Shivangi Sinha
In June 2021, Karina Cooper called 911, sounding extremely distressed and anxious and told the operator that her husband had been shot. When police officers reached the scene, they discovered his remains in a recliner while Karina was sitting on top of him. Although authorities had numerous questions, they initially lacked strong leads. However, after years of investigation, the evidence gradually began to point toward Karina herself and an accomplice. NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Farmer’s Wife’ covers the case in detail and explains how she was ultimately convicted.
Karina Cooper Claimed That She Was Sleeping When Her Husband Was Shot
Karina Alpers grew up in Iowa and built a career as a hairdresser, working at Studio Image Hair Salon in LaPorte City, where she was content with the direction her life had taken. Around 2006, she met Ryan Cooper, the owner of Cooper Farms, and the two quickly fell in love. Ryan had previously been married and had a son, but Karina took to him warmly. The couple married in 2009 and made their home in Traer, Iowa. It was a small town, but it suited their family perfectly as they raised their three children there, Cayd A.H. Junior, Cable Ryan, and Cortlyn Evan. Both Karina and Ryan were devoted and attentive parents who doted on their children.
Karina continued working and even opened a barbershop in an outbuilding on their property, running it from home. The family lived a typical, quiet life until June 18, 2021, when Karina called 911 around 4:30 am, crying and wailing in distress. She reported that her husband, Ryan, had been shot and claimed she didn’t know what had happened. When officers arrived, they found Ryan’s brother, Aaron Cooper, already at the house because Karina had phoned him before calling the police. As a firefighter, Aaron immediately told authorities that Ryan would never have harmed himself. Police then took Karina in for questioning and began asking her about the incident.
She claimed that she had been asleep when she suddenly heard a loud noise. She said that since the bathroom rack had fallen a few days earlier, she assumed it had happened again and went to check, but found everything still in place. She said she then walked through the living room and noticed Ryan sleeping in his recliner, which was normal for him, so she didn’t think anything of it. According to her, she went into the kitchen, turned on the light, and when she looked back toward the living room, she saw that Ryan had been shot in the face. She stated that she called Aaron first because she didn’t know what to do, and afterward, she contacted the police.
Karina Cooper’s Deleted Snapchat Messages Revealed Her Involvement in the Killing
A single .22-caliber rifle shell casing was found near the scene. Police looked into whether Ryan Cooper had any disputes or conflicts that could provide leads, but their inquiries turned up very little. During this period, Karina received roughly $515,000 in insurance payouts following Ryan’s death. She quickly cashed the checks and used the money to pay off her debts, purchase an expensive embroidery machine, and launch an embroidery business. She also rented a new barbershop space in Traer and invested in a day spa venture with a friend, sharing the costs of the expansion.
As police continued asking questions and gathering information about Karina, they uncovered details that raised concerns. Many family members alleged that when she drank, she often became aggressive, spoke harshly to Ryan, and had even threatened to shoot him in the face or harm him in other ways. Investigators also heard rumors about an alleged affair between Karina and a 24-year-old man named Huston Danker, who had been one of her customers when she ran her barbershop from home. Karina insisted they were only friends and that there was nothing romantic between them, but Aaron Cooper reported seeing flirtatious Snapchat messages exchanged between the two.
Police discovered that Karina had deleted her Snapchat account just a few days after the crime. Investigators were still able to recover the app’s content, and although Karina believed certain messages had been “deleted,” they remained accessible. The recovered conversations showed ongoing flirtatious exchanges with Huston, revealing a long-standing romantic and sexual relationship, along with discussions about building a future together. Shockingly, the messages also contained detailed conversations about the murder plan, including Karina suggesting that he should pick up the shell casings and a final “go” message sent around the time the killing is believed to have occurred.
Karina Cooper is in an Iowa Prison Today
On February 19, 2024, Karina Cooper was arrested in Traer, Iowa, and charged with first-degree murder. Huston Danker was taken into custody on the same charges. Karina pleaded not guilty, and her trial began in July 2025. She was ultimately convicted of the charges against her and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Now 48 years old, she is incarcerated at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville, Iowa, where she is expected to spend the remainder of her life.
