Justin Emmick, 49, was shot to death on his rural acreage near Akron, Iowa, on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Deputies responding to a 3:10 p.m. 911 call by 35-year-old Ashley M. Ruhland found Emmick in a remote, wooded portion of the 30-acre property reachable only by ATV. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ruhland, who had been temporarily living at the residence and initially told dispatchers she shot Emmick in self-defense, was later identified by investigators as the person responsible for his death. Evidence at the scene included two gunshot wounds to Emmick, one to the back and one to the head, and Ruhland had no visible injuries suggesting a struggle. A protection order listing Ruhland as the protected party was active at the time, and court documents say Ruhland had told relatives she wanted a gun for protection and that Emmick agreed to teach her to shoot.

After the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation reviewed the scene, Ruhland was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. She was booked into the Plymouth County Jail and held without bond, with an initial appearance set for August 10, 2026.

Does anyone have information about Emmick’s time on that property, the target shooting session, or contacts who might help clarify what happened that afternoon?