ADEL, Iowa (AP) 鈥� A woman charged in the killing of a young real estate agent in Iowa pleaded not guilty Friday, almost 15 years to the day that the death rattled the industry and led to heightened safety practices for agents nationwide.
Iowa Realty agent Ashley Okland, 27, was found dead at a model townhome in West Des Moines, where she was hosting an open house April 8, 2011. Her family and friends filled the courtroom for a Friday hearing for Kristin Ramsey, 53, who was arrested last month after an indictment charged her with first-degree murder.
鈥淭hat Friday afternoon when Ashley was taken from us seems so long ago,鈥� Brittany Bruce, Okland鈥檚 sister told reporters in March. 鈥淲e had lost our hope in finding answers and having any justice for Ashley.鈥�
Prosecutors have said little about Ramsey following her March 17 indictment by a grand jury and arrest, withholding information on what they consider to be a potential motive or whether there is new evidence in the case.
Court documents filed this week ahead of the arraignment and bond review hearing Friday give limited insight into the grand jury proceedings.
Prosecutors said a neighbor who called 911 reportedly saw Ramsey, who worked with Okland, outside the front door of the model home and pacing by her car while talking on her cellphone before she drove off. State Assistant Attorney General Scott Brown said during the hearing Friday that Ramsey returned 15 minutes later.
Ramsey鈥檚 attorneys said there are gaps in the case prosecutors presented to the grand jury, including by misrepresenting what the witness reported in the 911 call, and attorney Alfredo Parrish said the grand jury even pushed back.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 wait 15 years and then say: 鈥極K, let鈥檚 make a go of it,鈥�” Parrish said.
Grand jury proceedings, a rare occurrence for criminal cases in Iowa, are generally kept confidential. The prosecution released the details in resisting a motion from Ramsey鈥檚 attorneys to lower her bail amount, currently set at $2 million.
Okland’s killing impacted the real estate community
Okland鈥檚 death rippled throughout Des Moines鈥� small, tight-knit real estate community, said her coworker Scott Steelman, president of the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors and an agent at Iowa Realty. He described the killing as 鈥渟o out of character for our business, our industry, our profession.鈥�
After Okland鈥檚 death, the realtors’ association pushed to create safety standards and guidance.
鈥淣ationwide, it鈥檚 caused the real estate community to take greater caution when interacting with the public,” Steelman said. 鈥淲e will not show any property to someone who we don鈥檛 know, aren鈥檛 familiar or at least have not vetted.”
That safety pledge crafted in Iowa is promoted by the National Association of Realtors and is being used by hundreds of state and local associations across the U.S.
Since Ramsey also is a member of the real estate community, Steelman said her arrest also has spurred confusion and more questions than answers.
At the time, Ramsey had worked for Rottlund Homes of Iowa, which used independent real estate agents for sales. Rottlund Homes owned the model home where Okland was killed.
New court filin
gs give limited insight into case
Ramsey appeared in court Friday wearing a pantsuit, with one arm and both feet shackled. She wiped tears from her eyes at times as witnesses described her character as part of the defense鈥檚 effort to reduce her bail amount. Her husband and son, parents and grandfather sat in the first row behind her.
Ramsey was initially appointed a public defender but is now represented by prominent defense attorneys, who said she has strong family ties and has lived in small, rural town of Woodward, Iowa, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines, since she was a child.
Prosecutors said a witness was next door in a townhome that shared a wall with the model home when they heard two loud noises 鈥渄escribed as thuds that were 3-4 seconds apart,鈥� according to the filing. Prosecutors said the witness looked out after hearing the sounds and saw Ramsey by the front door. The witness then saw her pacing by her car on her cellphone before driving off, returning later.
鈥淐oncerned that something was wrong, the witness entered the model home and discovered Ms. Okland unresponsive on the ground,鈥� the filing reads. The witness called 911, prosecutors said.
In their response, Ramsey鈥檚 attorneys said prosecutors are offering 鈥渃herry-picked鈥� evidence, arguing that they did not present the grand jury with a weapon, ballistics evidence or DNA evidence.
鈥淪o while the State is right the grand jury鈥檚 job was to consider the evidence presented to it, it fails to disclose that the State chose not to present all the evidence it has collected in the last 15 years,鈥� Ramsey鈥檚 attorneys wrote. 鈥淭he grand jurors here were shown only a few pieces of the puzzle over two days鈥攏ot the whole picture.鈥�
Trial is set to begin next January.
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