Ryan Cooper case on Dateline - A detailed case overview

In 2021, the peaceful town of Traer was shaken by the murder of 42-year-old Iowa farmer Ryan Cooper. In a compelling episode, Dateline now revisits the case, following the investigation from the startling discovery of Cooper's body to the dramatic arrests and convictions that transpired years later. The program reveals how a seemingly typical family life turned into a horrific crime by piecing together interviews, digital data, and courtroom testimony.

Dateline: Shocking Findings at the Cooper residence

Authorities arrived at the Cooper residence on June 18, 2021, in response to a 911 call. Ryan was found lifeless on the floor in the living room. His cause of death was two gunshot wounds to his face. At the time of the shooting, his wife, Karina Cooper, was found on top of him, and their three kids were inside. At the scene, a .22-calibre shell casing was found, but most importantly, the murder weapon was absent.

Initially, there were more questions than answers for investigators. No evidence of forcible entry could be found - not a weapon either. Witnesses too were absent. However, the absence of tangible proof only made the subsequent events more illuminating.

Dateline: Investigation that revealed a huge secret

Detectives from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Tama County Sheriff's Office followed a difficult trail for more than 2.5 years, eventually revealing hundreds of digital messages between Karina and a younger man named Huston William Danker, an affair, and a financial motive.

Investigators thought they had enough proof by February 2024 to make a first-degree murder arrest for Karina. Danker was detained and accused of being a co-conspirator a few weeks later, in April. For Karina to get the $515,000 life insurance payout for which she was the only beneficiary, prosecutors claimed that the two had a love relationship and intended to kill Ryan.

Dateline: The legal proceedings 

What helped the Prosecutors were some text messages, Snapchat conversations, and witness statements during the trial to show that Karina and Danker were involved in a conspiracy. "Remember those casings" was one of the messages displayed in court.

Karina called the affair a "fantasy" and denied any involvement. The jury didn't believe her.

Finally, on July 11, 2025, Karina Cooper was found guilty of first-degree murder and is currently serving a mandatory life sentence. Later, Danker entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to life in jail.

Dateline: Is the case still relevant?

Ryan's family is battling to recover the insurance payout under Iowa's slayer law, notwithstanding the convictions. Dateline goes over every detail, showing how a rural tragedy turned into one of Iowa's most terrifying contemporary cases.