IA IA - Ashley Okland, 27, West Des Moines, 8 Apr 2011

Shin Masamura

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Take a look at this senseless crime..

http://www.truecrimereport.com/2011/04/ashley_okland_was_out_doing.php

AshleyOkland_15_244x183.jpg
 
Interesting how they are saying it may be a rival realtor (scruffy looking driving a black Escalade). She was beautiful.
 
I hope this wasn't a stranger homicide. LE round these parts don't have the greatest track record in solving stranger murders- if you're killed by someone you know, LE has you covered, but when it comes to strangers- cold cases are what they become.

One positive is there's a sizable reward for information. $66,000.00 - that could certainly motivate someone to call crime stoppers. They also served a search warrant earlier this week, but the warrant was sealed. I'm hopeful that means LE is on the trail of someone.

We had another unusual murder here eariler in the week. A lady was found inside her LOCKED apartment after someone called 911 from a pay phone. LE broke the door down when she didn't answer. Not much information has been released about that murder, other than she died during an assault.

I hate seeing cases go cold. For most of us time marches on, but for the victims families-time marches on, but it will never be the same. I just hope it wasn't a stranger.
 
This case is very similar to the case of Lindsay Buziak up in BC. She was a particularly attractive realtor who was murdered in the house she was showing, she was not sexually assaulted and there was nothing overtly sexual about the killing but LE could find no motive in her personal life.

From what I can tell, they are looking for a scruffy looking realtor who drives a black Escalade. As this is big news in the Iowa Real Estate community, I would expect the perp to have been identified in 24 hours.

The news reports don't give out much information: husband? boyfriend? Enemies? Rivals? Realtors can be in real vulnerable situations where they are alone and a perp would have no connection to the location.

 
This case is very similar to the case of Lindsay Buziak up in BC. She was a particularly attractive realtor who was murdered in the house she was showing, she was not sexually assaulted and there was nothing overtly sexual about the killing but LE could find no motive in her personal life.

From what I can tell, they are looking for a scruffy looking realtor who drives a black Escalade. As this is big news in the Iowa Real Estate community, I would expect the perp to have been identified in 24 hours.

The news reports don't give out much information: husband? boyfriend? Enemies? Rivals? Realtors can be in real vulnerable situations where they are alone and a perp would have no connection to the location.


Her boyfriend was cleared, family was cleared, and no known enemies. They never said if she was assaulted, but it's known that there was a "commotion" before she was shot, once in the head and once in the chest.

The person working next door heard the "commotion" and went to investigate what was going on- he found her. He didn't see anyone or a vehicle. There were people moving in across the street at the time- they didn't see or hear anything either.

The escalade they're looking for was seen several times in previous months at the model home, and Ms. Okland was seen talking to a person inside the vehicle. It may or may not have anything to do with her murder, but I guess it's a place to start.

LE here is really tight lipped with info, and the only thing they'll say is there's no suspect and no apparent motive~ or perhaps I should say~ no apparent motive to anyone other than her killer.
 
I'm in Waterloo area and we haven't heard much about it. I got more info from here than my local media
 
One of our daughters is a real estate broker and agent. It scares me to death sometimes.

And this is not the only time very pretty female real estate agents have been murdered.

Sara Walker out of TX was murdered in a model home by an ex-felon. He robbed her and bludgeoned her to death. It took about two months to catch him.

Then in Georgia around Atlanta two female real estate agents were found bound, raped and murdered inside of a model home. The suspect's vehicle was seen leaving the scene and he had posed as a potential buyer and showed up real early when they first opened up. He had moved close to the area a few months prior and had been casing the area. He too was caught after a little while.

So I think it is more likely that this will be a random murder based on means, motive and the opportunity to commit the crime.

IMO
 
Just a comment on 'True Crine Report', I am not familiar with it- maybe my experience is not typical but I got so many popups while trying to read about this and some other cases that I had to give it up.
I think Websleuths has spoiled me!
 
I don't think this was a truly random act, I think this is someone she had met before, but was not in her life on any regular basis. She might have met him in passing at a game, or the dog park or he stopped in and talked to her before, but not someone that she'd have ever mentioned to anyone in her immediate family or friends.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/ar...f-real-estate-agent-still-mystifies?Frontpage

The newest article has a picture of her gravesite and where it's located. I have to wonder if that information was included because they're hoping someone might show up and visit her grave, and the article also mentions her boyfriend had left a note on her grave, perhaps they're hoping someone might get the same idea of leaving a note. It gives specific directions to the cemetary which is in a very rural location, and it says how quiet it is, with only the occasional rumble of a diesel truck going by.

