- 21 hours ago
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00:00What we first heard was that there was a deceased female.
00:09This is David and Shanti.
00:12Who is it that's not breathing?
00:14My wife and I are Shanti.
00:17Shanti and Dave had a very passionate and volatile relationship.
00:23The house where Shanti and David lived, it literally was tore down to studs.
00:29You could easily describe the house as a money pit.
00:32They were going to start filming the zombie house flippers show.
00:35David Tronis had looked at as sort of a lifeline to get them out of this situation with the house.
00:40We had a couple of plates.
00:41Now, because now we've got the added stress of the renovation.
00:44Of course, what you want is so bad.
00:46Maybe I'll be in a minute or anything.
00:48There was a cell phone video, and you could tell that it was just very cold between them in that video.
00:55She had at least five blows to her head.
00:59There were marks around her neck.
01:01What did you think happened?
01:02Well, either she slept or she fell, or she blacked out.
01:10I believe that the cause of her death is a combination of the strangulation and the blunt head trauma.
01:16This is a tragedy.
01:17That little boy sitting in the courtroom, lost his mother, sitting in the top trough.
01:22It's like a hole in my heart that I can't fill or fix.
01:26She was the best mom I could ever ask for.
01:28She was the best mom I could ever ask for.
01:57I can't get hurt.
01:58Okay, listen to me.
02:00I need help.
02:01And who is it?
02:02This is David Trotus.
02:05Okay, your name is David.
02:06Okay, who is it that's not breathing?
02:08My wife, and I'm Shanti.
02:11David and Shanti Trotus had been married only a year when tragedy struck.
02:16According to David, they had a great relationship.
02:20They were very in love and had big plans for the future.
02:24My name is Barbara Sharp, and I was a homicide detective on this case for the Orlando Police Department.
02:29What we first heard was that there was a deceased female and that it was unknown cause.
02:37She had maybe slipped and fell in the bathtub.
02:40Tell me exactly what happened.
02:43I can't hold her.
02:45Oh my God, I had to try.
02:47Okay, what happened?
02:49I found her in the shower.
02:52And she passed away?
02:53Oh!
02:55This thing?
02:57Okay, can you get her out of the shower?
03:00I can.
03:01I pulled her out.
03:02Okay, is she laying flat on her back?
03:05Yes, yes, yes, yes.
03:08Okay, and you don't know what happened or when anything happened?
03:13No.
03:14Okay.
03:14Yes, but...
03:17She is not breathing.
03:20She is not breathing.
03:22God!
03:23I'm sorry.
03:25I'm sorry.
03:27Take a deep breath.
03:29Take a deep breath.
03:29I have help responding to your emergency, okay?
03:32We found out when we got there that that was not a slip and fall in the bathtub.
03:37Her injuries were far too severe for something like that.
03:40She had abrasions on her hands, on her legs that were obviously fresh.
03:47Her eye was swollen shut, black and blue.
03:50Pretty significant injuries.
03:52Within hours, David Shornos was brought to police headquarters
03:55to give a better description of what had happened to Shanti.
03:58All right, I'm just having you come on in here for right now.
04:03Shh.
04:05Just have a seat.
04:06I don't know how long they will be, okay?
04:09You did.
04:09He came down voluntarily for an interview.
04:12I am Detective Teresa Sprague.
04:14I work for the Orlando Police Department,
04:15and I was the lead investigator on the murder of Shanti Coupatronis.
04:19He was very cooperative with talking to us
04:21and allowing our crime scene investigators to photograph him
04:25and obtain his clothes.
04:27I'm Detective Sprague.
04:33Can I get your first name?
04:34First name is David.
04:35David?
04:35Okay.
04:37First of all, on behalf of the Orlando Police Department,
04:40we want to say how sorry we are for your loss, David,
04:45and also for everything that you're going through.
04:49I know this is very traumatic for you, okay?
04:53Um, and it's just a terrible, terrible thing.
04:57I think everyone's a suspect in the beginning of a homicide,
05:00but certainly you start with the people closest to the victim.
05:03My understanding of you is that you've been very cooperative.
05:06Um, we just need to, obviously we need you,
05:09or we've got to figure this out together, okay?
05:11Of course.
05:11Take, take some, take a minute, okay?
05:16I know this is super tough.
05:19It's doing so good, it's doing so good, it's doing so good.
05:24It's such a good weekend.
05:25Oh, we've never been more in love.
05:34We're so happy.
05:36Shanti and David lived in Delaney Park,
05:38which is a historic neighborhood.
05:40The homes there are 100 plus years old.
05:43It's a very quiet community where families and professionals live.
05:48I am Ryan Bescio.
05:50I was the initial lead homicide prosecutor assigned to the case.
05:54The house where Shanti and David lived
05:58really epitomizes their relationship.
06:01It was purchased in cash,
06:03but David refused to put the house in Shanti's name.
06:07David called himself his own general contractor,
06:11and through David's desire to remodel the home,
06:16it literally was tore down to studs.
06:20Hi, family.
06:22During the construction,
06:23David shot this video inside the home
06:25with Shanti and her son from a previous marriage,
06:28eight-year-old Jackson.
06:30Love you, Jenna.
06:31Love you so much, sweetheart.
06:32Hi, Shanti.
06:33Bye, Charger Binks.
06:34Love you, boy.
06:35Mom, mom.
06:36Love you guys so much.
06:37Are you recording me?
06:39Yes.
06:39What do you like to say?
06:42Have a good day, guys,
06:44and I will record tomorrow.
06:45Love you so much, Jackson.
