Ashley Okland

Ashley Okland

Homicide

Ashley Okland
27 YOA
558 Stone Creek Court
West Des Moines, IA
Polk County
April 8, 2011

Case Summary by Jody Ewing

* NOTE: While West Des Moines police do not consider Ashley Okland’s case a “cold case,” we are including it here to provide information to the public in hopes that it will soon be solved.

Ashley Okland, a 27-year-old Iowa Realty agent, was shot twice and killed shortly before 2 p.m. on Friday, April 8, 2011, while working inside a West Des Moines model townhouse.

A Rottlund Homes employee heard a commotion inside the model townhouse at 558 Stone Creek Court — part of the Stone Creek Villas subdivision near 84th St. and E.P. True Parkway in Des Moines developed by Rottlund Homes — and went to investigate. Inside, the worker discovered Okland on the floor and called 911.

Medics rushed Okland to the Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, where she later died.

Iowa Realty chief executive Mike Knapp had all the company’s agents notified, asking them to shut down operations and cancel weekend open houses until they knew more about the shooting. The company offered grief counseling to Okland’s coworkers while making plans to reach out to her family.

West Des Moines police — who’ve said they have no suspects in the young woman’s murder — do not believe the killing was a random act.

“There is no reason to believe this is anything but an isolated incident,” West Des Moines police spokesman Lt. James Barrett said in an interview with the Des Moines Register published April 8, 2011. “However, investigators are still trying to determine a motive and possible suspects in the shooting.”

The Stone Creek Villas development area consists of about 70 one-year-old units on West Des Moines’ Dallas County side, about 1-1/2 miles from Jordan Creek Town Center.

National Attention, No Leads

CBS News featured Okland’s case on the company’s Crimesider website in late April. The blog/website focuses on true crime stories and is regularly updated by producers of CBS’s TV show “48 Hours.”

Courtesy photo CBS News

Ashley Okland, left. CBS News featured Okland’s case on the company’s Crimesider website, which focuses on true crime stories and is regularly updated by producers of CBS’s TV show “48 Hours.” 

Hundreds of calls have poured in to the Polk County Crime Stoppers tip line — many of the callers providing the same two or three names and information about a black SUV, possibly a Cadillac Escalade — that was spotted near the model home where Okland had been working.

The calls have remained mostly anonymous, with callers given random report numbers to use whenever they call back.

Two weeks after Okland’s murder, Bill Corwin of “A Tech Security” reported a 30 percent increase in business.

“Anytime something is unknown it challenges people’s security,” Corwin told KCCI-TV in an April 18 interview.

West Des Moines Police spokesman Lt. Jim Barrett in September 2011 told KCCI they’d had over 600 leads, talked to 400 people and had 200 Crime Stoppers tips. Despite all leads, Barrett said, police still didn’t have a suspect.

One year after Okland’s murder, Barrett said investigators had followed up on more than 700 leads and have more than 550 names in a database related to the case. Police have executed a number of search warrants.

Polk County Crime Stoppers initially offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, and the reward quickly jumped to $66,785, then to $75,000, and as of Jan. 4, 2012 was at $80,000. On April 2, Barrett announced the reward had reached $150,000.

It is the largest Polk County Crime Stoppers reward ever created.

Deb Cochran (Courtesy KCCI)

Okland’s mother, Deb Cochran, told KCCI on May 19, 2011, she believes there are some clues.

“I think she knew the person, because there was no struggle,” Cochran said. “I’m sure she looked up, gave a big smile and probably that was it.”

The family also told KCCI that Okland sent a text message to a friend less than five minutes before she died; it was not a plea for help.

Josh Okland (Courtesy KCCI)

“Ashley trusted everybody. She was always so positive,” said Okland’s brother, Josh Okland. “It wouldn’t cross her mind to think that someone was not there just to do business.”

In a Jan. 1, 2012 Des Moines Register article, Ashley’s younger sister, Brittany Okland, encouraged anyone with information to contact investigators. “Even something little could end up being something big,” she told the Register.

Cochran said in the same interview she prays every day for justice for her daughter.

A Beautiful Girl — Inside and Out

Ashley Okland was born December 30, 1983 in Ames, Iowa. She grew up in Kelley and was involved in sports, dance, 4-H, and piano. She attended Ballard High School, graduating in the top three percent of the 2002 class. After two years at the University of Northern Iowa she transferred to Iowa State University with dreams of becoming a physical therapist, and graduated in 2006 with a degree in exercise science.

Courtesy photo Bill Neibergall/The Des Moines Register

Flags fluttered on April 9 at the model home where Ashley Okland was shot. There is a $80,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in her unsolved case.

After graduation, however, the lure of real estate quickly turned into a passion, and she began working for the real estate company, JDR Group, in 2007. She worked at Century 21 before joining Iowa Realty in 2010.

