Cold Case Solved: Suspect Arrested 15 Years After Realtor Ashley Okland's Murder

Kristin Elizabeth Ramsey, 53, of Woodward, Iowa, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 27-year-old realtor Ashley Okland, whose killing inside a West Des Moines model townhome during an open house went unsolved for nearly 15 years. Authorities announced the arrest on March 18, 2026, after a Dallas County grand jury returned a true bill indictment against Ramsey. She is being held in the Dallas County Jail on a $2 million cash-only bond.

Okland was found shot inside the model townhome on April 8, 2011, a Friday afternoon, after a 911 call came in around 2 p.m. An employee of the development company discovered her after she was shot; she was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. She had been with Iowa Realty, the state's largest real estate firm, since 2010, and was, as KCCI reported, "in the prime of her career" when she was killed.

Dallas County Attorney Matt Schultz addressed the indictment at a news conference, stating only: "After hearing the evidence, a Dallas County grand jury issued a true bill indicting Kristin Ramsey with the murder of Ashley Okland." Police and prosecutors declined to discuss evidence, motive, or any connection between Ramsey and Okland, citing the ongoing judicial process.

The connection between Ramsey and the townhome development is drawing significant attention from true crime followers. According to Ramsey's then-boss Steven Kahn, Ramsey worked for Rottlund Homes, the company that built the model home where Okland was killed. "She was the nicest lady. I'm totally shocked," Kahn told ABC News, adding that he sat next to Ramsey at Okland's funeral. Iowa Realty separately identified Ramsey as a later employee of its subsidiary Midland Title & Escrow, stating she began working for the company several months after Okland's death.

West Des Moines Police detectives arrested Ramsey on March 17, 2026, without incident, according to local broadcast reporting, with the formal announcement following the next day. KCCI crews were the only camera present at Ramsey's registered home in Woodward during the investigation, where they observed West Des Moines K-9 units, crime scene investigators, and officers conducting a search of the property with metal detectors.

West Des Moines Assistant Police Chief Jody Hayes spoke at the news conference about what the case had cost the investigative team and the broader community. "Ashley's story has kept many of us awake at night, revisiting details over and over in our minds, searching for that missing piece that would tie everything together," Hayes said. He added that Okland's death had "haunted a very frightened community of professional realtors who have forever changed how they conduct open houses" and stressed that no additional arrests are expected.

Iowa Realty, in a statement to local station WOI-TV, said the company was relieved for Okland's family but stunned by Ramsey's arrest. "Along with everyone in our community, we are understandably stunned," the company said.

Ashley's brother Josh Okland spoke with KCCI following the arrest announcement, with the station describing his reaction in terms of the long wait the family has endured. It was not immediately clear whether Ramsey had retained legal counsel; a message left on a phone number listed under a relative's name was not returned. No trial date has been publicly set.