David Tronnes Verdict: Florida jury finds Orlando man guilty in wife’s murder

David Tronnes found guilty in wife's murder

A jury found David Tronnes guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his wife inside their Orlando home.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A jury found David Tronnes guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his wife inside their Orlando home.

A jury went into deliberation on Wednesday and it only took them a few hours to decide the fate of David Tronnes, a man accused of murdering his wife Shanti Cooper-Tronnes inside their Orlando home five years ago.

The judge sentenced Tronnes to life in prison.

The trial began on October 12 as law enforcement, friends, medical examiners, and others were called to the stand to give their testimony on the case.

In April 2018, Cooper-Tronnes was beaten and strangled to death in their home following a dispute regarding home renovations, according to the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office.

Tronnes spent thousands of dollars on renovations and was hoping to appear on the reality television show "Zombie House Renovations." Cooper Tronnes' refusal to appear on the show upset Tronnes, the state attorney's office said.

Jury reaches verdict in David Tronnes Trial

After spending much of Wednesday afternoon and early evening deliberating, a jury returned a verdict in the murder trial of David Tronnes.

During the trial, evidence showed that Cooper-Tronnes was killed in the bedroom and Tronnes attempted to clean it up before police arrived at the home.

Tronnes told police he found his wife in the bathtub after spending the day cleaning and walking his dogs, but a medical examiner testified that facial injuries, blood evidence, and bruises on the victim's eyes exhibited strangulation and blunt force head trauma.

Several witnesses testified about the couple's disagreements about the home renovating process. One of the witnesses on Monday was a neighbor and a friend of Shanti.

Shanti Cooper-Tronnes son, ex-husband speak

The son and ex-husband of Shanti Cooper-Tronnes gave their victim impact statement after a jury found David Tronnes guilty for murdering his wife inside their Orlando home.

Shanti Cooper-Tronnes stepfather speaks

Family and friends of Shanti Cooper-Tronnes gave their victim impact statements after David Tronnes was found guilty of first-degree murder

"Now, as a couple, how often did you have an opportunity to observe the two of them together?" asked the prosecutor. "Well, whenever we had them over, or my kid's pool party, or I guess at the Super Bowl, they came over to our house, just the two of them," said Shanti’s friend.

"Did they appear to be affectionate towards each other?" asked the prosecutor. "No, I never saw them hold hands, or touch, it was a little strange," Shanti’s friend replied.

Detectives testified that Tronnes showed little to no remorse when he was interrogated about his wife's death.

Tronnes has 30 days to appeal the judge's decision.

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