Ryan Roy Cooper was a 42-year-old farmer, truck driver and cattle producer from Traer, Iowa, remembered as a devoted husband, father of four and an active member of his family’s farm. In the early morning hours of June 18, 2021, the Tama County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at 4:35 a.m. reporting a shooting at a rural residence seven miles southwest of Traer. Deputies found Cooper deceased in a recliner with his wife, Karina Sue Cooper, sitting on top of him. An autopsy by the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by two gunshot wounds to the face.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Tama County Sheriff’s Office continued the investigation for nearly three years while the family formed the Ryan Cooper Family Foundation in 2022 and Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers offered a reward of up to $17,000. A major development came in February 2024 with the arrest of Karina Sue Cooper on a first-degree murder charge, and a second arrest followed in April 2024. The family’s sister, Michelle Wilson, has spoken about their pain and determination to pursue justice.

If anyone has information about Ryan Cooper’s death or the events of June 18, 2021, please come forward.