Unsolved Iowa murders: A look at infamous cases in the state
Over the past 30 years, about 1 in 3 Iowa homicides has gone unsolved, and there have been hundreds of other unsolved killings since Iowa became a state in 1846.
Ben Yoder/The Register, Wochit
An arrest has been made in the 15-year-old cold case of 27-year-old Iowa Realtor Ashley Okland.
Kristin Ramsey, 53, was charged with first-degree murder after a Dallas County grand jury issued a indictment, according to a news release from West Des Moines police, who arrested Ramsey on Tuesday, March 17.
Police did not provide more information on the nature of the charge but planned a news conference for 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Okland, an employee of Iowa Realty Co., was showing a model townhouse in West Des Moines on April 8, 2011, when she was shot twice and later died at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, according to Crimestoppers of Central Iowa.
The case has been considered one of the more high-profile cold cases in Iowa. In a news release issued on the 10-year anniversary of Okland’s death, West Des Moines police said it had investigated nearly 900 leads and interviewed about 500 people.
Her photo and case details were featured in a deck of playing cards given to Iowa inmates last year in an effort to obtain new information about ongoing cases. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird distributed the playing cards about a year after forming a unit dedicated to investigating Iowa’s more than 400 cold cases.
Who was Ashley Okland?
Okland was born Dec. 30, 1983, in Ames, Iowa, according to her obituary. She grew up in Huxley. As a youth, she was involved in sports, dance, 4-H and piano. She attended Ballard High School. She graduated from Iowa State University in 2006 after transferring from the University of Iowa.
She began her real estate career in 2007 and was hired by Iowa Realty in 2010.
When not working, Okland was involved in a number of groups, including Young Variety and Big Brothers and Big Sisters.
Okland was “passionate about helping children,” her father, Tim, told the Register previously.
In May 2014, Ashley Okland Star Playground, a specialized park for handicapped children, opened in her name.
“Ashley was all-inclusive in her personality, which is exactly what this playground is,” said Susan Hatten, a longtime friend of Okland who conceived the idea for the playground, told the Register in 2014. “It caters to children of every ability, whether they have special needs or not, and she would have loved that.”
Located at Ewing Park, 5300 Indianola Ave., the playground features adapted playground equipment for children with cognitive and physical disabilities.
Kyle Werner is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Register. Reach him at [email protected].