A transplanted country girl at heart, she lived happily in West Des Moines with her “Hun” Eric and new pup, Indi. Above all else, Ashley loved spending time with her family and friends. Always on the go, her biggest struggle was finding the time to make everyone feel as special as she thought they should.

Okland donated her free time and efforts to charity and was active in both social and professional organizations. She regularly donated to the Bill Reichardt Clothes Closet — an organization named after a late Des Moines clothier that provided free clothing to young professionals beginning their careers — and also volunteered at Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Central Iowa.

A member of the Young Professionals Connection, Okland served as the group’s sports chair and helped organize the 2010 Golden Circle Games.

“She could handle herself professionally and still bring a lot of fun and positive energy into any room she was in, and I always appreciated that,” the organization’s president, Jason Wells, said in an April 8 Register story. Wells had purchased his Stone Creek Village home with Okland’s help.

Always the event planner, Okland enjoyed traveling, concerts, golfing, exercising, and just being busy. Those who knew her remembered Ashley as ambitious and upbeat with a giving nature — a beautiful girl inside and out.

“It was evil.”

Visitation was held Tuesday, April 12, at Fjeldberg Lutheran Church in Huxley, Iowa, from 4 to 8 p.m. More than 1,600 people attended the Celebration of Life ceremony on Thursday at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines.

“What happened to Ashley Okland is evil. It was evil. And there’s no other way to say it,” Rev. Mike Housholder told mourners during the service. “There’s nothing righteous about it. There’s no moral in it. It was evil.”

Housholder said the verdict was in, and that in the end, justice would be done and grace offered to those who mourned.

“For all of you — don’t let her die in vain,” he said. “Learn what she learned in life. It’s about the things that last — love, joy and peace.”

Burial was held in Huxley.

Ashley is survived by the love of her life, Eric Grubb (WDM), sister, Brittany Okland (Minneapolis), brother, Josh Okland (Ames), father, Tim Okland (Kelley), mother, Deb Cochran (Huxley), grandmother, Margaret Okland (Huxley), grandmother, Marilyn Gregg (Clarion), 10 loving aunts and uncles, and 33 cousins. 
Ashley was preceded in death by her grandfathers Kenneth Okland and Charlie Gregg.

How You Can Help

Police are asking anyone with information about Okland’s murder to contact the West Des Moines Police Department at 515-222-3344 or Polk County Crime Stoppers at 515-223-1400. You may also text “PCCS plus your message” to CRIMES (274637) or provide a tip online.

Tips through Crime Stoppers can be made anonymously.

Sources and References:

• “Police Release New Info In Ashley Okland Case,” KCCI Channel 8 Des Moines, April 2, 2012
• “2011 Killings Remain Unsolved,” Des Moines Register, Jan. 1, 2012
• “5 Months Later: Okland Murder Not Cold Case,” KCCI Channel 8 Des Moines, Sept. 9, 2011
• “Okland Murder Case Hits 3 Month Mark,” KCCI Channel 8 Des Moines, July 8, 2011
• “Okland Murder Turns Realtors to Technology,” KCCI Channel 8 Des Moines, June 8, 2011
• “New Billboards Showcase Okland Case,” KCCI, June 1, 2011
• “Special Report: Okland’s Family Talks About Case,” KCCI, May 20, 2011
• “MOTHER’S PLEA: Ashley Okland’s mother speaks out for the first time about her daughter’s death and is asking for help in solving the murder,” WHO-TV Channel 13 Des Moines, May 18, 2011
• “Report: Woman Who Found Okland Disappeared,” KCCI, May 18, 2011
• “Okland Reward Hits New Record High,” KCCI, May 17, 2011
• “Okland Case Hits 4 Weeks With No Arrest,” KCCI, May 10, 2011
• “Any New Breaks in Okland Homicide Case?” KCCI Channel 8 Des Moines, April 25, 2011
• “Recent Killings Lead To More Security System Sales,” KCCI Channel 8 Des Moines, April 18, 2011
• “Iowa real estate agent Ashley Okland murdered in model home, $67,000 reward offered,” CBS News – Crimesider, April 18, 2011
• “Police Silent on New Development in Murder Case,” KCCI Channel 8 Des Moines, April 16, 2011
• “More than 1,600 attend Okland funeral,” Des Moines Register, April 14, 2011
• “350 Tips Received in Okland Case,” KCCI Channel 8 Des Moines, April 12, 2011
• “Realtor Homicide Case Called Top Priority,” KCCI, April 12, 2011
• “Will Shooting End DM Area Open Houses?” KCCI, April 11, 2011
• “Ashley Okland Obituary,” Des Moines Register, April 11, 2011, reprinted at legacy.com
• “Ashley Okland,” Tributes.com
• “Real estate shooting victim remembered for upbeat nature,” Des Moines Register, April 8, 2011

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