Kristin Ramsey, 53, will remain under house arrest at her Iowa home as she faces charges in the 2011 murder of realtor Ashley Okland. A judge on August 27 denied Ramsey's request to modify the conditions of her $500,000 bond, ruling that no new circumstances justified easing her confinement.
Ramsey has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the shooting death of Okland, who was killed in April 2011 while hosting an open house at a model home in West Des Moines. Ramsey's attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss the case, alleging that prosecutors failed to present crucial evidence to the grand jury that may have exonerated her.
The defense claims the sole eyewitness to the crime has changed her story and that prosecutors did not inform the grand jury of these contradictions. According to lead defense attorney Alfredo Parrish, the eyewitness initially stated four times that Ramsey was not present at the scene when shots were fired. The defense also alleges that investigators did not disclose a 2018 confession from an incarcerated individual serving life sentences for the murder of another realtor in a different state.
Ramsey's legal team sought to modify her bond conditions to allow for travel within a 25-mile radius of her Woodward home to visit family, including her 101-year-old grandfather, and to allow her one hour of daily exercise within a two-mile radius of her residence. The judge denied these requests, citing that the existing conditions were the least restrictive necessary to ensure public safety and Ramsey's appearance in court.
Prosecutors, however, dispute the defense's claims of withheld evidence, stating that all discoverable evidence has been provided and that some requested items do not exist or fall outside legal discovery parameters. Dallas County Attorney Matt Schultz indicated that if the current indictment is dismissed, prosecutors would pursue charges again.
Okland, 27, was found dead in a model townhome. The case remained unsolved for years despite the daylight killing. Ramsey worked as a sales manager for the same company, Rottlund Homes, that built the development where Okland was showing properties. No motive has been publicly shared, and there is no indication the two women knew each other.
Attorneys for Ramsey have previously declined to comment on the case. Both the prosecution and defense have tentatively agreed to postpone the trial, currently scheduled for January, to July 2027.