Shanti Cooper found dead in Delaney Park home in April 2018

David Tronnes and Shanti Cooper-Tronnes

ORLANDO, Fla. – Jury selection is set to begin Wednesday in the murder trial of David Tronnes.

He’s accused of beating and strangling his wife, Shanti Cooper, at their Delaney Park home in April 2018.

Investigators said the couple was renovating their home and Tronnes called 911, claiming he found his wife’s body floating in the bathtub.

Prosecutors said his story did not add up, however, with the medical examiner determining Cooper died from strangulation and blunt force trauma. Tronnes was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder.

The case received national attention and aired on CBS’ 48 Hours.

In 2021, defense lawyers claimed Tronnes was not competent to stand trial following his diagnosis of schizophrenia, but that changed earlier this year when an Orange County judge ruled Tronnes was competent to move forward.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.

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About the Author:

Ezzy Castro is a multimedia journalist on News 6's morning team who has a passion for telling the stories of the people in the Central Florida community. Ezzy worked at WFOR CBS4 in South Florida and KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being from Miami, Ezzy loves Cuban coffee and croquetas!