06:47Have a good night tonight, okay?
06:48As the construction dragged on for more than a year,
06:52Shanti and her son had to move into an apartment over the garage,
06:55where her body would later be found.
06:59And then it's just a full open.
07:02It's about 800 square feet at the top of the stairs.
07:04David spent all of his money on this house,
07:07but relied upon Shanti to spend over $200,000 to improve it.
07:12So you could easily describe the house as a money pit.
07:16You're not under arrest, okay?
07:18I want you to understand that, okay?
07:20But we do need to raise you your rights
07:21because you are in a police department
07:23with two detectives in this room.
07:26You have the right to remain silent.
07:28Do you understand that?
07:29The detectives began with a focus on the home renovation.
07:38It was just an older, Victorian-style home,
07:42and Shanti wanted to completely open it up,
07:45open concept, totally,
07:48and, you know, completely do it.
07:53We weren't sure what we were going to do,
07:54but as we got into it,
07:56we found more and more issues.
07:59We had to, you know, kind of...
08:01Our goal right now is to finish the house
08:02as soon as possible.
08:04Have you ever broken up?
08:06We had a couple fights.
08:08And has that happened since you moved where you are now?
08:11Because now we've got the added stress of the renovation.
08:14No, we're pretty...
08:16We love it.
08:17We love...
08:18We love the...
08:20We love what we're doing to the house.
08:23We love the vision that we have for the house.
08:25It's too...
08:26I mean...
08:27She was frustrated with it,
08:40in the, you know,
08:41being that she had to stay in that apartment for so long.
08:45My name is Dana Duran,
08:47and I am one of her best friends.
08:50Sorry, I just get a little bit teary a little bit.
08:52She was super, super smart.
08:55She was an awesome mom.
08:57She was doted on him,
09:00and everything that she could do or give him,
09:02she gave to him.
09:03She was very outspoken,
09:05very strong,
09:06very determined.
09:08If she didn't like something,
09:09she certainly would tell you.
09:10He was a little different.
09:12Just he didn't open up a lot,
09:13and he kept to himself.
09:15She wanted to include him.
09:16She wanted to...
09:17You know, you want to make a relationship work.
09:20She wanted to make that marriage work,
09:22but it was a little tough.
09:24The Tronuses had just agreed
09:25to let their home be used
09:26on a home improvement program,
09:28Zombie House Flipping,
09:30working with the program host, Keith Horry,
09:33in hopes it would help cover
09:34some of the escalating costs.
09:36Great.
09:36Keith had given us the assurance on Sunday
09:42that we were officially on the show.
09:45We were super, super, super excited.
09:46He told you this this past Sunday?
09:48Yeah.
09:49So they hadn't started filming you?
09:51No, this is a long process.
09:53This is a long, long process.
09:55It just seemed like everything was coming together,
09:57and she has been anxious to get the house done,
10:01but she also wanted to be on the show really bad
10:03and do it up.
10:06So it just felt like the first time in a while
10:09that all the stars had really aligned.
10:11It was great.
10:12We were really, really, really happy.
10:14That was not how everyone remembered it.
10:24So we were with Mr. Tronus for several hours,
10:27and most of that was just nailing down
10:29the timeline of events leading up to Shanti's death.
10:34So you wake up Tuesday morning.
10:38What time did you get up?
10:38Um, I woke up before 7.
10:41She came down after 7 o'clock,
10:43probably almost 7.30.
10:47She hadn't been awake very long.
10:50She had a cigarette.
10:52She said she wasn't feeling very well.
10:54His initial story was that he had last seen her
10:58in the morning and didn't really check on her.
11:02I'm William Jay, and I'm a homicide prosecutor
11:04in Orlando, Florida.
11:05He went about his own business.
11:07He took the dogs to the park and maybe ran some errands
11:10and went for a walk, perhaps gardened.
11:12And then towards the middle of the afternoon,
11:15he said he heard the water running
11:16and she wasn't responding,
11:18and that he went in and saw her face down in the bathtub.
11:22She's submerged partially,
11:26but she's also partially not submerged,
11:28and her legs are kind of sticking up and out a little bit.
11:33And it's just extremely awful
11:35and it doesn't look natural.
11:37Obviously, she fell or something happened.
11:42And I tried to pick her up.
11:50I turned the water up.
11:51I tried to pick her up.
11:57She's, she's stiff.
12:01She's stiff?
12:02It's hard to pick her up.
12:04She's not.
12:05Shanti's arm was up in a 90-degree angle, fixed,
12:09so that rigor had began.
12:11The medical examiner said
12:12the sign of rigor mortis indicated
12:14Shanti had been dead for most of the day.
12:17And it was actually a very important clue
12:19to investigators and myself as the lead prosecutor.
12:23As best as, as we could determine,
12:27the death had to likely have happened
12:30near midnight or the first few hours
12:34of the morning.
12:36Okay.
12:37Do you know how long
12:38it takes someone to get stiff?
12:41Two.
12:42Okay, I do.
12:43So her body's not lying to us?
12:45Of course not.
12:46And neither are her injuries?
12:49She had at least five blows to her head.
12:52She suffered an injury where she had fractures
12:55in the backs of her, her eye orbits.
12:57And there were marks around her neck
13:00that were consistent with a hand.
13:01What do you think is, is her cause of death?
13:10Well, either she slipped or she fell,
13:15or she blacked out,
13:18or something caused her to collapse.
13:26So you think when she slipped,
13:29what would have happened to her physical?
13:32When she slipped,
13:33how would the injuries have been caused?
