A woman accused in the long-unsolved murder of an Iowa real estate agent has, for the past 15 years, led what appeared to be an idyllic American existence.
This week, a grand jury indicted 53-year-old Kristin Ramsey on a first-degree murder charge related to the death of 27-year-old Ashley Okland.
Back in 2011, Ramsey, who was 38 at the time, is alleged to have fatally shot Okland on April 8 with “malice aforethought, willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation,” as outlined in the indictment.
This accusation starkly contrasts with the seemingly perfect life Ramsey shares with her husband Toby, who works in construction, and their son Tanner, an accomplished athlete.
The family resides in a cozy two-bedroom, two-bathroom house valued at $286,240 in Woodward, a quiet suburb of Des Moines with a population of approximately 1,300.
According to county property records, Ramsey and her husband Toby constructed their home from scratch after acquiring a vacant lot in May 2006 for $40,000.
The couple took out a $172,900 construction loan to build the residence, which they refinanced at least three times in the span of just seven years, according to public records.
The Ramseys appear to be heavily involved in the real estate scene, with Toby working in construction and the accused killer in escrow and title work.
Accused killer Kristin Ramsey (left) seemingly lives a picture-perfect suburban life with her 20-year-old son Tanner (center) and husband Tanner (right)
The Ramsey family lives in a modest $286,240 two-bedroom, two-bathroom home that they built themselves in the small town of Woodward, Iowa
Ramsey has been charged with the April 2011 murder of real estate Ashley Okland, pictured, who was fatally shot in a townhouse that she had been showcasing for Iowa Reality Co
At the time of the alleged murder, Ramsey was employed by now-defunct Rottlund Homes, the property developer that owned the West Des Moines townhome where Okland was found dead.
Toby, 58, has owned his own construction company since 1998, business filings show. The firm is registered as Ramsey Concrete Construction but his LinkedIn profile refers to the business as Ramsey Concrete & Snow Removal.
As they were building their family home, he and Ramsey flipped a lot next door.
They purchased the neighboring plot of land for $8,000 in March 2006 and built a 1,225 square foot house.
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home was completed by June that year and sold for $147,400 in September 2007.
It appears that Toby’s construction business oversaw the build, as the company was once registered at that address. The firm is now associated with the family home.
Ramsey Concrete Construction has no online presence and the phone number associated with the company has been disconnected.
However, publicly available records show the company recorded $170,000 in annual sales in July last year.
The Ramseys appear to be heavily involved in the real estate scene, with Toby working in construction and Kristin in escrow and title work
Tanner Ramsey is studying exercise science at the University of Iowa. His parents have visited him at college and even accompanied him to football tailgates
Ramsey currently works for Midland Title & Escrow, an organization that’s part of Iowa Realty Co, where Okland worked at the time of her death.
Before that, she worked as an administrative assistant and sales manager at Rottlund Homes, which in 2011 owned the townhomes that Okland had been showing as a realtor.
When the Ramseys are not focused on their real estate endeavors, they are seemingly dedicating their time to their 20-year-old son Tanner.
Tanner is currently a student at the University of Iowa and is in a long-term relationship with his high school sweetheart.
His parents have visited him at the college and appear to have accompanied him at football tailgates.
Ramsey, Toby and Tanner did not respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment, neither did Ramsey’s attorneys.
Kristin Ramsey was arrested on Tuesday for first-degree murder. She was booked into the Dallas County Jail and is being held on a $2 million cash
Okland was shot twice in broad daylight inside this model townhome on April 8, 2011
Okland was shot twice inside a model home that she had been showcasing for Iowa Realty Co in broad daylight on April 8, 2011.
An employee at the townhome found her in critical condition after he heard a commotion and went to investigate.
He called 911 and Okland was taken to Iowa Methodist Medical Center, where she later died.
The motive behind the murder remains unknown, with the only apparent connection between the Okland and her suspected killer being through the real estate industry.
The killing baffled investigators and haunted the community for almost 15 years until Ramsey’s arrest this week.
The accused killer was booked into the Dallas County Jail and is being held on a $2 million cash. She is due back in court for her arraignment on April 10.
Okland’s sister Brittany Bruce thanked officials on Wednesday for their years of dedication in seeking justice.
‘That Friday afternoon when Ashley was taken from us seems so long ago. We had lost our hope in finding answers and having any justice for Ashley,’ she said.
‘It was really difficult to accept that the case had gone cold.’
Ashley Okland’s killing has baffled investigators and haunted the Des Moines community for almost 15 years
The motive behind the murder remains unknown with the only apparent connection between the Okland, pictured, and Ramsey being through the real estate industry
Josh Okland, the real estate agent’s brother, also spoke and expressed a similar sentiment of gratitude to investigators. The Okland family told the Daily Mail that they are not speaking further at this time.
A spokesperson for Okland’s former employer, Iowa Reality Co, hailed the break in the case.
‘Everyone within Iowa Realty and related companies was relieved for the family of our friend and colleague Ashley Okland that an arrest was made for her murder,’ said the spokesperson to the Register.
‘Her tragic passing was something that not only deeply impacted our company and community, but the national real estate world as a whole.’
However, the organization said it was shocked to learn Ramsey is the suspect.
