Noor Malhotra
One may argue that home renovation and true crime don’t necessarily go together, but an episode of ABC’s ’20/20: A Killer Renovation’ gives you the opportunity to find it out for yourself. The show discusses the murder of Shanti Cooper in her Florida home, and there is a reason that her residence seems to be at the center of the conflict. The Victorian-style 4000 square feet property required work to procure a more modern vibe, just as Shanti wanted. However, she was the only one paying for the renovations; her name was not even on the deed of the residence. Her husband, David Tronners, was the owner. A former prosecutor with the Orlando State Attorney’s Office, Ryan Vescio, stated that this house was David’s obsession. The lawyer even went so far as to say that without the house, the victim could still be alive today. So what exactly did the house look like, and what were the thoughts of the renovator that David had consulted?
Who is Keith Ori?
Before explaining Keith’s connection to the case, let’s take a look at his background. The man who now renovates houses for a living actually grew up in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, which is how he developed an appreciation for old houses. He initially wanted to become a Formula One race car driver and even pursued the same following his high school graduation before eventually realizing that was not his true, leading him to shift gears. He actually decided to study further, but first, he followed in the footsteps of his father as well as grandfather and joined the Army, becoming an intel analyst with the 2/20th Special Forces Group of the MS National Guard. This is also how he was able to afford college, and he eventually received a journalism degree in 1995.
You may, however, recognize him from the show ‘Zombie House Flipping,’ where a team of experts renovates an abandoned or old property in Orlando, Florida, for profit. David and Shanti’s house fit the profile, and the husband reached out to Keith, who lived in the same neighborhood. The house had been undergoing renovations for a while, but the builder was utterly shocked by seeing its condition— “When I got there … they had fully disassembled this house to a degree that I’d never seen before. It was rather astonishing. They took away all the interior dividing walls and basically what was left was a two-story shell.”
This house had already cost Shanti around a quarter-million dollars in just repairs. Keith hence carefully planned on working his magic on the property and starting filming for the same in May 2018 so that it could be covered in the ensuing season of the A&E show. When Keith went to get a final confirmation from the couple, he got the sense that Shanti was pissed at her husband, but the couple said that they were still on board with the project. A few days after this meeting, however, Shanti was found dead.
It later came to light Shanti was strangled to death by David in their home on April 24, 2018, following a bitter dispute concerning their renovation plans. According to prosecutors, he really wanted to appear on this show to somehow ma ke up for the exorbitant amount already spent, yet his wife was not on board. This led to some problems between them, that is, until David grew so enraged over her refusal as well as her uncovering his inheritence lies that he ended up getting physical with her to the point of no return.
Keith Ori is a Hardworking Family Man
According to reports, Keith testified against David at his murder trial and played a key role in getting him convicted by expressing Shanti seemed upset at the time of their last meeting. Coming to his current standing, this Hummelstown native still resides in Orlando, Florida, where he’s happy to be surrounded by his loving wife of over 22 years plus three kids. We should also mention that apart from serving as a house flipper and builder, the ‘Zombie House Flipping’ star is also a real estate investor. You can actually keep up with him on his social media profiles, including YouTube, where he honestly doesn’t shy away from sharing anything, whether it be related to the hard work he does to provide for his family, his shenanigans, or the quality time he spends with his loved ones.
Read More: Where is David Tronnes Now?
