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An Iowa Man Was Found Dead in His Chair Almost 3 Years Ago. Now, Police Say His Wife Shot Him in the Face.

Iowa Woman Accused of Fatally Shooting Husband 3 Years After His Death
Source: Tama County Sheriff's Office; Unsplash

Karina Cooper charged with her husband's murder 3 years after his death, police said.

Feb. 24 2024, Published 2:02 p.m. ET

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A man in Iowa was found dead in a chair in 2021, and now law enforcement officials say his wife has been arrested nearly three years later and charged with his murder.

Around 4:30 a.m. on June 18, 2021, deputies received a call from a home in Traer regarding a person shot, according to the Tama County Sheriff’s Office.

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At the residence, Ryan Cooper was found lying in a recliner chair with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials said the victim’s wife, 47-year-old Karina Cooper, was sitting on top of her husband when they arrived, and they removed her and her three children from the home.

According to the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner, the victim’s cause of death was determined to be two gunshot wounds to the face, and his death was ruled a homicide.

Police said they recovered a .22 shell casing at the scene, but they did not locate a firearm.

Investigators said they spoke with witnesses, who said Karina Cooper allegedly told them she “wanted Ryan Cooper dead and could shoot him in the face.”

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On Feb. 19, after almost three years of investigating, officials arrested Karina Cooper at her home and charged her with first-degree murder.

She was booked into the Tama County Jail and is being held on a $1 million bond.

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