Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Husband 'fake cries' in 911 call, but he's now charged with wife's murder

Episode Date: October 24, 2018

When a Florida man called 911 saying he found his wife dead in a bathtub he was crying hysterically -- but were his screams fake? Nancy Grace digs into the murder case against David Tronnes, a wealthy businessman who is charged with killing his wife, Shanti Cooper-Tronnes, in their upscale Orlando home. Nancy's experts include South Carolina medical examiner Dr. Michelle DuPre, Atlanta prosecutor Kenya Johnson, Atlanta criminal defense lawyer Eric Johnson,  New York psychologist Caryn Stark, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan, and Crime Stories reporter Robyn Walensky. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. When they found her, she was semi-conscious in the shower, the waterfront. Yes, I don't know, but her head was split open. It wasn't just one of those knock you down or shoot you or whatever. They beat the hell out of her. And she was a good girl, really good girl i'll get answers the way that you people are working the way that the teresa's working yes we'll get answers and we'll find your truth and we'll find whatever has to be done you know the lord and the department

police department justice is going to be done how did a beautiful young mom slip in the shower found dead all of a sudden you know why do i keep hearing of women it's always a woman who quote slips in the shower and is dead i'm nancy grace this is crime stories thank you for being with us with me kenya johnson atlanta prosecutor karen stark renowned new york psychologist joseph scott This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us. With me, Kenya Johnson, Atlanta prosecutor. Karen Stark, renowned New York psychologist. Joseph Scott Morgan, forensics expert, professor of forensics at Jacksonville State University and author of Blood Beneath My Feet. Dr. Michelle Dupree, medical examiner, joining us out of the South Carolina jurisdiction and author of Field Guide to Homicide Investigations.

With me, veteran defense attorney out of Atlanta, Eric Johnson, and CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter, Robin Walensky, author of Beautiful Life, CSI Behind the Casey Anthony Trial. Let's start with Robin Walensky. What do we know about yet another woman who slips and falls and dies in the shower? And I'm saying that with air quotas, Robin. Well, the wife, Shanti, is 39 years old. She'd only been married to this guy for a year, and they met on Match.com.

And she had this very successful consulting business and apparently was paying for lots of stuff from the money that she earned. Now, what can you tell me about the baby? She had a little boy. Where is he from a previous relationship or is he from that marriage? The eight-year-old boy is from a previous relationship, had nothing to do with her current husband. Dr. Michelle Dupree joining us. Dr. Dupree, when someone falls, slips and falls in the shower, what would you expect the autopsy to show? Nancy, I would expect several things. One, I would expect that they tried to brace themselves some way when they fell. I would also expect that person to be wet and there would be splash marks or something around the bathroom where the body was found. And I would expect injuries that were consistent with somebody having fallen.

And when you say injuries consistent with someone having fallen, what would that be? It would be things like mostly our extremities would be injured, perhaps a head injury. But even in a head injury, we would look for a fracture or something that, again, is consistent with falling, not with blunt force trauma. So no depressed fractures, for example. Interesting. Interesting. To Joseph Scott Morgan, professor of forensics and death investigator, what do you think? Having looked at the autopsy, having looked at what happened to Shanti Tronis, what do you see in her autopsy report? Yeah, Nancy, as Dr. Dupree was mentioning, there are certain things that you want to look for at the scene consistent with a single strike, essentially, as if you're falling.

Keep in mind, showers many times, not all the time, but many times have very smooth surfaces. And you have to find those areas that would be consistent with, I don't know, some kind of asphyxial death, like a strangulation, or something using a ligature. So I would look for that single thing. If somebody is putting forth this story that she fell in the shower, you're not going to have, like, multiple head strikes, and you're not going to have injuries to the shower. You're not going to have like multiple head strikes and you're not going to have injuries to the neck. Well, when we say ligature strangulation, that opens up a whole Pandora's box of evidence. You know what I keep thinking about too? Karen Stark, New York psychologist joining us today. The former police officer, Drew Peterson, who of course, most recent wife, Stacey Peterson, went missing. Her body has never been found, but it was just a couple of weeks after her going missing