I'm probably just reading too much into it, but it seems like they're suggesting that you could go there and not be noticed by anyone. I've never seen an article where they give directions to a rural gravesite, with pictures of the grave.

Anyhow, I really hope someone calls in a tip that ends up being the big break that solves this terrible crime.
 
*Bump* still no justice yet...

I wonder if this was the doing of a squatter?
 
http://whotv.com/2014/09/30/west-des-moines-police-to-follow-up-with-arkansas-realtor-murder-case/

Arkansas realtor Beverly Carter who was found in a shallow grave Tuesday morning. A suspect in that murder has been arrested.

It’s a case that resonates in central Iowa. In April of 2011, Ashley Okland was shot twice and killed while working inside a West Des Moines model home.

The person responsible for her death has yet to be found.

West Des Moines police told Channel 13 their investigators continue to monitor cases around the country where a realtor is the victim of a crime of violence, and that they’ll be following up soon with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office.
 
I was confused about ARK r/e agent info on this thread for older case re Iowa r/e agent, killed in 2011.
FYI-to clarify why Iowa LE will follow up w ARK LE:
"Arkansas realtor Beverly Carter who was found in a shallow grave Tuesday morning. A suspect in that murder has been arrested.
It’s a case that resonates in central Iowa. In April of 2011, Ashley Okland was shot twice and killed while working inside a West Des Moines model home.
The person responsible for her death has yet to be found.
West Des Moines police told Channel 13 their investigators continue to monitor cases around the country where a realtor is the victim of a crime of violence, and that they’ll be following up soon with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office."
http://whotv.com/2014/09/30/west-des-moines-police-to-follow-up-with-arkansas-realtor-murder-case/
 
I was confused about ARK r/e agent info on this thread for older case re Iowa r/e agent, killed in 2011.
FYI-to clarify why Iowa LE will follow up w ARK LE:
"Arkansas realtor Beverly Carter who was found in a shallow grave Tuesday morning. A suspect in that murder has been arrested.
It’s a case that resonates in central Iowa. In April of 2011, Ashley Okland was shot twice and killed while working inside a West Des Moines model home.
The person responsible for her death has yet to be found.
West Des Moines police told Channel 13 their investigators continue to monitor cases around the country where a realtor is the victim of a crime of violence, and that they’ll be following up soon with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office."
http://whotv.com/2014/09/30/west-des-moines-police-to-follow-up-with-arkansas-realtor-murder-case/

Thanks for the post... These perps that lie in wait for their victims is so disgusting on many levels
 
West Des Moines police say they are no closer today to solving the mysterious slaying of Ashley Okland, a 27-year-old real estate agent whose shooting death four years ago in a model townhouse made national news. Police Sgt. Brent Kock said the case is still considered an “active investigation,” and the department continues to follow up on leads from citizens and the crime tip line. But police have received few leads since The Des Moines Register reported in April 2014 that detectives had followed up on 781 leads and interviewed about 400 people....

In October 2014, West Des Moines police thought a man being investigated in Arkansas for killing a real estate agent near Little Rock might be connected to Okland’s slaying. But Kock said Arron Michael Lewis, 33, of Jacksonville, Arkansas, is no longer considered a possible suspect.
http://globegazette.com/news/iowa/g...cle_b1a3b158-7457-5060-b743-91346df8d033.html
 
Five years after the murder of 27-year-old real estate agent Ashley Okland in West Des Moines, the case still remains unsolved.

Friday was the five-year anniversary of Okland's death, and West Des Moines Police issued a news release to ask anyone with information about the murder to come forward.

"Even with the passage of time, investigators assigned to this case are confident that someone has important knowledge about the time leading up to her death and the identities of those involved," police said.

A reward of up to $150,000 is available for information leading to the arrest of Okland's killer.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/st.../82812594/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin=
 
I'm so confused by how solvable this case seems! It happened in 2011. We have a lot of forensic technology.

What gun was she shot with?
Were there bullets at the scene/found in the victim?
Who was she showing to that day?
Was anything valuable missing?
We can assume this wasn't a sex-motivated crime since there's no mention of sexual assault. Which means this could also be a crime committed by a man OR a woman.
Is there a possibility this was a hit?
Only two shots suggests to me at least, this was NOT a crime of passion.
Was there signs of a struggle?
Was EVERY realtor in the area and surrounding showing areas considered?
Who had something to gain from this crime?
Could this have been committed by someone who worked at the complex, someone she was familiar with?

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