Up to date Dec. 12, 2025, 1:02 p.m. CT
Nationwide information retailers are following the story of affair companions turned murderers. NBC’s longest-running prime-time program, “Dateline,” is spotlighting the homicide of Iowan Ryan Cooper on Friday, Dec. 12 with an episode titled “The Farmer’s Spouse.”
In 2021, Ryan Cooper was fatally shot twice in his face whereas sleeping in his chair. Karina Cooper and Huston Danker had been charged with first-degree homicide and sentenced to life in jail in 2025.
Karina Cooper was Ryan Cooper’s spouse. Snapchat conversations present she had a romantic and sexual relationship with Danker, the place they fantasized about getting married and wanting Ryan Cooper out of the image, in accordance with trial testimony. They made plans to use a life insurance coverage payout to start out a brand new life collectively.
This is what else to know in regards to the case.
Who’s Ryan Cooper?
42-year-old Ryan Cooper was killed in his Traer, Iowa residence in June 2021. His obituary acknowledged he was “well-known for being a tough working farmer, truck driver and cattle producer. He was proud to be persevering with the Cooper farming legacy.”
On June 18, 2021, Karina Cooper and Danker exchanged messages professing their love for one another earlier than taking pictures Ryan Cooper. Whereas it isn’t clear who ended up pulling the set off, Assistant Iowa Lawyer Common Mike Ringle mentioned throughout a trial that it finally does not matter — each dedicated first-degree homicide.
In earlier texts, Karina Cooper repeatedly mentioned she needed her husband useless.
An hour earlier than Karina Cooper known as 911 to report the taking pictures, Danker advised her, “Keep in mind these casings. No ifs, ands or buts.“
She replied to Danker, “Completely. one hundred pc.”
What occurred throughout Karina Cooper’s and Huston Danker’s trials?
At first, Karina Cooper and Danker denied having a romantic affair, earlier than they finally confessed.
Danker pleaded responsible to his expenses, and Karina Cooper was discovered responsible by a jury. Ryan Cooper’s property is in search of to freeze the $515,000 life-insurance payout after their convictions.
In a sufferer influence assertion, Ryan Cooper’s sister-in-law, Heather Cooper, spoke about the concern her household felt within the early days of the investigation, not understanding why precisely he was killed.
“Why did she [Karina] put him via that? Was it her final stab? Had been we that horrible to her?” Cooper mentioned throughout the assertion. “Listening to leads handed round, however nothing made sense. Huston [Danker]? What was this about? She by no means defined. She selected to allow us to stay within the unknown.”
When will the ‘Dateline’ episode about Ryan Cooper’s homicide air?
“The Farmer’s Spouse” will air on NBC on Friday, Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. CT.
The episode was reported by Andrea Canning and options interviews with Ryan Cooper’s brother, Aaron Cooper, and sister, Michelle Wilson, in accordance with a information launch from NBC. It additionally consists of Detective Trevor Killian and Sheriff Casey Schmidt, together with pals of the Coopers.
Elements of the episode had been filmed on the River Middle in downtown Des Moines, mentioned Michael LaValle, proprietor of LaValle Hospitality Group.
(This text was up to date so as to add new info.)
Lucia Cheng is a service and trending reporter on the Des Moines Register. Contact her at lcheng@gannett.com or 515-284-8132.
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