Dateline: The Farmer's Wife - Who was convicted in the Ryan Cooper murder case? Details revealed 

Dateline on NBC brought forth the harrowing homicide case of Ryan Cooper, who was found murdered at his home in Iowa in 2021. Ryan’s wife, Karina, initially stated that she was sleeping when her husband was shot. She was later convicted of first-degree murder in July 2025 and sentenced to life in prison, along with Huston Danker, with whom she was having an affair.

The Dateline episode titled The Farmer’s Wife uncovers several disturbing details from the case, including the damning evidence against Karina, which finally got her convicted along with Huston. They had allegedly plotted to murder Ryan and conceal the evidence as well. The Dateline episode is reported by Andrea Canning, with interviews from Ryan Cooper’s family members and the investigators on the case.

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Unveiling the upsetting details behind Ryan Cooper’s murder investigation in Dateline episode ‘The Farmer's Wife’

Ryan Cooper, 42, was a farmer who lived with his wife Karina and their three children in Traer, Iowa. On June 18, 2021, Ryan was fatally shot twice while he was sleeping in his chair at his home.

Karina stated that someone had broken into their house, and she later found her husband shot in the face. As per the Dateline episode, there were no signs of intruders or forced entry. Ryan’s brother, Aaron, shared that Karina was hysterical and couldn’t control her emotions when she called him about the alleged break-in. When the police arrived on the scene, she was holding Ryan’s bloodied body and was incoherent in her statement.

As the investigation went on, authorities uncovered numerous conversations on Snapchat between Karina and Huston Danker, with whom she was having a romantic relationship.

According to the Dateline episode, their exchanges on the social media app became a key part of the investigation. Their discussions allegedly involved killing Ryan as well as using the life insurance money to begin a new married life together. In the messages, Karina would showcase her intense hatred toward Ryan. Investigators also discovered the murder weapon owned by Huston, which he had given to an acquaintance. They were charged with the murder of Ryan Cooper in February 2024.

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Dateline: The Farmer's Wife - Karina Cooper and Huston Danker are convicted in the Ryan Cooper murder case

As per Deadline, Karina and Huston met at a salon where she would cut his hair. They struck a chord, and their secret affair began. However, their relationship took a dangerous turn when they allegedly started plotting against Ryan to obtain money, as his assets were intertwined with the family business. Ryan had a $500,000 life insurance policy, which Karina would receive upon his death.

According to prosecutors, the Snapchat messages showed that just before Ryan was shot, Karina and Huston had shared intimate messages, with her reiterating that she wanted her husband to die. They continued to message even after the murder. As per The Gazette, the messages also revealed that just before Karina called 911 to report her husband’s death, Huston had messaged her,

"Remember those casings. No ifs, ands or buts.”

To which Karina responded,

"Absolutely. 100 percent."

As revealed on Dateline, Huston’s phone data also disclosed that he had driven back and forth from Ryan Cooper’s house on the day of the murder. Per CBS2Iowa, Assistant Attorney General Israel Kodiaga told the jury,

"The evidence, you will see it, will show that Karina Cooper was not just an unfaithful wife. The evidence will show you that she was not just dishonest, but that she is a co-conspirator. You'll see that she is a planner. The evidence will show that she is a murderer."

During the murder trial, Karina and Huston initially denied their affair, according to Dateline. However, after the overwhelming message exchanges between them were revealed, they could no longer hide it. The defense also placed responsibility on Huston for the murder, stating that he manipulated Karina.

Karina and Huston were convicted of first-degree murder in July 2025. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Ryan Cooper’s sister-in-law, Heather, shared her disbelief in a statement. As per The Des Moines Register, she said,

“Why did she (Karina) put him through that? Was it her last stab? Were we that terrible to her? …Hearing leads passed around, but nothing made sense. Huston? What was this about? She never explained. She chose to let us live in the unknown.”

According to Dateline, Ryan Cooper’s family requested the judge to freeze the life insurance payout that Karina had received and have it returned to the estate.

Watch Dateline on NBC.

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