A Florida jury took about 5 hours this week to convict an Orlando man of killing his wife after she refused to appear on a home renovation reality TV show.
David Tronnes, 55, was charged with first degree murder in the death of Shanti Cooper-Tronnes, 39, on April 24, 2018, as CrimeOnline reported. Tronnes initially insisted that he came home to find his wife dead in the bathtub and surmised that she fell.
Detectives didn’t believe him, however, and told him that he’d “fake cried for about seven or eight hours today. Not one tear came out of your eyes — not one.”
A medical examiner ruled that Cooper-Tronnes died from blunt force trauma and strangulation.
Tronnes spent nearly two years in a state mental health hospital after a judge declared him incompetent to stand trial due to “ongoing manifestations of schizophrenia,” Law&Crime reported. Earlier this year, the hospital filed paperwork saying they believed him to be competent.
According to the Office of the State Attorney of the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida, it was Cooper-Tronnes refusal to appear on the reality show “Zombie House Flipping” that led to her death.
The couple had been married for a year. Tronnes had bought the house, but his wife paid thousands on renovations, CBS News’ “48 Hours” reported. Tronnes was hoping to appear on the reality show. But prosecutors said Cooper-Tronnes opposed the appearance and that led to the couple sleeping apart — Tronnes in the garage and Cooper-Tronnes in a one-bedroom studio on the property.
“Evidence presented during the trial showed the victim was killed in the bedroom and Tronnes attempted to clean up prior to police arriving on scene,” the state attorney’s office said.
“Tronnes claimed he found his wife in the bathtub after spending the day cleaning and walking his dogs, but the medical examiner testified that facial injuries, blood evidence and bruises on the victim’s eyes told a different story.”
After the verdict, Tronnes was sentenced to life in prison.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Featured image: David Tronnes/Orange County Corrections and Shanti Cooper-Tronnes/Orlando Police Department]