13:36She would have had to have struck her head.
13:38Um, what?
13:39If she was outside the tub
13:46on the edge of the tub
13:48or the tile wall
13:49or the
13:50tub spout.
13:53What do you think would have caused
13:55the significant injuries
13:57as, um,
13:58to her eye?
14:02I don't know.
14:04Okay.
14:05Did you ever have your hand
14:07on her neck
14:08where you would have had to
14:09have squeezed it
14:10for any reason?
14:12Um, possibly when
14:14we were,
14:16when I was trying to pull her
14:17out of the tub.
14:19So,
14:19prior to her
14:21being deceased,
14:23do you have,
14:24have any,
14:25uh, reason to have your hand
14:27around her,
14:28hands around her throat?
14:30No, absolutely not.
14:31That's not happening?
14:32Absolutely not.
14:33Okay.
14:33What do you think caused,
14:36or what do you think
14:36the injury is
14:38to her eye?
14:39The,
14:39um,
14:41discoloration
14:42in this woman?
14:44I,
14:44I,
14:45I don't know.
14:46I don't know.
14:47His response was always,
14:48I don't know what you want me to say.
14:50Just the truth.
14:52Mr. Tronis,
14:52just the truth.
14:53What happened
14:54between the two of you
14:55Monday night
14:56going into Tuesday morning
14:58where only the two of you
15:00were together?
15:01If inconsistencies
15:03start to emerge,
15:04then that's when
15:05it can turn into
15:06an interrogation.
15:08Shanti did not fall
15:09and get those injuries.
15:11Okay.
15:12Without question.
15:13Okay.
15:14They're much more
15:15significant than that.
15:16And,
15:17um,
15:19it's inconsistent
15:20with her,
15:21uh,
15:22injuries,
15:23hitting and striking anything.
15:25that is just inaccurate.
15:28Okay.
15:29Her injuries are very severe.
15:36Okay.
15:37So the trouble I'm having
15:38with your story
15:39is
15:40you're
15:44there.
15:46First of all,
15:46you're not really sharing
15:47the same residence.
15:48You're kind of living downstairs.
15:50She's living upstairs
15:50with her son.
15:52Uh,
15:52but her son's not there.
15:54So even when her son's not there,
15:55you're still not sleeping together.
15:57You're not in the same residence.
15:59So,
16:00during,
16:00during,
16:01during the,
16:01uh,
16:01spending a lot of time
16:03apart,
16:04it seems.
16:05The issue I'm having with
16:06is
16:06I,
16:08I
16:09absolutely think
16:10that
16:11she was deceased
16:12before you left
16:14to go to the park.
16:15And I think
16:16whatever happened to her
16:18happened
16:18before you went to the park.
16:20Now,
16:20if there's an explanation,
16:22I want to hear it.
16:24I've told you
16:25everything.
16:29But you've left out
16:30something, David,
16:31because this woman
16:32has
16:33significant
16:34injuries.
16:36So,
16:37I need you to
16:38explain to me
16:39and Detective McClellan
16:40what happened
16:42this morning
16:43before you left
16:44to take the dogs.
16:45It was
16:45exactly
16:46as I stated.
16:48It wasn't,
16:49I haven't left one thing.
16:51God.
16:53Okay.
16:54Did you two
16:55argue?
16:56No,
16:57absolutely not.
16:58Did you fight?
16:59Absolutely not.
17:01Okay.
17:03Did you
17:04harm
17:05Shanti
17:05in any way?
17:06Absolutely not.
17:08Did you choke her?
17:09Absolutely not.
17:10Did you strangle her?
17:11Without question,
17:12no.
17:13Would you mind
17:13showing me
17:14your trust in her?
17:15Sure.
17:16I don't need
17:16to see anything else,
17:17just your chest,
17:18back, and arms.
17:19Sure.
17:21David's interview
17:22really became
17:23a war of wills
17:24between David,
17:26who had his story
17:28and was going
17:28to hold to his story,
17:30versus the law
17:31enforcement detectives
17:32who were using
17:34a lot of tactics
17:35to try to get
17:36a confession
17:37or get admissions.
17:38and there were
17:39no signs
17:39of injuries
17:40on his body.
17:42I can assure you
17:43there's nothing
17:44about the house
17:47or anything.
17:50The touch of lights
17:53that we've had
17:53have been so
17:54minor.
17:57Do we get
17:59irritated with each
18:00other?
18:00Are we both busy?
18:01Of course.
18:02We sometimes
18:02take things
18:03like Heather's story.
18:04Sometimes people
18:05who have never,
18:07ever, ever harmed
18:07a fly,
18:08never been arrested,
18:09never had any problems,
18:11just snap.
18:13Things happen.
18:15Things happen,
18:16especially between couples.
18:18It's not,
18:18it's not,
18:19doesn't make you
18:19a bad guy.
18:20I'm sick to death
18:21about what happened,
18:23but nothing happened
18:24today because
18:24there was no
18:26endless treatments
18:27whatsoever.
18:29Are you saying
18:30that you
18:31did not harm her?
18:32I am.
18:33Would you mind
18:34just for me
18:36to be able
18:36to say
18:38David is
18:39a perfect gentleman
18:41and is in the clear
18:42and did not harm
18:43his wife,
18:44would you mind
18:44taking a polygraph
18:45and proving that to us?
18:47Absolutely.
18:48Okay.
18:49No one's ever
18:49going to accuse us
18:50of not giving you
18:52ample opportunity
18:53to explain your side
18:55of what happened.
