Linn County jury convicts Traer woman who plotted with ‘lover’ to kill husband in 2021

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Linn County jury Friday convicted a Traer woman of first-degree murder for fatally shooting her husband, Ryan Cooper, in June 2021 as he slept in his recliner at their farmhouse.

The jury deliberated over three hours, following six days of testimony, before finding Karina Sue Cooper, 48, guilty of first-degree murder. Ryan Cooper, 42, died from two gunshots to the left side of his face.

Karina started to cry when 6th Judicial District Chief Judge Lars Anderson read the jury’s unanimous verdict. She continued to cry after the jurors were dismissed and Tama County Sheriff’s deputies led her in handcuffs out of the courtroom.

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Ryan Cooper’s family and friends, in the courtroom, started tearing up and hugged each other after the verdict was read.

The family members in support of Karina also were emotional following the verdict.

Sentencing will be set later. She faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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The prosecution argued Karina carried out a plot with her “lover,” Huston W. Danker, 27, of Shellsburg, to kill her husband so they could be together and start a new life with Ryan’s life insurance policy that named Karina as sole beneficiary.

Danker also is charged with first-degree murder. His trial is set for Aug. 12 in Johnson County District Court.

Both trials were moved from Tama County.

Evidence included texts between ‘lovers,’ testimony of friends

Digital forensic evidence showed many texts and Snapchats indicating a romantic and sexual relationship between Karina and Danker. Other messages included Karina saying she “hated” her husband, calling him a “sperm donor,” and then making plans to kill him and conceal the evidence.

Assistant Iowa Attorney General Mike Ringle, in his closing argument Friday, encouraged the jurors to go back and look at the timeline of the messages exchanged between the two during the early morning hours of June 18, the day Ryan was shot.

He presented two scenarios — one in which Karina was the shooter, and the other in which Danker shot Ryan. He said it doesn’t matter if Karina pulled the trigger of the rifle, or aided and abetted Danker if he was the shooter, it is first-degree murder.

In the messages, Karina and Danker professed their love for each other and Danker wrote in a message around 3:30 a.m., "Remember those casings. No ifs, ands or buts,“ about an hour before Karina called 911.

Karina replied to Danker, "Absolutely. 100 percent."

Then Danker asked her to send him something once he leaves her house so he can open it when he gets home, and she agreed.

"Okay, babe, seriously putting the phone down,” Danker wrote in the next message. “Have to get this (expletive) done."

"Go," Karina replied, just seconds later.

Ringle said Karina was telling Danker it was OK to come over. Ryan was asleep.

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Karina, testifying in her own defense on Thursday, said the affair with Danker was mostly an “online relationship” which led to sex only one time and later she was “disgusted” and became scared of losing her husband and their family. It was just a “fantasy,” she said.

Karina said after Danker shot Ryan, she became scared of Danker because he was threatening her and her children.

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Forensic evidence showed Karina didn’t have blood on her, but she controlled the scene in the home. There is no evidence to pinpoint a specific time Ryan was killed. Investigators testified the blood was already clotting or drying after they received the 911 call around 4:30 a.m.

According to forensic testimony, there were two blood pools. One was a “drip” pool from Ryan’s body when it fell to the left. The second one formed near the base of the chair after he was positioned again in the upright position, which Karina could have done, Ringle noted in his closing.

Ringle asserted that Karina had blood spatter on her face and in her hair after shooting Ryan, so she got onto Ryan’s lap and rubbed her face on the left side of Ryan’s face, where he was shot. Tama County Sheriff’s Deputy Kyle Fangman testified he arrived at the Coopers’ home to find Karina “lying on top” of her husband, covered in blood and screaming to call an ambulance.

During the trial, friends of Karina and Ryan testified Karina was verbally abusive — never physically — to Ryan, usually when she was drinking. Two of Ryan’s friends also testified Ryan knew about Karina’s extramarital affair.

Brian Morrison, Ryan’s best friend, said at times, Karina also would make threats to Ryan and tell him “I hate you, wish you were dead.” In the fall of 2020, Morrison said Karina told Ryan she would “shoot him in the face.”

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Leroy Bradley, a close friend of Ryan’s, testified Ryan told him about the affair in March 2021.

In two interviews, Danker denied having any romance with Karina, according to testimony.

Special Agent Jon Turbett with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation testified that in his second interview, Danker described his relationship with Karina as her “gay best friend.” He acknowledged there were rumors about them in Traer, but it was because she cut his hair and babysat his kids.

Danker denied he and Karina had exchanged inappropriate Snapchats.

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