A Florida man doing whatever he could to cover up his lies about how much money he had? Sounds a little too familiar. Unfortunately this man’s actions included murdering his wife.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, 55-year-old David Tronnes was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday. He was convicted in the 2018 slaying of his 39-year-old wife Shanti Cooper-Tronnes. As for why Tronnes murdered her? Prepare for a wild story, Perezcious readers…
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When Shanti married her husband, People reports, he told her he was rich. He said he’d just inherited between $4 and $6 million from his father. However, the victim soon realized Tronnes exaggerated his wealth… by a lot! Those close to her said Shanti ended up taking care of all their bills shortly after the wedding. Her friend Melissa Burzinski previously told police in 2018 that she basically “bought everything” for their family:
“He always talked about how he had a ton of money, but she couldn’t figure out why he was such a miser.”
In fact, the pal claimed Tronnes “was doing things that were [ticking] her off as it pertains to money.” There was a big dispute over their home in the Delaney Park neighborhood of Orlando. The couple began shelling out thousands of dollars to renovate their house for the reality show Zombie House Flipping, and it caused a ton of arguments between the pair starting in 2017. While Tronnes desperately wanted to be on the show, investigators said letters written by Shanti revealed she was disappointed with how things were turning out and planned to leave her husband, per WESH 2.
Upon her refusal to appear on the show, he became enraged. A news release from the state attorney’s office obtained by the Orlando Sentinel declared:
“Cooper-Tronnes’ refusal to appear on the show upset Tronnes to the point that it led to her murder.”
That’s right. In April of 2018 he killed her.
It was more than just the reno project, though. During the murder investigation, per People, authorities learned Tronnes also killed Shanti because she found out he not only lied about being a millionaire but he would go to bathhouses to have sex with men. Wild stuff, right?
But on the day of the murder, Tronnes insisted her death was an accident. He told law enforcement he found Shanti unconscious, covered in blood, and partially submerged in the bathtub after spending the day cleaning and walking the dogs. After discovering her in the tub, he claimed he pulled her out of the tub, carried her to the living room, and even attempted CPR at one point.
However, the medical examiner argued that this was no accident at all. She was hit in the head so badly that her skull cracked — then she was strangled to death. Along with her injuries, investigators noticed a ton of inaccuracies in Tronnes’ story. How so? When first responders arrived on the scene the day of the murder, he and Shanti were completely dry. There was no proof that she had been in the tub. Evidence eventually shown during the trial revealed the victim was actually killed in the bedroom, and Tronnes tried to clean up the crime scene before police arrived.
When police interrogated him, Tronnes had barely any remorse nor even shed a tear over his wife’s death. So with these details in mind, detectives arrested him four months later and charged him with murder. He pleaded not guilty.
Thankfully, Shanti’s family were able to get some justice for her murder now that he’s been found guilty. Reactions to the case, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments below.
[Image via Shanti Cooper/Facebook, Fox 35 Orlando/YouTube]