19:04David,
19:04you're going to get
19:05one shot
19:05at telling the truth
19:06and you're really,
19:08really making this
19:09difficult on us
19:09and it's not
19:11going to go well
19:11for you.
19:12Detective Barbara Sharp
19:14moved to the front seat
19:15as they tried
19:16to turn up
19:17the heat
19:17on David Tronis.
19:19You've got to tell us
19:20what happened
19:20between the two of you
19:21because this is not
19:22looking good for you.
19:23Her injuries
19:24are way too severe.
19:25I don't have any,
19:26I don't have any explanation
19:28for her,
19:29the severity
19:30of her injuries.
19:31There's not,
19:31there's nothing
19:32I can do
19:33to explain
19:35that without
19:37making something up
19:38which is not
19:39the right thing
19:39to do.
19:41You strangled her.
19:42That's what the
19:54medical examiner
19:54is going to tell us.
19:56What did she do
19:57that made you
19:59so mad?
20:02Nothing.
20:02You just strangled her
20:04for no reason?
20:05You're not a cold-blooded
20:06killer, David.
20:07That didn't happen.
20:08You're not a cold-blooded
20:09killer.
20:09And I don't think
20:10you're a bad guy.
20:11I don't think
20:12you're a cold-blooded
20:12killer.
20:13But I do think
20:14you killed your wife.
20:15And I don't think
20:15you meant to do it.
20:16I think David needs
20:17to tell the truth.
20:19David's going to feel
20:19better about that.
20:20And then we're going
20:21to deal with
20:22what that truth is.
20:24And we're going to be
20:24able to figure it
20:25out together.
20:26Okay?
20:27We can figure it
20:28out together.
20:29But I've got to know
20:29the truth, Dave.
20:31Just get it off
20:31your chest.
20:33The two sides
20:33went at it for
20:34hours and hours.
20:36David didn't break
20:37and confess or admit
20:39to having committed
20:41the crime.
20:41I don't know what
20:42happened when I was
20:43up there.
20:44You fake cried
20:45for about seven
20:46or eight hours today.
20:48Not one tear
20:49came out of your eyes.
20:49Not one.
20:51Not one.
20:51Not on the scene
20:52with the officers.
20:53Not in this room.
20:54So we're just going
20:55to prove you're full
20:56of s**t
20:56and solve this case.
20:59And I'm glad
21:00you think that's funny.
21:02I'm glad you think
21:03that's funny.
21:04I'm glad you think
21:05that's funny.
21:06I'm glad you think
21:08that's funny.
21:09I'm glad you think
21:10that's funny.
21:11Because every time
21:12you smirk and smile...
21:13I'm smirk and smile.
21:14Okay.
21:15And then a final effort
21:17to get a confession
21:17as Detective Sharp
21:19pulled out a photo
21:20with Shanti
21:21and her eight-year-old son,
21:22Jackson.
21:24He's motherless.
21:28Motherless.
21:29He's an eight.
21:30Look at him.
21:31Look at Jackson
21:35and how happy he was.
21:37Now think about
21:37what you took away
21:38from her
21:38and from him.
21:40Now what do I tell Jackson?
21:42David's a monster.
21:44I think he was
21:45very close
21:45to wanting
21:46to say it
21:47and he just could not
21:48bring himself
21:49to say it.
21:49Look at his picture,
21:50David.
21:51I have
21:51a picture of him.
21:54How do you explain this?
21:58What are you
21:58going to tell Jackson?
21:59If you're going to sleep,
22:02I'm going to start riding.
22:09By all means,
22:10take a nap
22:11while your life's
22:11hanging in the mountains.
22:16Since he had not
22:17made an admission
22:18or a confession,
22:20he was not detained
22:22and he was free to go.
22:23We did try to get him
22:25to come back
22:25for a polygraph exam
22:27at a later date
22:29and that was denied.
22:31So detectives
22:33did initially look
22:34for other potential suspects.
22:37Shanti was previously divorced.
22:39Law enforcement
22:40immediately reached out
22:41to the ex-husband
22:43and determined
22:45that he had
22:46a full alibi.
22:48There was a report
22:49that perhaps
22:50there was a transient man
22:52who would go through
22:54the neighborhood
22:54and maybe he was
22:56the one
22:56who did it.
22:58They interviewed him.
23:00He was very open
23:01and they were able
23:02to almost immediately
23:04exclude him
23:06as a suspect.
23:08And when detectives
23:09talked to the host
23:10and producer
23:10of the Home Improvement Show,
23:12Keith Ori,
23:13they learned Shanti
23:14was actually resisting
23:15being part of the program.
23:17There was a very contentious
23:19meeting
23:19a few days
23:20before her death.
23:22Shanti was absolutely
23:23at the end
23:24of her patience
23:26about this home
23:27and when she was demanded
23:29to show
23:30that she would invest
23:31the $200,000 plus
23:33to complete the remodeling,
23:36she had had enough.
23:37She stormed out
23:37of that meeting.
23:39The investigation
23:40also turned up evidence
23:41that David Tronis
23:42had led a double life.
23:44We found out
23:45that David had
23:47a membership
23:48at a local gym
23:51that was for gay men.
23:53We did also find
23:54a witness
23:55at Club Orlando
23:57that was able
23:58to tell us
23:58that he had observed
23:59sexual relations
24:00with men
24:01with Mr. Tronis.
24:04So to find out
24:05all this other life
24:07that he lived
24:08is crazy.
24:10It wasn't the renovations.
24:12It wasn't money.
