In the early morning hours of June 18, 2021, a 911 call shattered the quiet of rural Traer, Iowa. Responding deputies arrived at a residence seven miles southwest of the small town to a grim scene. Inside, they found 42-year-old Ryan Roy Cooper, a White / Caucasian male, deceased in a recliner from gunshot wounds to his face. His wife, Karina Sue Cooper, was found sitting on top of him. The Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner later confirmed that Cooper's death was a homicide caused by a gunshot wound.
For nearly three years, the investigation into the violent death of the local farmer and father of four continued, with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Tama County Sheriff's Office leading the efforts. The community was left seeking answers, while his family grappled with the unsolved nature of his death. In honor of his memory and to support others facing hardship, the Ryan Cooper Family Foundation was established in 2022. A significant reward was offered by Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers for information that could bring closure to the case.
A major breakthrough in the investigation came on February 19, 2024, when Karina Sue Cooper, then 46, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with her husband's death. Investigators revealed that she had allegedly made statements to witnesses indicating a desire for her husband to be dead and had mentioned the possibility of shooting him in the face. The case took another turn on April 29, 2024, with the arrest of a second suspect. Huston William Danker, a 27-year-old from Shellsburg, Iowa, was taken into custody and also charged with first-degree murder. According to a criminal complaint, Danker confessed to investigators that he had planned and assisted Karina Cooper in the shooting of her husband.