that he was trying to give away her lingerie and fur coats to other women. So I don't think he expected her to walk in the front door. But the other wife, he had, I think, four wives in all. But remember Kathleen Savio was found dead from a fall in a bathtub and apparently drowned in a bone dry bathtub. Isn't that odd, Karen Stark? And how similar to this story, Nancy. I was thinking of the same thing because she, this person that fell in the shower supposedly, was also found dry. And so was the husband who was told, allegedly, that he had pulled her out of the shower. So this person who was taking the shower, who should have been soaking wet, whose clothes should have been soaking wet, any towels around her, anything associated with her, she was dry, the shower was dry, and he was dry. You know, there's just so many women that have

died in the shower. I assume you guys all remember the case of Dr. Martin McNeil. Do you remember that? He married this beautiful model and had children with her. Absolutely gorgeous. Michelle McNeil was also found dead in the bathtub. It's quite the phenomenon, Robin Walensky. I mean, off the top of my head, I'm naming one after the next, and there's so many more I could just name right now. All these women dead in the bathtub. What's with that? It's this insane excuse. I have to tell you, Nancy, that I was actually there in Illinois at the cemetery the day that they dug up Kathleen Savio's body for the second examination with Dr. Bodden, I believe, if memory serves correct. And it was a crazy case in Illinois, and this is a crazy case in Orlando. But, you know, it kind of makes you wonder, was this guy looking at that case with Drew Peterson? Is this where he

got the idea, or is it just something he came up with in the middle of the night at three o'clock in the morning? Nancy, one of the things I'm thinking about relative to the connection between showers and these kinds of deaths like this is that I think that a lot of these perpetrators, much like Jody Arias did with Travis Alexander, is this idea of maybe containing evidence or washing evidence away. And as we certainly know, this doesn't always happen, does it? There's always some kind of trace that's left behind of what they've facilitated. You know, apparently what we're looking at now, the injuries to her body, and I'm talking about Shanti Tronis killed in the upscale Delaney Park area. She died from head trauma and strangulation. That is no fall. So Eric Johnson, Atlanta defense attorney, cops are going to be looking for somebody. This is no fall. You don't

get ligature marks or manual strangulation indicia from falling in the bathtub, Eric Johnson. Well, that is true. I mean, that is something that he's going to have to explain. And if, as his defense attorney, I would be trying to figure out what would be his explanation for any marks around her neck. Now, while they may say that there are some form of literature strangulation, is it going to be manual? Is it going to be with some type of item? Therefore, the police are going to have to try to identify that item. And if they're not able to do so, then that possibly could create some doubt as it relates to that particular cause

of death. But I mean, depending on what his story is at the particular time he's done it, and from what I've seen, he has not performed well under investigation by the officers. That might be something that is going to lead a lot of, take away credibility from his story. To Kenya Johnson, Atlanta prosecutor, let me ask you this, Kenya. When you first hear of a lot of take away credibility from his story. To Kenya Johnson, Atlanta prosecutor, let me ask you this, Kenya. When you first hear of a case of a woman dead in the tub and you see trauma to the head, what would make someone order an autopsy? Well, anytime there has been some sort of manipulation

or even the doubt that natural causes may not have been the cause of death, then you want to get an autopsy to find out exactly what happened. And that autopsy and the testimony of the medical examiner will be key evidence in any trial or prosecution going forward. So that's the first step in developing the cause of death and ultimately the theory and then on down the cause of death and ultimately the theory. And then on down the line, the motive and meaning. You know, what's so amazing in this case is when Shanti Tronis was found, you know, she's naked, she's dead in the bathtub, splash a little water around,

you see injury to the head. What's really amazing is that anyone even thought to do an autopsy to start with. We are talking about the death of a beautiful young mom just one year into really a fairy tale relationship. Guys, I want to pause and ask you a question. Do you know what to do if your child goes missing? What would your reaction be? What's the first thing you do? What's the second? What's the third? Did you know over 450,000 missing child reports are made every single year? One in seven, quote, runaways we now believe are victims of child sex trafficking. One in seven, almost 40% of attempted kidnaps happen while a child is walking to or from school. Do you know what to do if the unthinkable happens? I want you to learn from people who have dedicated their lives to protecting children. Investigators, survivors, crime victims all join together in an incredible