24:13I mean,
24:14I think it was ultimately
24:15she confronted him.
24:17I bet she threatened
24:18she would divorce him.
24:20She found out
24:21what was going on
24:22was probably ashamed
24:24and shocked herself
24:26that he was living
24:26the second life.
24:29In the end,
24:31a diamond earring
24:32found on Shanti's
24:33night table
24:33gave detectives
24:34a working theory
24:35of what had happened.
24:37So when she was
24:38getting ready
24:39to take out
24:39this earring
24:40and more than likely
24:41sitting on the edge
24:42of her bed
24:43during this time
24:44and she would have
24:45taken out this earring
24:46and placed it
24:47next to the other one
24:48so if the blow
24:49came at that time
24:50that would explain
24:51why she wasn't able
24:53to see it coming
24:54and wasn't able
24:55to defend herself.
24:56After four months
24:57of investigation,
24:58David Tronis
24:59was arrested
25:00at his mother's home
25:01charged with
25:02first degree murder.
25:04We were completely
25:05confident that
25:07we had the evidence.
25:09We did not expect
25:10though that one
25:11one of the biggest
25:12pieces of evidence
25:13would be discovered
25:14in the mom's house
25:15that night.
25:16Detectives had been
25:17unable to find
25:18Shanti's wedding ring
25:19missing from her finger
25:20on the day she was killed.
25:23Every picture
25:24that we saw
25:25of Shanti,
25:26she had her ring on
25:27was beautiful,
25:28a gorgeous ring.
25:29It certainly
25:30should have
25:31been on her hand
25:32the day of her murder.
25:34And it was only
25:35during the search
25:36of David's room
25:37127 days later
25:39that they found it
25:40stashed in a suitcase.
25:42And I get a text message
25:44from Detective Sharp
25:46and I knew
25:47they were executing
25:48the search warrant.
25:49And the text message
25:50read,
25:51got him.
25:52And it was a picture
25:53of Shanti's wedding ring.
25:55We think after
25:56he killed his wife,
25:58he pried that ring
26:00off her cold,
26:02dead finger
26:03because he paid
26:05for it.
26:07There is a dark,
26:08hot place
26:09deep inside the earth
26:11for people
26:12like that.
26:20Ladies and gentlemen,
26:21you have been selected
26:21and sworn as a jury
26:23to try the case
26:24of the state of Florida
26:25versus David Tronis.
26:28This is a criminal case.
26:30Mr. Tronis is charged
26:31with first-degree murder.
26:34There was a delay
26:35in getting to trial
26:36for almost five years.
26:38Mr. Tronis
26:38was claiming
26:39some sort of
26:40mental incapacitation.
26:43He had been seen
26:43by many medical professionals
26:45and he was found
26:46competent to stand trial.
26:48And by then,
26:49there was huge interest
26:50on social media.
26:51Well, David Tronis.
26:52This guy named
26:52David Tronis.
26:53David Tronis.
26:54David Tronis.
26:55David Tronis.
26:56He has avoided
26:57having a trial
26:57all these years
26:58because of the claim
26:59that he was not
27:00mentally competent,
27:00but a judge
27:01finally said,
27:02yes, you are.
27:03Looks like we have
27:04another case
27:05of a down-low man
27:06taking the life
27:07of his wife.
27:08Her life
27:08was tragically
27:10stolen from her
27:11by her evil,
27:13monster,
27:14idiot of a husband,
27:16David Tronis.
27:17And in the courtroom
27:18every day,
27:19Shanti's son,
27:20Jackson,
27:21who is now
27:2213 years old
27:23and insisted
27:24on being there.
27:25I wanted to go
27:26because I feel like
27:27it might help
27:29if I went
27:30or also I wanted
27:31to be more a part
27:32of trying to give
27:32my mom justice
27:33more than I already
27:34was.
27:34I got a picture
27:35of my mom
27:36at every single
27:36hearing as a reminder
27:39that even though
27:40she's not here
27:40physically,
27:41she's always here
27:42mentally.
27:42It's just more
27:43than just a name
27:44on a paper
27:45and more than
27:46just a news headline.
27:47It's more than
27:48just that.
27:49I'm Satan,
27:49I'm Satan.
27:50David Tronis
27:54killed Shanti Cooper.
27:56He did it
27:56with a premeditated
27:57design.
27:58He intended
27:59to do it,
28:00he did it,
28:00and he's guilty
28:01of first-degree murder.
28:02This was a sustained
28:04attack,
28:05not just like
28:05a moment
28:06of striking
28:06somebody once.
28:08That's why
28:09we thought
28:09it was a first-degree
28:10premeditated murder
28:11as opposed to
28:12a manslaughter
28:13or something like that.
28:14As a motive,
28:15the prosecutors
28:16laid out the tensions
28:17between the couple
28:18over the zombie
28:19house-flipping program
28:20when Shanti
28:21didn't want to be
28:22part of it anymore.
28:24This home show,
28:25this zombie house-flipping,
28:26was the lifeline
28:28out of this mess
28:29with this house
28:30that they've,
28:30you know,
28:31they've dug themselves
28:32into,
28:33and she,
28:34at that point,
28:34a week before her murder,
28:35was not into it.
28:37You know,
28:38we don't have to
28:38prove motive,
28:39but I think
28:40juries like to know
28:42why something happens.
28:43There was a cell phone
28:45video,
28:45and you could tell
28:46that it was just
28:47very cold
28:48between them,
28:49in that video.
28:51And the prosecutor
28:52closed his opening
28:53by telling the jury
28:54about what happened
28:55with Shanti's wedding ring.
