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In April 2018, Shanti Cooper-Tronnes, a 39-year-old Orlando businesswoman, was found dead in her home. Her husband, David Tronnes, claimed she drowned in a bathtub, but an autopsy revealed she was beaten and strangled, exposing a brutal murder in Delaney Park.
An episode of 20/20, titled A Killer Renovation, is based on Shanti Cooper's case. It initially aired on February 23, 2024, and is now re-airing on July 11, 2025, at 9:01 pm ET. The episode uncovers David’s deception, financial disputes, and the failed home renovation that fueled their marital discord.
The documentary details Shanti’s life as a mother and entrepreneur, the investigation’s breakthroughs, and David’s conviction. It includes interviews with her son, Jackson, friends, and detectives, revealing the chilling motives behind her death.
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5 Key details about Shanti Cooper’s murder case
1) A pricey refurbishment that caused stress in Shanti Cooper's marriage
David Tronnes and Shanti Cooper-Tronnes started remodeling a $600,000 house in Orlando's Delaney Park after purchasing it in 2015. Shanti, a successful financial software business owner, paid nearly $250,000 for the project, while David, who claimed to have inherited millions, contributed little, as per People.
The couple had to move into a garage apartment as the renovations became unmanageable. According to CBS News, Shanti operated her company from there while David slept downstairs with his dogs on a couch, indicating escalating stress.
According to ABC News, Shanti's friend Dana Duran expressed concern that even though Shanti paid for the house, she would not have a legal claim to it. The financial strain and David’s lies about his wealth deepened their marital issues, setting a grim backdrop for the tragedy.
2) David’s secret bathhouse visits added to marital discord
Before Shanti’s murder, David Tronnes frequented Club Orlando, a same-sex bathhouse. This was uncovered during the investigation, as per Oxygen. It’s unclear if Shanti Cooper knew, but her friend Melissa Burzinski told police that Shanti was frustrated with David’s financial secrecy, as per People.
An incriminating photo of David surfaced the day before her death, possibly escalating tensions. These secrets compounded disputes over the costly home renovation, which Shanti Cooper funded.
She expressed concerns about David’s refusal to share expenses fairly, like only wanting to pay a third of their previous rent, as per People. The combination of David’s hidden activities and financial deceit created a volatile marriage, contributing to the events leading to Shanti’s murder on April 24, 2018.
3) Shanti Cooper was killed in her bedroom, not the bathtub
David Tronnes contacted 911 on April 24, 2018, saying that after walking his dogs, he saw Shanti Cooper unconscious in their bathtub. However, the scene didn’t add up. The bathroom and Shanti’s body were nearly dry, and no water was splashed, as per WESH.
According to Inside Edition, an autopsy found that Shanti had two fractures to his skull, a shattered hyoid bone, and a virtually torn ear before passing away from blunt force trauma and strangling.
According to CBS News, the blood on her bed proved that she was slain there rather than in the bathtub. According to News 6, David attempted to remove bloodstains and clean the bedrail, implying a cover-up. Although no other items were taken, the fact that her $15,000 engagement ring was missing raised doubts about David's claim and suggested a staged robbery.
4) David forged documents to seize Shanti’s assets
According to WFTV, David Tronnes falsified documentation to move $252,000 from Shanti's accounts and the Delaney Park home into his name after she passed away. According to WESH, he transferred Shanti's engagement ring to his mother's home a few days after the murder, where it was eventually discovered.
These actions suggested he planned to benefit financially from her death. Detectives also discovered Shanti Cooper had a $250,000 life insurance policy with David as the beneficiary, as per News 6. Writings by Shanti revealed her frustration with their marriage and David’s financial lies, as per ABC News.
His attempts to manipulate the crime scene, like cleaning bloodstains, and his lack of overt grief during 14 hours of questioning further implicated him, as per Oxygen. These findings led to his arrest on August 29, 2018, for first-degree murder.
5) David was convicted after a swift trial
Following a six-day trial in Orlando, David Tronnes was found guilty of first-degree murder on October 18, 2023. He was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole, The Guardian reported.
Prosecutors argued that David killed Shanti Cooper over her refusal to appear on Zombie House Flipping and her discovery of his lies about his wealth and bathhouse visits, as per People. The host of the show, Keith Ori, testified about her frustration with joining the show, according to ABC News.
According to News 6, Shanti's bathtub narrative was refuted by forensic evidence, which included blood on the bed and her serious injuries. According to WESH, Shanti's stepfather, Norman Dow, and son Jackson spoke at the sentencing and expressed relief at the verdict. The verdict ended a five-year quest for justice, as per Oxygen.
Stay tuned for more news and updates.