Justice Nation Crime Stops Here. It's a brand new online video series, five full episodes of people from all over the country joining together to give you action information to protect your family. Go to crimestopshere.com. Repeat, crimestopshere.com. Use promo code NANCY to get 15% off. Crimestopshere.com. I'll see you in class. I don't think we need to exaggerate any of the points that I've made clearly or say they're discrepancies. And had you walked in and told the truth several hours ago,

we'd be done by now. We haven't heard it, okay? So forgive us for grasping at straws and maybe trying to choose. I do. I do. And maybe trying to choose things that mean nothing. And I think we're kind of grasping at straws because we're not hearing it, Dave. I mean, you can walk in and this can take 15 minutes and you just got to say, I screwed up, I made a mistake,

and this is what happened. But we have not heard that from you in a very long time. And that's why we keep going over it and over your past statements and over everything you've told us, because there's slivered truth in the lie you've said tonight, slivered truth in all of it. So maybe we're hitting on that making it a big deal and

it's not a big deal but we're missing something maybe it was extremely stressful to walk in and see your wife in that condition and if i miscalculated marginally the amount of water that was there she was certainly wet she was certainly i don't know why you have been shocked um seeing that when you knew she was deceased before you left she didn't she didn't stick her foot in the shower and slip that didn't happen but she did she would have felt backwards and you didn't find her at three o'clock? It didn't happen. I don't know that. You don't know that?

Common sense would tell you if you pull a woman soaking wet out of the tub at 3 o'clock and call the police within six minutes, then everything will be soaking wet when the police arrive within three minutes of that. Yeah. That's common sense. So how did everything dry out? That's our question because she wasn't pulled out at three o'clock. It didn't happen. What we know is that the husband, David Tronis, calls 911 and says he came home and found his wife Shanti unresponsive and not breathing in a wet bathtub. It was then determined, from what I can tell in the interrogation, that he had found her and left and then called 911. Joseph Scott Morgan, that certainly puts a different light on his 911 call.

Yeah, it does. And the fact that, you know, when when the police showed up, they she's the interviewer is actually referring to the it was dry. It was dry. And so it doesn't it doesn't marry up. And then did you hear did you hear his surprise in his voice? He actually threw a question back at them. Well, how did that happen? And she says, that's what we're trying to get to uh you know oh what a tangled web we weave huh take a listen following up on exactly what joseph scott morgan just pointed out about the water listen to the husband as he tries to explain it

this bs about three o'clock in tubs and it's crap it's crap you know it's crap. It's crap. You know it's crap. It's a crappy story. Sorry, it's fine. I appreciate the things that you've said and the genuine consideration and thought that is behind it. I don't know what else to say right now.

The truth. I feel like everything that I have said, and I know you don't want to hear this, you told me you don't want to hear it. The things that you call discrepancies still, still ring true and are, if not perfectly accurate, directionally correct. If not perfectly accurate, directionally correct? What? You're talking about things like evaporation, right?

And how wet something was. If I miscalculated how wet. Directionally correct? I don't know if I know what that means. It just doesn't mean anything in this context. Okay. There only seems to be one thing, and I don't have that for you. I don't have the information available for you. You don't have the truth?

Detective Teresa Sprey continues to question the husband, David Tronas, straight out to Eric Johnson, Atlanta defense attorney. He sure sounds calm, cool, and collected to have just found his wife beaten to a bloody pulp in the bathtub. Well, I mean, his state of mind is something, and his condition during the interrogation is definitely something the officers are going to look at. I mean, however, how shocked and how tragic situations affect people, you know, can be different from person to person.