28:57The evidence will show
28:58that he pried
29:00that engagement ring
29:02off his wife's
29:03lifeless body,
29:05knew he did it,
29:06told the police
29:07that the ring
29:07should still be on her hand,
29:09all the while,
29:10months later,
29:11he had it.
29:11When you've heard
29:14all the evidence
29:15in this case,
29:16you will conclude
29:17that the only
29:17reasonable explanation
29:19for Shanti's death
29:20is sitting right there.
29:24Thank you, state.
29:26Defense?
29:27Honor, defense
29:27is going to reserve
29:28opening statement
29:29until it's case.
29:31The prosecution
29:32began by playing
29:34the 911 call
29:35that David Trotus made.
29:37I can't hold it.
29:38Oh, my God,
29:39I need to try.
29:41I'm trying to
29:42in the shower.
29:43What was chilling
29:45to me and immediately
29:46obvious in David's
29:47911 call
29:49is that he is
29:50inconsolable,
29:52can't get two words
29:53out in a row.
29:55Oh, my God.
29:56This is not.
29:57However,
29:58a few minutes
29:59into the call,
30:00he becomes
30:01perfectly coherent,
30:03perfectly calm.
30:05The blue dumpster,
30:07big blue dumpster
30:08in the driveway,
30:09they have to turn in.
30:11Then he goes back
30:12into the hysteria
30:15as law enforcement arrives.
30:18Baby, baby.
30:20Red flags went up
30:22immediately
30:22when law enforcement
30:24responded.
30:25This was not
30:25what it was
30:26being purported
30:27to be.
30:30Your Honor,
30:31at this time,
30:31the state calls
30:32Keith Horry.
30:34What do you do
30:34for work?
30:36I am a real estate
30:38investor,
30:38and I appear
30:40on the television
30:41series,
30:42Zombie House Flipping.
30:43Keith Horry
30:44testified about
30:44a meeting
30:45that they had,
30:47you know,
30:48a week before
30:49the murder
30:51happened in this case
30:52and how
30:53Shanti was,
30:55you know,
30:55didn't even want
30:55to come down
30:56and meet with him.
30:57He said,
30:57we really need
30:58Shanti to come down,
30:59and she had
31:00come down,
31:01and she was,
31:04by my estimation,
31:06unhappy to be there,
31:08and it was in a
31:11sort of a tense state.
31:13What way,
31:13if you could explain
31:14to the jury?
31:15She was tense,
31:18or even intense,
31:20appeared to be,
31:23you know,
31:24mildly upset,
31:26annoyed,
31:26frustrated at something.
31:28Watching it all
31:29was Shanti's son,
31:30Jackson,
31:31seated next to his
31:32father,
31:32Jim Cooper.
31:33And although he looked
31:34away during several
31:36presentations,
31:37he heard everything
31:39that was said
31:40that happened,
31:41and he knows
31:41we are going
31:42to get justice
31:42for her
31:43and for you.
31:51State,
31:51you may call
31:51your next witness.
31:53Gary Utz.
31:54With the defense
31:55claiming Shanti's death
31:56was an accident,
31:58the testimony
31:58of the medical examiner,
32:00Gary Utz,
32:01was a key part
32:02of the prosecution's case.
32:04Were you able
32:05to come to a conclusion
32:06about the cause
32:06of her death?
32:07I believe that her,
32:09the cause of her death
32:10is a combination
32:11of the strangulation
32:12and the blunt head trauma.
32:15Were you able
32:15to decide upon
32:16a manner of
32:17Shanti Petronas' death?
32:19Yes,
32:20in this case,
32:20the manner of death
32:21is homicide.
32:22And why is that?
32:24Because I don't believe
32:25that there's any way
32:26that this individual
32:27would have sustained
32:28those injuries
32:29as a result of an accident.
32:31No other questions.
32:33Thank you, State.
32:34Defense, Cross.
32:35You've testified
32:37it's your job
32:37to determine
32:38the cause
32:39and the manner
32:39of death, correct?
32:40That's correct.
32:41Not the who?
32:42No, that's true.
32:44You indicated
32:45that you found it
32:46to be blunt force trauma
32:48and strangulation.
32:50It could be
32:51one or the other, correct?
32:53It could be.
32:54There are other types
32:55of blunt force trauma,
32:56though, correct?
32:58Yes.
32:59Could a person
33:00strike their head
33:01on one location,
33:03hit something
33:03on the way down,
33:04and then hit the floor,
33:06creating multiple injuries,
33:08multiple blunt force
33:09trauma injuries.
33:10That's always a possibility,
33:12but I wouldn't expect
33:13to see the injuries
33:14on, you know,
33:15both sides of the head
33:16and on the front
33:18of the neck.
33:19I am a big fan
33:20of the forensic evidence.
33:22People always say things like,
33:25oh, it's just
33:25a circumstantial case.
33:27But circumstantial cases
33:29don't forget things.
33:30They don't lie.
33:32They're just the facts.
33:32Good afternoon.
33:33You can have a seat.
33:35And then will you
33:35say your name
33:36and spell it, please?
33:38Yes, ma'am.
33:39Detective Teresa,
33:40T-E-R-E-S-A,
33:42Sprague,
33:43S-P-R-A-G-U-E.
33:46Do you see
33:47the person
33:48that you interviewed
33:49at the Orlando
33:49Police Department
33:50identified to you
33:51as David Tronis
33:52in the courtroom today?
33:52I do.
33:53Do you point out
33:54where he is
33:54and what he's wearing?
