Suspect arrested for murder nearly 15 years after realtor was killed during house showing
03/24/2026 1:30 pm PDT
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (TCN) – A woman has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal 2011 shooting of 27-year-old Ashley Okland.
KCCI reports that on the afternoon of April 8, 2011, Okland, a realtor, was found inside a model townhome where she was hosting an open house. She had been shot twice and was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. The case went unsolved for almost 15 years. According to the outlet, by 2025, the West Des Moines Police Department had interviewed hundreds of people and followed more than 1,000 leads in connection with the case.
In 2024, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced the state’s new Cold Case Unit, and Okland’s brother Josh Okland, attended the announcement, KCCI reports.
However, police have not revealed what led them to arrest the suspect, according to WLS.
On March 17, 53-year-old Kristin Ramsey was indicted by a grand jury on first-degree murder charges, the West Des Moines Police Department announced. The New York Post reports that Ramsey is employed at Midland Title and Escrow, a company connected to Rutland Homes, where Okland was employed at the time of her death. Police have not released a motive in the killing.
Assistant Police Chief Jody Hayes said, “Ashley’s story has kept many of us awake at night, revisiting the details over and over in our minds, searching for that missing piece that would tie everything together and lead us down the right path to identifying a person who was responsible for this act,” the New York Post reports.
Police have not commented on whether Okland and Ramsey knew each other, according to People.
A playground for children with special needs was built in his sister’s honor, according to Josh Okland. KCCI reports that he said, "I am proud to be her brother. She impacted so many people in such a positive way and such a good role model for a short 27-year life. Her legacy lives on.”
KCCI reports that Ramsey is being held on a $2 million cash-only bond.
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