Suburban Mom Accused in 15-Year Cold Case Killing of Realtor
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What happened in the Ashley Okland murder case?
Ashley's story has kept many of us awake at night revisiting the details over and over in our minds, searching for that missing piece that would tie everything together and lead us down the right path to identifying a person that was responsible for this act. The drive and unwavering commitment by investigators to solve this case is always and has been justice for Ashley and her family. Yesterday, March 17th, 2026, West Des Moines police detectives arrested 53-year-old Kristen Ramsey without incident. She is currently being held at the Dallas County Jail. She has been indicted by the Dallas County Grand Jury for the offense of murder in the first degree. At this time, no other arrests are anticipated.
For nearly 15 years, a killer got away with murder. A young realtor gunned down in broad daylight inside a model home, and no one was ever charged. But now police say they finally made an arrest. Ashley Oakland was just 27 years old when she was shot twice inside a model home she was showing to potential buyers in West Des Moines, Iowa. It was the middle of the day. There were no clear suspects, no obvious motive. And for over a decade, the case went cold. Until now. Last week, police arrested 53-year-old Kristen Ramsey, a local mother who, on the surface, had been living what many would describe as a quiet, picture-perfect suburban life. She's now been charged with first-degree murder, accused of killing Oakland with what prosecutors say was premeditation.
Ramsey denies the charges, and her defense insists she's innocent. What makes this case even more unsettling is how closely their lives may have overlapped. Both women were connected to the same real estate world and the same companies, the same community. And yet, investigators have never publicly revealed exactly what ties them together or why Ashley Oakland was killed. For over a decade, her family lived without any answers as the case baffled detectives and faded from headlines. So what finally broke this case open after all these years? And what do investigators know now that they didn't know back then? Today, I'm joined by Daily Mail senior news reporter Natasha Anderson, who's been following every development in this story.
We'll be back in just a moment.
I'm joined by Daily Mail senior news reporter Natasha Anderson. Natasha, you've been following all the developments in this story. Can we go back to the beginning and can you walk us through exactly what happened on that day in 2011 when Ashley Oakland was killed?
Ashley was working as a realtor on April 8, 2011, and she went into this townhouse in West Des Moines, Iowa, as she would do any day to show it around. Around 2 p.m., a colleague heard a loud noise and two gunshots and ran into the house to find Ashley on the floor covered in blood.
Who is Kristin Ramsey and what are the charges against her?
Nobody really knew what happened. Her killer was gone. They called 911. She was rushed to the hospital, but she didn't make it. For years, they were kind of looking at leads. People reported seeing a black car, possibly other coworkers that may have been in that house with her, but there was no solid leads. So her family never got closure.
And what do we know about Ashley herself? We know that she was a realtor. Did she have a family?
Was she married? Kids? So Ashley, at 27 years old, was kind of what I would say your all-American girl. She had this partner that is described in her obituary as the love of her life. They'd just gotten a dog. She was volunteering in charity work. She was a member of the Brothers and Sisters Club. She had social organizations. She seemed really tied to her community. She'd graduated with a degree in exercise science. She loved to dance. She loved to work out. She truly was just your normal girl going to work.
You mentioned someone seeing a Black car. You mentioned colleagues. You know, a neighbor may have heard something. Why did none of those leads really amount to anything?
That's the big question. You'd think in 2011, we have DNA evidence. We have people putting a car and possible witnesses at the scene, yet nobody's made an arrest for years.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What happened in the Ashley Okland murder case?
0:03–3:07
2
Who is Kristin Ramsey and what are the charges against her?
3:07–4:23
3
What details are known about the day of Ashley's murder?
4:23–6:08
4
What evidence led to the recent arrest in this cold case?
6:08–7:40
5
What connections exist between Ashley Okland and Kristin Ramsey?
7:40–9:33
6
How has the community reacted to the arrest?
9:33–11:31
7
What legal challenges does Kristin Ramsey face?
11:31–13:42
8
What are the next steps in the investigation and trial?
13:42–14:04