15-Year Cold Case of Realtor’s Murder Finally Cracked by Police

In a significant breakthrough, Iowa authorities have arrested a suspect in the long-unsolved murder of Ashley Okland, a realtor whose tragic death occurred nearly 15 years ago. This development offers a glimmer of hope to all those who have been haunted by the case for years.

On Wednesday, officials disclosed that 53-year-old Kristin Elizabeth Ramsey, a resident of Woodward, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Okland’s death. This announcement marks a pivotal moment in the investigation that had left many questions unanswered for over a decade.

During a press conference, West Des Moines Assistant Police Chief Jody Hayes expressed the relentless determination that has driven the investigation. “Ashley’s story has kept many of us awake at night, revisiting the details over and over in our minds,” Hayes remarked. “We have been tirelessly searching for that elusive piece of the puzzle that would lead us to the person responsible for this horrific act.”

The tragic events unfolded on April 8, 2011, when 27-year-old Ashley Okland was found dead inside a model townhome. Authorities reported that she was hosting an open house at the time and had been shot twice, a shocking crime that sent ripples through the community.

Her body was discovered in West Des Moines, Iowa, sparking a widespread investigation and a long, arduous search for justice. The Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa have been instrumental in keeping the memory of Ashley Okland alive, as well as the pursuit of her killer.

An employee working within the complex heard a commotion inside the townhome and went to investigate the cause of the noise, according to Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa. Upon entering the building, the worker found Okland on the floor and dialed 911. 

At the time of Okland’s death, Ramsey worked as an administrative assistant and sales manager for Rottlund Homes, which was the developer of the townhome where Okland was killed, according to the Des Moines Register.

Kristin Elizabeth Ramsey, 53, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in West Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.  (Dallas County Jail)

The case went unsolved for nearly 15 years. 

The case rattled the Iowa community, with authorities revealing on the four-year anniversary of Okland’s death that nearly 900 leads had been investigated and approximately 500 people had been interviewed, the outlet reported.

Ashley Okland’s grave site in the Fjeldberg Cemetery near Huxley, Iowa, on April 8, 2021. (Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

Officials did not provide details on what information led to Ramsey’s arrest. 

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At a press conference on Thursday, Okland’s brother, Josh, thanked investigators for their unrelenting efforts on the case.

“Today is a day my family has thought about very often over the last 14 years,” Josh Okland said. 

Ashley Okland’s siblings Josh Okland and Brittany Bruce speak after the arrest of Kristin Ramsey in the 2011 shooting death of their sister at the West Des Moines Police Department on March 18, 2026. (Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Ramsey’s arrest follows an indictment from a Dallas County grand jury. She is currently being held in the Dallas County Jail on $2 million cash bond.

“That Friday afternoon when Ashley was taken from us seems so long ago,” Okland’s sister, Brittany Bruce, told reporters on Thursday. “We had lost our hope in finding answers and having any justice for Ashley. It was really difficult to accept that the case had gone cold.” 

She went on to express her gratitude to both the investigators and prosecutors handling her sister’s case.

“We have full confidence in their abilities to see this through,” she added. 

The West Des Moines Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.