The case of Karina Cooper continues to unravel — and now, her late husband’s family is fighting to get back more than half a million dollars she collected from his life-insurance policy.
Karina, 39, was convicted last month of murdering her husband, Ryan Cooper, 42, who was found shot twice in the face inside their home in Traer, Iowa, on June 18, 2021. While police were still investigating Ryan’s death, Karina quietly cashed out $514,882.21 from his life-insurance policy, according to multiple reports.
Nearly three years later, Karina was arrested in February 2024. On July 11, 2025, a Linn County jury found her guilty of first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence in Iowa. Her lover, Huston Danker, also pleaded guilty to first-degree murder earlier this month and will be sentenced on October 3. Karina’s sentencing is set for September 19.
Now, Ryan’s siblings — Aaron Cooper and Michelle Wilson, who manage his estate — are asking a judge to freeze any remaining funds and claw back the payout. In a new filing, they’ve requested a temporary injunction to preserve and recover the money. They’ve also identified several custodians, including Karina, her attorney Chris Wilson, investment broker Jay Devries, and Chelsea Savings Bank, so that any remaining funds can be locked until the court decides who should rightfully receive them.
Iowa’s “slayer statute” prevents anyone who intentionally causes another person’s death from benefiting financially from it, including collecting life-insurance proceeds.
During Karina’s trial, prosecutors presented damning digital evidence. Investigators pointed to Snapchat messages exchanged between Karina and Danker, including one chilling reminder — “remember those casings” — sent just before the 911 call. Phone records, location data, and bloodstain analysis revealed Ryan was shot while reclining, and jurors were shown texts where Karina expressed hatred toward her husband, writing, “I f—ing hate him” and “I’m wishing for a rogue semi accident, no survivors.”
A hearing on the estate’s motion to freeze and recover the funds is scheduled for September 12 at the Tama County Courthouse.
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Author: thedailycrime1
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