A Woodward woman charged in a 15-year-old West Des Moines killing will stand trial next January after pleading not guilty to first-degree murder.
The case involves the death of 27-year-old Ashley Okland, a real estate agent who was fatally shot in April 2011 at a townhome she was showing to potential customers. Nearly 15 years later, police announced charges in March against Kristin Ramsey, 53, who at the time of the shooting was an employee of Rottlund Homes, the developer of the townhome project.
Since her arrest, Ramsey has been held in custody, and her attorneys filed a motion to reduce her $2 million bond. At a hearing Friday, April 10, they argued her deep roots in the community and lack of any criminal record should assure the court that she poses neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community.
Dallas County Judge Coleman McAllister told the parties he plans to rule on Ramsey’s bond motion by the middle of next week. He also scheduled a status conference for June 19, and a trial date for Jan. 11, 2027.
Witnesses vouch for Ramsey’s character
Defense attorneys Alfredo Parrish and Brandon Brown called Ramsey’s mother, former neighbor and a childhood friend to the stand to vouch for her character. Her mother, Julie Boyles, testified that her daughter is “the most loving person that I know. She’s caring, she’s compassionate, she’s considerate.”
The witnesses said they do not believe Ramsey would flee or harm herself if released from jail.
Ramsey has no court history beyond a single speeding ticket, and has had no infractions since being jailed last month. Brown asked the court to consider lowering her bond from $2 million to $100,000, and imposing pretrial supervision, GPS monitoring and any other terms it feels necessary to ensure her good conduct.
Parrish also raised questions about the strength of the case against Ramsey, whom prosecutors say was seen leaving the scene minutes after the shooting.
“We are dealing with a case that’s 15 years old where we all know there are incredible gaps, and from what we’ve been shown, there is nothing new. Nothing,” he said.
Prosecutor Scott Brown, lead investigator with the Iowa cold case unit, said the case had been “thoroughly investigated” and that many of the alternate theories the defense has floated in court filings have already been ruled out. And he said one key claim in the defense’s court filings, that Ramsey left the scene of the shooting to get help from a coworker, was “not accurate.”
“This is not a case where our investigators said, ‘Hey let’s look at this case,’ and the next day we were filing,” said Scott Brown, who has no relation to the defense attorney.
The state is asking that Ramsey’s bond remain at the current $2 million.
No ruling on search of Ramsey’s phone
Investigators have seized Ramsey’s cell phone and, Dallas County Attorney Matt Schultz said Friday, have obtained a warrant to search its contents, although it has not yet been executed.
Ramsey’s attorney’s filed a motion to quash the search warrant, arguing that her phone could contain medical records, communications with attorneys or other privileged information. Prosecutors have responded that no law or court rule allows such a motion, and that the answer if prosecutors were to improperly obtain or use confidential information would be to file a motion to suppress.
McAlister heard arguments on the issue at Friday’s hearing but did not rule, instead asking Parrish to file a proposed order for the court to review.
William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Witnesses testify on Kristin Ramsey’s character as judge weighs bond
Reporting by William Morris, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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