33:55Yes, Mr. Tronis
33:56is seated
33:56at the defense table.
33:57He's wearing
33:58a suit,
33:59a tie,
33:59and glasses.
34:01Prosecutors wanted
34:02lead detective
34:03Teresa Sprague
34:04to explain
34:05one of the key
34:06inconsistencies
34:07in David Tronis'
34:09version of events.
34:10It was the story
34:12of him dragging her
34:13from the bathtub
34:13while she's still
34:15soaking wet
34:16and her clothing
34:17is still soaking wet.
34:18Is she in the tub?
34:21Her head is all the way
34:22in the corner.
34:23She's submerged.
34:25Yeah.
34:26She's submerged.
34:27So she's underwater?
34:28Most of her
34:29is submerged.
34:30Most of her
34:31head and neck
34:32are submerged.
34:33Okay.
34:34So you're saying
34:36that her head
34:37and face
34:37and neck
34:38are underwater
34:39and her right side
34:41is kind of
34:41on a slant
34:43so her right side
34:44is not
34:44as underwater.
34:46She is
34:47basically
34:48for all intents
34:49and purposes
34:49submerged
34:50almost completely
34:52up to her torso.
34:54She wasn't wet.
34:55Her skin
34:55was not pruned.
34:57Her clothing
34:57appeared damp
34:58but not soaked.
35:00On cross-examination,
35:02Tronis' lawyer
35:03questioned
35:03the detective's
35:04technique
35:05used during
35:06the interrogation.
35:07You go from
35:08asking questions
35:09to attempts
35:10at manipulating.
35:14Manipulating him
35:15to try and get him
35:16to say something
35:16that isn't true?
35:17No, absolutely not.
35:18No.
35:19I think we challenged
35:20him on the evidence
35:22that did not support
35:23his assertion
35:24of what occurred.
35:25Didn't you essentially
35:25look at him
35:26like he was
35:26the pool boy?
35:28Did I look at him
35:29like he was the pool
35:30or did I suggest
35:31to him that she
35:31was treating him
35:32that way?
35:33Right, exactly.
35:33I didn't look at him
35:34as the pool boy,
35:35no, sir.
35:35It almost sounds
35:37to me like
35:37she treated you
35:39like you were
35:41the help.
35:46That's what it
35:46sounds like to me.
35:48I gotta do the yard.
35:50I gotta take care
35:50of the pool.
35:51I gotta do the work
35:52on the house.
35:54There's only so much
35:55anyone can take
35:56before they snap.
36:00Maybe you felt like
36:01she got what was
36:01coming to her.
36:02I made a suggestion
36:03to him that that
36:04might have been
36:04how she was treating
36:05him and that he
36:07might have been
36:07taking exception
36:08to how she was
36:09treating him.
36:10But he didn't say
36:11that she was
36:12treating him that way.
36:14You made a big deal
36:15about the location
36:16of this ring
36:16because you felt
36:17that you'd been
36:17searching for it
36:18for 127 days
36:19even though it
36:20hadn't been
36:20reported missing.
36:23It was pried
36:24off her cold
36:25dead hand.
36:26Yes, I was very
36:26concerned about it.
36:27Says who?
36:28She was wearing
36:29it the day before.
36:30She wore it every day.
36:32Says who?
36:34The evidence
36:35in my case.
36:38Defense,
36:39are you calling
36:39Mr. Tronis?
36:41Do you understand
36:41it's solely
36:42your decision
36:43of whether or not
36:44you testify?
36:46And what do
36:47you want to do?
36:49Okay, thank you.
36:50The case was
36:51coming to an end.
36:52During that trial
36:53it was long days.
36:55We didn't sleep
36:56at night.
36:56We were going
36:57to keep making
36:58sure that everybody
36:59kept, would see
37:00her face.
37:02You know,
37:02we weren't going
37:03to go away.
37:10Thanks for being
37:11with us here
37:12on Law & Crime.
37:13We're going to
37:13now head into
37:14the murder trial
37:15against David
37:16Tronis.
37:17Tronis is charged
37:17with first degree
37:18murder for the death
37:19of his wife
37:20Ashanti Cooper
37:21Tronis.
37:22State ready
37:22to proceed.
37:24Thank you,
37:24Your Honor.
37:25I take the court.
37:26You may proceed.
37:28There was some
37:29discussion in
37:30jury selection
37:30that the defendant
37:34had a presumption
37:35of innocence.
37:36And that presumption,
37:38that cloak of
37:38innocence has been
37:40ripped away
37:40by evidence
37:41in this case.
37:42and he sits
37:43before you
37:44a proven guilty
37:46man.
37:46He didn't appear
37:47to be, you know,
37:48giving any kind
37:49of emotion
37:50one way
37:50or the other.
37:51Just sort of
37:52stone-faced
37:53basically the whole
37:54time.
37:56This wasn't some
37:57fall in a shower.
37:59The manner of death
37:59was a homicide.
38:01Not an accident,
38:03not undetermined,
38:05but a homicide.
38:07This was a murder
38:08of rage,
38:10of anger,
38:11of extreme violence.
38:12This isn't an intruder
38:14breaking in,
38:16stumbling onto a person
38:17in the middle of the day
38:18that they don't expect
38:18to be there,
38:20you know,
38:20shooting them once,
38:21stabbing them,
38:22picking something up
38:23and hitting them
38:23with the head,
38:24and then running out.
38:26That's not what
38:27happened here.
38:29The only appropriate
38:29verdict in this case
38:30is guilty as charged
38:32of first-degree
38:34premeditated murder.
