A Florida man, David Tronnes, has been convicted of murdering his wife, Shanti Cooper-Tronnes, after she refused to appear on a home renovation TV series with him. The jury ruled that Tronnes beat and strangled his wife to death in 2018, according to the local state attorney’s office. Tronnes had spent a significant amount of money renovating their Orlando home, hoping to be featured on the reality television show “Zombie House Flipping,” where participants flip dilapidated properties.
The couple had met with producers of the show days before the incident, but Cooper-Tronnes abruptly walked out of the meeting. The high cost of the renovations had been straining their marriage, as stated by the state attorney’s office. During the renovations, Tronnes stayed in the garage while his wife slept in a one-bedroom studio on the property.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Cooper-Tronnes was killed in the bedroom, and Tronnes had attempted to clean up before the arrival of the police. Tronnes initially claimed to have found her body in the bathtub, but the medical examiner’s findings did not support this claim, according to the local state attorney’s statement.
During the interrogation, investigators from the Orlando Police Department noted Tronnes’ lack of remorse and absence of tears over his wife’s death, as stated by the attorney’s office. Following a six-day trial, Tronnes was sentenced to life in prison.
In a news conference, Jackson Cooper, Cooper-Tronnes’ son from a previous relationship, expressed relief upon hearing the sentence, stating that it felt like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. Cooper added that they can now move forward, knowing that Tronnes is where he belongs.
