In a significant breakthrough, Iowa authorities have finally made an arrest in the long-unsolved murder case of realtor Ashley Okland, which dates back nearly 15 years. The announcement came on Wednesday when officials disclosed that Kristin Elizabeth Ramsey, a 53-year-old resident of Woodward, is facing charges of first-degree murder in connection with Okland’s death.
“Ashley’s story has haunted many of us,” stated West Des Moines Assistant Police Chief Jody Hayes during a press conference. “We’ve spent countless nights sifting through the details, searching for that elusive piece of the puzzle that would lead us to the person responsible for this heinous act.”
Ashley Okland was just 27 years old when she was found dead on April 8, 2011. She was discovered inside a model townhome in West Des Moines, where she had been hosting an open house. Authorities reported that she had been shot twice, leaving the community in shock and grief.
The tragic discovery unfolded when an employee working within the housing complex heard a disturbance from the townhome. According to Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa, the worker entered the premises to investigate the source of the noise and found Okland on the floor, prompting an immediate call to 911.
Ashley Okland was discovered inside a model townhome where authorities say she was hosting an open house in West Des Moines, Iowa on April 8, 2011. (Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa)
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.