38:37Thank you, state.
38:38The defense,
38:38you may proceed.
38:40There is an
38:41anvil evident.
38:42You know,
38:43suggest this was
38:44a violent encounter,
38:45but it was a violent
38:45fall or a violent attack.
38:47There's no direct
38:48evidence as to
38:49what happened
38:50in the apartment
38:50that day.
38:51This is a
38:52circumcension.
38:54And specifically,
38:56that Chante Cooper
38:57was murdered,
38:59and David
38:59is the person
39:00that did it.
39:02And did they prove
39:03beyond a reasonable
39:03doubt that he is
39:05the person
39:05that committed
39:06this offense?
39:08The bit to you
39:08that did not.
39:09There's too many
39:10gaps,
39:11too many leaps,
39:12that you,
39:13as a juror,
39:14would have to
39:15take in order
39:15to consider
39:16this evidence
39:17beyond the exclusion
39:18of every reasonable
39:19doubt.
39:20This is a tragedy.
39:21You've got a little
39:22boy sitting in the
39:23courtroom,
39:23lost his mother
39:24sitting in
39:25throughout the trial.
39:26But trials
39:27are not about emotion.
39:29They're about evidence.
39:32You can't prejudge him
39:34if he didn't see
39:34you're crying
39:35to your liking,
39:37just like they
39:37shouldn't have
39:38prejudged him
39:39because he didn't
39:40cry.
39:41They didn't like it.
39:41You don't get
39:42to fit a square
39:43peg in a round hole
39:44because it's
39:44convenient.
39:46And that's what
39:47happened here.
39:48With the rush
39:49to judgment,
39:49with the
39:49confirmational bias,
39:51those two detectives
39:52went into a room
39:53with David Tronis
39:55and worked him
39:57over.
39:57I'm confident
39:58that after
39:59carefully deliberating
40:00that you'll come
40:01back and return
40:02the only just
40:02verdict in this
40:03case,
40:04and that's a
40:04verdict of not
40:05guilty.
40:05The jury
40:07was out
40:07for some
40:08five hours.
40:09It was
40:10extremely tense.
40:12I remember
40:13my legs
40:13were physically
40:14shaking.
40:16I couldn't
40:17stop
40:17shaking.
40:21It's my
40:22understanding
40:22you've reached
40:23a verdict.
40:24Will you hand
40:25the verdict form
40:25to the court
40:26deputy,
40:26please?
40:26Florida versus
40:28David Tronis,
40:30case number
40:302020 CF12472AL.
40:35My heart
40:36was racing
40:36like a couple
40:38hundred thousand
40:39paces a minute.
40:40I was scared
40:41because I didn't
40:42know if it was
40:43going to,
40:43I didn't know
40:44what was going
40:44to happen.
40:44I didn't know
40:44if he was
40:45going to get
40:45let off.
40:46Verdict reads,
40:47we the jury
40:47finally defending.
40:56Guilty of
40:57first degree
40:58murder as
40:58charging the
40:59indictment.
41:04I was just
41:05like,
41:06oh,
41:06kind of like
41:06overjoyed.
41:07Probably
41:08just
41:08definitely
41:09my life.
41:11The sentencing
41:11happened
41:12immediately.
41:15Your Honor,
41:17my mom was
41:18the best person
41:19I ever knew.
41:26she worked a lot
41:33but she never
41:33put her family
41:34over work.
41:37Early 2018,
41:38she was taken
41:39from me and my
41:39family.
41:40It's like a hole
41:41in my heart
41:41that I can't
41:42fill or fix.
41:44She didn't die
41:45peacefully.
41:47She did not
41:47deserve anything
41:48that happened to
41:49her that night.
41:50My family and I
41:51have been waiting
41:52for about five
41:53years for justice.
41:55I miss her so
41:56much.
41:57She was the best
41:58mom I could ever
41:58ask for.
42:03That's it.
42:06Fence,
42:06any questions?
42:08No,
42:08Your Honor.
42:11Mr.
42:11Tranis,
42:12anything you wish
42:12to say prior
42:13to sentencing?
42:15There's really
42:15no flexibility
42:16for the judge.
42:18If the state's
42:19not seeking
42:19the death penalty
42:20in Florida,
42:21the one sentence
42:22that somebody
42:22can get is
42:23life in prison
42:24without parole.
42:25And the
42:26death penalty
42:26had been waived
42:27at the family's
42:28request.
42:30The court will
42:31adjudicate you
42:31guilty,
42:32will sentence
42:33you to life
42:33imprisonment.
42:35Luck to you,
42:35sir,
42:36and the court
42:37will be in recess.
42:38Jackson's now
42:39in high school.
42:40It's been important
42:41to Jackson
42:42and his father
42:42that people
42:44don't forget
42:45victims like
42:46Shanti.
42:46They've gone
42:47to the beach
42:48and gotten flowers
42:49and handed flowers
42:50out to other mothers
42:51just to say
42:53Happy Mother's Day.
42:54And it's just
42:54such an unbelievable
42:55recognition and memory
42:58of the mother
42:59that he wishes
43:00was still here.
43:01He knew
43:02he knew
43:03he knows
43:04He knows
43:05he was still here.
43:06He succeeded
43:07upon having
43:08kids
43:13life
43:13as
43:14he was still here.
43:15He did not
43:16remember
43:17not
43:17the
43:18that he was
43:19going overboard.
43:19Don't
43:21we
43:21just
43:22Jeremy
43:23even
43:23który
43:23rique
Recommended
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