So just because he was not animated as one might think in the circumstance, you know, as a defense attorney, I would say that he was in a form of state of shock based on seeing such a tragic experience. And that was why he was not really able to process what was going on at the present time. So therefore, any statements that he may have made to the police need to be taken into that light and consideration. A state of shock. That's interesting. A state of shock, because I would think to Kenya Johnson, Atlanta prosecutor, that in a state of shock, you wouldn't be able to talk about your miscalculations and your directionally correct calculations and quote, miscalculating evaporation and directional details. He doesn't sound like

he's in shock to me. Sounds like he's trying to come up with a story. Shock, schmuck. It just seems as if he's being very calculated in what it can be possibly some sort of mitigating or alibi. Or he's just trying to involve, minimize his involvement and come up with an explanation very early on. You know, when this case comes to a jury, it is nothing like seeing the defendant speak for himself. So unless the judge finds that the interrogation video was coercive, it's likely going to be admitted. And when the jury can actually see his crocodile tears, hear his slow calculating speech, they can then look at his credibility. And pretty much it's almost even better than if he took the stand to deny it because they see how he responded close in time to the incident and that's usually when all the deception is at its height. Dr. Michelle Dupree, renowned pathologist out of

South Carolina and author of Field Guide to Homicide Investigation, she literally wrote the book. Dr. Dupree, how do you tell between a ligature and a manual strangulation on a victim's throat by just looking at it? There's usually going to be bruises and the bruises of a ligature strangulation are going to be thin or they could be actually wide depending on what that ligature was. It'll be a pattern injury. If it's manual strangulation, there may or may not be bruises on the surface of the neck. If so, there'll be thumbprint images. The key thing is actually when you do a dissection of the neck and find the internal hemorrhaging.

Well, Detective Teresa Sprague is not giving up. Listen. I know you think you thought of everything, but you didn't. I don't think I thought of everything. I've told you over and over, I don't know. You do know. You have to stop saying you don't know, because you't know. You do know. You have to stop saying you don't know because you do know. You do.

You do know. You know exactly what happened because it was only you and her there. There was nobody else there. Do you know another parent or a soon-to-be parent and expecting mom or dad? Please don't give them another onesie or another toy that you know is going to end up in the garage or at the Goodwill. Give them something that matters. And what matters the most? Protecting your child.

What do you love the most in the world? Your children. I do. And I will do anything to protect my twins. Go to crimestopshere.com. It is a five-part series with action information that you can use to change your life and protect your child's life. Payment starting at $6.99. Give that as a gift, not another onesie or a plastic toy. Give them something that matters.

Find out how to protect your child out and about at the mall, at the store, at the grocery store, in the parking lot, at home. Find out about protection regarding babysitters and daycare, even online cyber security. Oh yes, my children are online and you better bet I'm doing everything within my power to protect them. Payment starting $6.99. I would much rather have that than yet another plastic baby doll or, God forbid, a toy gun. Just what I don't want. Join the Justice Nation. Crimestopshere.com A beautiful young mom found dead, apparently slipped and fell in the tub.

You know, I'm going to knock on wood because so far I have never once slipped and fallen in the tub. Not even once. As a matter of fact, I don't think my never once slipped and fallen in the tub. Not even once. As a matter of fact, I don't think my 87-year-old mother has either. But this young woman, Shanti, slipped and died in the family bathtub. The husband finds her. Now, we are digging into their relationship, because all you guys listening, just go ahead and brace yourself. You're the first suspect. Sorry, but that's just statistically true.

Am I wrong, Joseph Scott Morgan? No, you're the first suspect. Sorry, but that's just statistically true. Am I wrong, Joseph Scott Morgan? No, you're absolutely right, Nancy. If, listen, more homicides, more homicides, contrary to what people think, more homicides occur between intimates. Those people, you're at bigger risk with the person that you're laying in bed next to than some stranger coming out of a dark alley and killing you. You know, that gives me something to think about tonight when I fall asleep, Joe Scott. Thanks. My point is, brace yourself, guys. If a girlfriend, a wife, a fiance, an ex even pops up dead, cops are looking at you.

