Kristin Ramsey Indicted in 2011 West Des Moines Killing of Realtor Ashley Okland

On March 19, 2026, authorities announced that Kristin Ramsey has been indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in the April 8, 2011, death of real estate agent Ashley Okland. The indictment was returned by a grand jury, officials said during a news briefing in West Des Moines.

West Des Moines Assistant Police Chief Jody Hayes told reporters the suspect, identified in county booking records as a 53-year-old woman, was taken into custody and booked Tuesday; Dallas County jail records list her as being held on $2 million cash bail. Hayes said investigators do not expect additional arrests and declined to discuss possible motive or the evidence that led to the indictment, citing the ongoing judicial process. It was not immediately clear whether Ramsey has obtained legal representation.

Investigators have long described the case as a deeply affecting crime for the local real estate community. Authorities say Okland, then 27, was shot while conducting an open house at a townhouse model and was found by a development employee who called 911; she later died at a hospital. At the news conference Okland’s younger sister said the family had largely lost hope of answers until the recent action and expressed gratitude to law enforcement for reopening the case and pursuing accountability.