Husband killed wife over renovation TV show clash

When David Tronnes bought a house in Orlando’s upmarket neighbourhood of Delaney Park, he became obsessed with transforming it into a dream home. The sprawling 19th-century property covered more than 4,000sq ft and had a pool, a separate flat and even a few gargoyles. Tronnes was convinced it had huge potential and he bought it for cash.

- GAIL SHORTLAND

He had moved from Minnesota to Florida after meeting girlfriend Shanti Cooper online in 2013. She had recently been divorced and had an eight-year-old son she adored. The clever businesswoman had a lucrative software business and Tronnes, who was 11 years her senior, appeared to offer the stable future she was looking for.

He had confided in Shanti that he’d inherited more than $4million. He’d just got divorced, too, so it felt like a fresh start for them both.

EXTENSIVE RENOVATIONS 

In 2015, Tronnes bought the property for just over $600,000 and started extensive renovations. Two years later he and Shanti were married and living in the house where building work was underway. 

Shanti worked from a home office while he managed the project. But while Tronnes claimed to have money, Shanti found herself paying for everything, from their wedding to the remodelling bills.

The house was held in a trust fund for Tronnes and his mother. Even after their marriage, Shanti’s name wasn’t included on the documents. Nevertheless, she put about $250,000 into the project.

Contractors were on site and demolition had started, but the scheme quickly turned into a costly failure. Tronnes had insisted on the removal of most internal walls, presumably in an attempt to create an open-plan area, but it left the building an unsafe shell, meaning the main part was too dangerous to live in. By 2018 Shanti was working and sleeping in the flat and Tronnes was living in the garage.