So naturally, we are digging into their past. You know what? You know what I hate? I hate a guy that pretends he's rich and then won't pay for anything. This guy put on like a millionaire, but guess what? They go to the grocery store and he wouldn't pay for the groceries. Listen to this. Questions surrounded their relationship. Have you ever had any reason that their marriage was on the rocks or was having trouble? Honestly, in my mind, I believe there was something wrong.

To friends and family, Shanti Cooper-Tranes and her husband, David, appeared to have a kind of distance between them. I've never seen them affectionate. I've never seen them touch. Shanti was viewed as the breadwinner. I just felt like he needed her more than she needed him. She've never seen them touch. Shanti was viewed as the breadwinner. I just felt like he needed her more than she needed him. She had a successful consulting business. I didn't think that

Dave worked. The husband of Shanti's late mother told police there was a sign in November of 2016 that David was focused on money the day Shanti's mom had a heart attack. The first words that I recall that Shanti asked me would date by her side was what about mom's life insurance. Ouch. What we are learning now is that this guy

who pretended to be a millionaire when they met on match.com and throughout the relationship, the courting relationship that is, turned out to be a miser. He pretended to be a millionaire, but he refused to pay for anything. With me, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter and author of an awesome book, Beautiful Life, CSI Behind the Casey Anthony Trial, Robin Walensky. Tell me about this guy, Robin. He's a gold digger, in a word. He's a gold digger in a word. He's a gold digger. He had the facade that, oh, I inherited $4 to $6 million from my dad, and I'm this, and I'm in sales, and I'm in that. Meanwhile, the neighbors say that he's at home while they're renovating the house.

He's like a stay-at-home dad doing nothing. She's out working in the consulting business. They go to the grocery store. He won't even pay for, you know, 20 bucks, 40 bucks, 100 bucks in groceries. He won't take her out. He had a problem paying for meals and he had a problem paying for a portion of the rent on one of their apartments before they moved to this house. I mean, really now. So his whole life is a fraud. I don't think he had a dime. You know, wealth or lack thereof was a key theme in all the interviews that happened after Shanti was found dead in the bathtub. Now, I notice in this case, police really slammed David Tronis for, quote, fake crying.

Fake crying after his wife was found. Let's take another listen to that 911 call. I believe we hear a little fake crying going on here. Listen. Your name is Dan? David. Okay, your name is David. Okay, who is it that's not breathing?

There's no crying without tears. The evidence and her body speak for itself. And your story is BS. So you better figure it out before it goes too far. Because I'm telling you right now,

nobody is going to believe that. Nobody. If you maintain that, you're going to look like a fool. Did you just hear Detective Sprague? I mean, she's so no-nonsense. I love this woman. And she says to him, quote, You fake cried for about seven or eight hours today,

but not one tear came out of your eyes, not one. You have fake cried over this woman's death since we made contact with you. There is not a lick of remorse for what you did to this woman. So, you know, Eric Johnson, you're the defense lawyer. What do you do with a client that tries to cry in front of a jury but no tears come out? Well, once again, like I said, I mean, it all goes back to how stressed and how this type of situation affects each individual defendant. Surely the prosecutor is going to try to make the point that these, what are considered crocodile tears, indicate some form of guilt.

However, you may have to get in some experts or anything or other type of witnesses to show how he reacts under stress and strain and try to explain it that way. I will admit that it does look bad. Some of the statements that he made and his characterizations and how he looked on camera is something that the jury is going to take into consideration, but his defense attorney is going to have to attack each one of those and try to convince the jury of his client's innocence. Kenya Johnson, we'd have a field day with this guy trying to cry

in front of a jury and nothing comes out. Oh, goodness. You know one of my favorite things to do, Kenya, and I'd like for you to try this sometimes if you haven't already done it a never look at the defendant in front of the jury never even look at them but then walk over behind them while they're sitting at their seat there's nothing they can do they can't jump up and hit you or if they could then you definitely get a guilty conviction. But you go stand behind them and like point down at them,

especially if they're trying to do the fake crying thing. And you stand right behind them. What can they do? They can't really turn around. They can't act mad. They have to sit there and let you point at them and be right behind them, but not touch them as they fake cry.

