Karina Cooper booking photo. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TAMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

TOLEDO – Rural Traer resident Karina Sue Cooper – who was arrested and charged last month with murder in connection with her husband’s 2021 death – has pleaded not guilty.

In a written arraignment filed in Tama County District Court on Thursday, March 14, Karina Cooper, 46, entered a plea of not guilty to the single charge of first degree murder, a Class A felony.

She was arrested on Feb. 19 following a more than two-and-a-half year investigation by both the Tama County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation into the death of her husband Ryan Cooper who was found deceased in the home they shared west of Traer in the early morning hours of June 18, 2021, following a 911 call from the residence.

According to the criminal complaint, a deputy found Ryan Cooper lying in a recliner with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the front of his face, while Karina Cooper was allegedly observed to be sitting on top of him.

As part of her arraignment, Karina Cooper demanded a speedy trial.

A case management conference in the case has been set for April 26 beginning at 11 a.m., while a jury trial is scheduled to begin on May 20 at 9 a.m.

Since her arrest, Karina Cooper has remained behind bars at the Tama County Jail on a $1,000,000 cash or surety bond.

Following a bond review hearing held last week — during which Karina Cooper appeared by video call from the county jail — Judge Lars G. Anderson left her bail conditions as previously set.

As part of the bond review hearing, Karina Cooper’s attorney, Nichole Watt with the Waterloo Public Defender’s Office, asked for a reduction in bail to $250,000, telling the judge in part, “The evidence I see is thin. There were a lot of guns at this residence, but none of the ones recovered by the state match the shell casing or the bullets. There’s a bloody shoe print nearby, and from what I’ve been able to gather, there’s no shoes in that house that match the bloody shoe print either.”

Watt also addressed the state’s concern with her client’s flight risk.

“Looking at the flight risk – my position is that there is none. She has lived in this community under a cloud of suspicion for nearly three years at this point and has never made an attempt to move away. She owned a business in town. She has a place to stay in Traer if she’s able to post the bond. She has family in the area … She was cooperative with the police in the investigation.”

During that same hearing, Assistant Attorney General Michael Ringle said it was the state’s belief that Karina Cooper was in possession of – or had been in possession of – approximately $600,000 in cash with most of the money allegedly coming from the proceeds of two life insurance policies taken out by Ryan Cooper.

“Because of [Karina Cooper’s] lack of candor,” Ringle told the judge, “this amount of money was not reported in her application for court appointed counsel, indicating that she is not being truthful. It’s the state’s belief … (that) this lack of candor does indicate a likelihood that she is not going to follow through with court orders, including appearing for court dates.”

In addition to Watt, Karina Cooper is also being represented by Attorney Aaron Hawbaker with the Waterloo Adult Public Defender’s Office.

A conviction of first degree murder in Iowa carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole or probation.

The investigation into Ryan Cooper’s death is currently ongoing. Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact the Tama County Sheriff’s Office at 641-484-4111 or the Iowa Dept. of Criminal Investigation at 515-725-6010, or email dciinfo@dps.state.ia.us.