Ivan Brammer: Iowa man gets 65 years in prison for beating ex-girlfriend to death and abandoning her body in roadside ditch

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA: A man who was found guilty of the murder of a 60-year-old woman discovered dead in an Iowa ditch in February last year, will be incarcerated for the remainder of his life.

Ivan Samuel Brammer, 61, was sentenced for 65 years on Thursday, January 18, for the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend Llene Gowan. She had been reported missing in February 2023.

Charges against Ivan Brammer

A jury in November found Brammer guilty of three felonies: second-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, which is typically charged in relation to body disposal, and second-degree theft.

He received a sentence on Thursday that included a maximum of 50 years in prison, an additional 10 years for abusing a corpse, and five years for theft. The 65 years were to be served concurrently.

Brammer will probably serve 35 years for the murder conviction in addition to the additional time for the other two charges, according to the prosecution. The attorneys for Brammer intend to appeal.

Gowan had not been seen or heard from for two days when she was reported missing on February 15, 2023. She was discovered dead in a ditch close to 152nd Street and Old Morman Bridge Road, not far from Crescent, on February 26, eleven days later, as reported by Law&Crime.

llene Gowan's relatives testified against Ivan Brammer

The victim's relatives were given the chance to speak before the judge who handed down the punishment.

“I don’t think you truly understand all the pain that you have not only cost my mother that you beat maliciously but also me my children my family and your own family,” said Gowan’s daughter, Nicole Schipper.

Justin, Brammer's son, testified against him on Thursday in court as well.

“Ilene’s family need to know one thing and that is why,” he said. “He was my dad. He was my father when I was growing up. This is not the man I grew up with in there right now,” he said.

“February 13th changed — he changed when he took her life, I mean. And then, he’s — no remorse right now.”

One of the many family members who spoke at the hearing was Jack Kilgore, Gowan's son. He talked about how difficult it was to witness his mother's ordeal.

"Your honor, I'm asking you to give this monster the max sentence, considering he beat our mother, leaving over 30 cuts and bruises on her body," Kilgore said, according to Omaha ABC affiliate KETV.

According to Omaha NBC affiliate WOWT, Kate Haden, the victim's mother, also provided testimony.

“Judge this is so very difficult for me — to lose my daughter, but in such a horrible way. And there’s something that just eats at my soul, and only he knows,” she said. I wonder if she called out to me as he beat the life out of her.”

A memorial had been set up near Crescent where the authorities found Ilene's body, and it is still intact. The family made sure the marker was holiday-themed.

“She just loved the holiday, and she always decorated her apartment for Christmas. So we knew that we needed to decorate her cross for her," the family said.