A Florida Man Dreamed of Going on a Home Renovation Reality Show. His Wife Refused, So He Killed Her.

A Florida couple got into a dispute about appearing on a home renovation television show, so the husband killed his wife.

On April 24, 2018, David Tronnes, 55, fatally beat Shanti Cooper-Tronnes at their home in Delaney Park because of a “dispute concerning home renovations,” according to the State Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit.

Officials said David Tronnes “spent thousands of dollars on renovations and had hopes of appearing on the reality television show ‘Zombie House Renovations.’”

Tronnes' wife had no interest in appearing on the show, which caused a rift in their relationship.

The couple slept in separate rooms while their home was undergoing renovations, and Tronnes alleged he found his wife dead in the bathtub after he was out walking their dogs.

Evidence, however, showed Cooper-Tronnes was beaten to death in her bedroom and then moved after Tronnes tried to scrub the scene.

At trial, the medical examiner noted Cooper-Tronnes sustained bruises on her eyes and suffered other facial injuries. Prosecutors also said Tronnes cracked his wife’s skull and then strangled her to death, WESH-TV reported.

Investigators said Tronnes “showed little remorse during the interrogation and never shed a tear over his wife’s death.”

Tronnes was arrested on Aug. 30, 2018, in connection with the murder.

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After a six-day trial, on Oct. 18, 2023, Tronnes was convicted of first-degree murder for killing his wife, officials said. The jury reportedly deliberated for about five hours before convicting the defendant.

Cooper-Tronnes’ family did not want prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Tronnes, WESH-TV reported. Instead, Tronnes was sentenced to life in prison after his guilty verdict.