Where is Ivan Brammer now? Details explored ahead of See No Evil on ID

Ivan Brammer was found guilty of killing his on-again, off-again girlfriend, 60-year-old Ilene Gowan, in 2023. Gowan had been reported missing in February 2023, and her body was found in a ditch two weeks after she went missing.

According to the decision made by the Iowa Court of Appeals on January 9, 2024, Ivan Brammer will spend what will mostly be the rest of his life in Iowa State Prison. He will be in the custody of the Iowa Department of Corrections with his first parole eligibility in 2059.

The now-62-year-old Brammer was given a 65-year indeterminate sentence (35-year mandatory minimum) for second-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, and second-degree theft.

Investigation Discovery's See No Evil will take a look at Ivan Brammer's case in season 14 episode 6 titled One Hour in Omaha. The episode is set to be released on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at 9 pm ET on Investigation Discovery.

---

Ivan Brammer’s current prison term and life behind bars

A Pottawattamie County jury found Ivan Brammer guilty on all counts in November 2023. Two months later, in January 2024, Judge Richard Davidson imposed consecutive terms totaling 65 years. As per the KETV report dated January 18, 2024, Judge Davidson told the defendant that the reason for the long sentence was the "cruelty and seriousness of the crimes."

Iowa law requires that a convicted murderer serve at least 70% their murder term, thus, Ivan Brammer will be in his late 90s before any parole board can review him.

Iowa Department of Corrections records list him as a “Class B” inmate assigned to a maximum-security facility, with his projected discharge date marked “Life.” He was also ordered to pay $150,000 in victim restitution and waived all credit for time previously served.

---

How surveillance footage unraveled Ilene Gowan’s disappearance

CCTV pieced together Ilene Gowan’s final morning as she was seen leaving Sugar’s Lounge at 8:30 am on February 13, 2023. Footage showed her sitting in the passenger seat of Ivan Brammer’s Ford F-150.

Traffic cameras later showed what investigators believe was her lifeless body slumped against the door as the truck moved through Council Bluffs. When questioned, Ivan Brammer changed his story three times before he had his pickup crushed at an auto salvage yard, following a police interview.

As per the KETV report dated May 25, 2023, Sgt. John Focht said that they found Ilene's body in a ditch and conducted an autopsy, which helped them nab the killer.

"With this second opinion autopsy, we felt comfortable in being able to charge the offender with murder second,” Sgt. Focht said.

That second opinion came from forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, who concluded Ilene died from traumatic asphyxia caused by neck compression. The pathologist also catalogued more than 30 blunt-force injuries, turning a suspicious-death inquiry into a homicide case.

---

Emotional courtroom scenes: family confronts Ivan Brammer

A KETV report dated January 18, 2024, stated that Ilene’s son, Jack Kilgore, asked the sentencing judge to "give this monster the max sentence" for his crimes.

“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.

Ilene’s daughter, Nicole Schipper, echoed the anguish, and according to WOWT, she told the court what Ivan's actions had done to the family. She noted that Brammer didn't understand "all the pain" he caused, not just to Ilene but also to her family and even his own family.

“I’m not the type to jump up and down and cheer when someone goes to prison for life, but the sentence in this case was fair,” County Attorney Matt Wilber remarked.

With his appeals exhausted and his earliest parole decades away, Ivan Brammer remains behind bars.

See No Evil season 14 episode 6 will be released on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at 9 pm ET on Investigation Discovery.

---

Stay tuned for more updates.