From: jcs
David Tronis, a 50-year-old stay-at-home husband, harbored a strong desire to appear on reality television [00:00:06]. This ambition ultimately led to a profound personal conflict that resulted in a tragic outcome.
David Tronis’s Reality TV Dream
In late April 2018, David Tronis secured a spot on the show Zombie House Flipping [00:00:13]. He was to be featured renovating a newly bought house with his then-wife, 39-year-old financial consultant Shanti Cooper [00:00:15]. David viewed the show as an opportunity for “tradeouts” and promotional sponsorships, which would provide high-end materials like quartz countertops or high-end cabinets for the renovation [00:12:43]. He was working on a list of these sponsorships the day before the incident [00:12:56]. David fully understood he would be prominently featured as the main builder/construction guy [00:13:31].
Shanti Cooper’s Reluctance
The primary obstacle to David’s reality TV aspirations was Shanti’s lack of interest in being on television [00:00:23]. She refused to sign off on the program [00:00:25].
Keith Ary, the producer of Zombie House Flipping, testified that David was his primary point of contact and would communicate Shanti’s desires [00:09:40]. Ary insisted on a formal sit-down with Shanti to ensure she was fully on board, explaining they “couldn’t go forward” without it [00:10:36]. When Ary met Shanti six days before her murder, she appeared “unhappy to be there” and was in a “tense state” [00:10:52]. She left as soon as she possibly could [00:11:06]. David, however, claimed Shanti was happy about the renovation and even wanted to quit her job or phase out of it once the house was done [00:11:24].
Escalation of Conflict and the Murder
Shanti’s refusal to sign off on the show directly resulted in David beating and strangling her to death in the early hours of the following morning [00:00:28]. David called 911 approximately 12 hours later [00:00:33].
Underlying Tensions
The investigation revealed several underlying personal conflicts:
- Financial and Ownership Discrepancies: When David and Shanti bought their house in April 2015, they were not married [00:07:32]. The house was placed in a trust under David’s and his mother’s names, excluding Shanti, for what he cited as “planning and financial reasons” [00:07:41]. Whether Shanti was aware of this exclusion remained unclear [00:07:49]. This contributed to the overall family dynamics and financial strain. David never worked in sales or at a chemical company, despite telling others he did [00:10:20], indicating Shanti was the sole breadwinner [00:31:44].
- Arguments and Stress: David admitted to brief arguments, notably one on the Saturday before the murder, over the house renovation [00:19:51]. The point of contention was whether to completely tear out the upstairs floor to create a perfectly flat floor and ceiling [00:20:03]. He attributed past arguments to Shanti being “overworked and tired,” leading to her being “snippy or short or yell scream” [00:08:41]. David claimed they were both upset about the renovation taking longer, not fighting each other [00:20:27].
- Living Arrangements: The couple had an unusual living arrangement for over a year, with David sleeping in the garage with the dogs while Shanti stayed in the main residence’s “semi-comfortable” one-bedroom apartment [00:25:16], [00:26:15]. David defended this, stating it was his choice not to work upstairs while Shanti was on the phone [00:25:51]. The prosecutor highlighted this arrangement during the trial [00:30:25].
The Investigation and Trial
David’s initial explanation to police was that he found Shanti unconscious in a partially filled bathtub, bleeding from the nose and mouth [00:01:00]. Detectives observed that David’s behavior was suspicious, noting his politeness and apologetic demeanor after being left for hours without updates on his wife’s status [00:01:37].
Interrogation and Confession Denial
During interrogation, detectives quickly became certain David committed murder, but needed a confession [00:02:40]. They maintained a sympathetic tone initially, observing David’s “11 fake cries” which peaked in intensity and then diminished as the detective made it obvious she knew he was lying [00:03:57], [00:04:09].
David described finding Shanti’s body in graphic detail while casually crunching on a snack [00:18:56]. When confronted about Shanti’s “significant” injuries not being consistent with a fall, and the detective stating she believed Shanti was deceased before David left the house [00:21:19], [00:21:48], David continued to deny involvement [00:22:42]. He claimed his scratches were from plants, not a struggle [00:23:28]. The presence of a single diamond earring on the nightstand suggested the attack occurred on the edge of the bed as Shanti was removing it [00:23:56].
The detective directly accused him: “David, you killed this woman” [00:28:04]. She highlighted his “fake cried for about seven or eight hours today. Not one tear came out of your eyes” [00:29:07], and noted “not a lick of remorse” [00:29:00].
Trial and Verdict
David was indicted four months after the murder and arrested [00:29:50]. Facing life imprisonment, he attempted an insanity defense and spent five years in a maximum security psych unit before being ruled competent for trial [00:29:59].
His trial strategies and courtroom dynamics involved maintaining a “not guilty” plea and claiming an unknown intruder murdered Shanti while he was walking the dogs [00:30:17]. The prosecution argued it was an intentional killing, highlighting the nature of Shanti’s injuries (fractured skull, swollen eyes, bruising) and the unlikelihood of a random stranger taking the time to strangle her, move her body, and leave no forensic evidence behind [00:30:40].
The jury found David Tronis guilty of first-degree murder on October 18, 2023 [00:33:09]. He was sentenced to life imprisonment [00:34:27]. Jackson, Shanti’s son, delivered a heart-wrenching victim impact statement, expressing his immense grief and missing his mother [00:33:27].