed Denelius Nesby remains unsolved, and no arrests have been made in connection with his murder.
