Florida man found guilty of killing wife over her refusal to go on home renovation show

Prosecutors announced that a Florida man will serve a life sentence in jail after a jury found him guilty of killing his wife brutally in 2018 when she declined to participate in a reality TV programme about house repair.

This week, David Tronnes, 55, was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the beating and strangling death of his 39-year-old wife Shanti Cooper-Tronnes in their Orlando home.

At the end of the five-day trial, an Orange County jury deliberated for five hours before returning with the verdict on Wednesday, according to a news release from the prosecution. Tronnes was instantly given a life sentence by a judge.

Jurors determined Cooper-Tronnes was killed on April 24, 2018, in the couple’s house after a dispute concerning home renovations.

“Tronnes had spent thousands of dollars on renovations and had hopes of appearing on the reality television show, “Zombie House Renovations,” prosecutors wrote in the release. “This led to the couple experiencing problems in their marriage. Cooper-Tronnes’ refusal to appear on the show upset Tronnes to the point that it led to her murder.”

Tronnes lived in the garage while their home was being renovated, while the victim slept in a studio apartment with one bedroom.

Prosecutors claimed evidence used in the trial demonstrated Tronnes “attempted to clean up” before police arrived, and the deceased was killed in the bedroom.

Tronnes claimed he found his wife in the bathtub after spending the day cleaning and walking his dogs, prosecutors said.

However, prosecutors said that a medical examiner’s testimony—which included the victim’s bruised eyes, blood evidence, and facial injuries—proved her death.

Investigators with the Orlando Police Department claimed that during his questioning, Tronnes exhibited no regrets before being taken into custody.

Four months later, Tronnes was taken into custody by detectives and accused of murder.

Tronnes was found guilty and was sent to the Florida Department of Corrections. He has been detained at the Orange County jail since his arrest.