Tama County, Iowa — A Tama County woman convicted in the 2021 shooting death of her husband has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, officials announced Friday.
Karina Cooper, 46, was found guilty of first-degree murder last month for killing her husband, Ryan Cooper, inside their Traer home in June 2021.
In a statement, Tama County Sheriff Casey Schmidt acknowledged the emotional toll the case has taken on both families, writing, “To the Cooper family, I know no sentence can fill the hole Ryan’s loss has left, but I hope today gives you some peace after such a long road. To Karina’s family, I also recognize this is a painful day. A tragedy like this leaves scars on every side.”
Court records show that Huston Danker, who was allegedly having an affair with Karina, was also charged with first-degree murder. Prosecutors said the two conspired to kill Ryan Cooper and carried out the shooting “willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation.”
Danker pleaded guilty on August 13 and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3.
According to a criminal complaint, first responders found Ryan Cooper in a recliner chair with two gunshot wounds to the face. Karina Cooper was reportedly sitting on top of him when authorities arrived. Investigators recovered a single shell casing at the scene but did not locate a firearm nearby.
The Tama County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation, which resulted in the arrests and convictions of both suspects.