And just point out, does anybody in this courtroom see a tear? Because I don't. What's all the shaking and the heaving and the lip quivering? What's that? I just love it when somebody fake cries in court. It's awesome. Well, Nancy, I would love to get him on cross-examination. It would be so dramatic and fun. But I'll tell you, your courtroom dramatics are legendary in the Fulton County Courthouse, and I think you might be one of the few that can get away with some of that activity at trial.

Well, I don't know what you mean by activity, Kenya, but you know what? To Dr. Michelle Dupree, I really think that the fact that he calls 911, he finds the body, there's not any water around it, she died of blunt trauma to the head and strangulation be it manual or ligature and he's crying but no tears are coming out i mean i mean to me that seals the case what can you do how can you show that trauma to the head was from a blow and not a fall so nancy we would look at the actual wound itself, the type of fracture there is, the way the bone fractures. With someone striking a bone, there's a depressed fracture that causes a totally different appearance in the bone. When someone hits their head, again, it's a different type of fracture. So we look at the injuries. The patterns mean everything.

Well, now we're beginning to focus on not just the injuries and the cause and manner of death, but the husband's double life. Questions surrounded their relationship. Have you ever had any reason that their marriage was on the rocks or was having trouble? Honestly, in my mind, I believe there was something wrong. To friends and family, Shanti Cooper-Tronis and her husband, David, appeared to have a kind of distance between them. I've never seen them affectionate. I've never seen them touch. Shanti was viewed as the breadwinner. I just felt like he needed her more than she needed him. She had a successful consulting business. I didn't think

that Dave worked. The husband of Shanti's late mother told police there was a sign in November of 2016 that David was focused on money the day Shanti's mom had a heart attack. The first words that I recall that Shanti asked me with Dave by her side was, what about mom's life insurance? A what? To Robin Walensky, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter. Tell me about the double life. And Eric Johnson, you know what i want you to stew on this i'm sure you'll say it proves nothing as a defense lawyer but i i bet a jury's not going to agree with you hit it robin so the detectives start looking at this guy and who his

associates are and where he goes every day and his credit card bills, et cetera. And it turns out that he's a member in Orlando to a gay gym and spa and that he goes to the gym, he works out and they start interviewing, you know, the people who work at the gym who kind of know your habits, the gym I go to, the people know what I do there. And apparently one of the workers say that they had witnessed him having sexual contact with men at least twice that one of the workers saw. So clearly, he has a whole other thing going on, and maybe that's why he wasn't touching his wife, because he was with men. Okay, you know what? Let me pick on Eric Johnson, Atlanta defense attorney for a moment. You know what? I can't decide which one I hate the most. A guy who's hooking up with other people, and I don't care if it's with a man or a woman outside my relationship, my marriage with that

person, and they're hooking up with somebody at a gym with a gym rat of all people but I'm kind of more angry about him not buying the groceries I guess you're Jackie Howard in the studio with me I guess your priorities change over time I guess at one time I would have been more angry that he was cheating but at this point I'm mad he's not buying the groceries you know so, agree or disagree. But Eric, how can you with a straight face say that has nothing to do with this? Well, the reality of the situation is one of the guests earlier stated that this gentleman was a gold digger. Okay, that might be true. So that would mean that he wants to live an exorbitant and lavish lifestyle. So therefore, it's safe to say that he probably wouldn't kill herorbitant and lavish lifestyle. So therefore, it's safe to say

that he probably wouldn't kill her because he wanted to continue this lifestyle. He would be doing everything possible to do it. Now, as it goes to his alternative lifestyle, it's pure speculation to say that she may not have known about it. Some couples are into things like that. We don't know. We can only speculate at this time because she's not here to speak for herself. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa whoa eric eric some couples are into things like what well i mean as far as um as far as swapping as far as swapping and other type of alternative lifestyle that's certainly putting perfume on the pig you know to kenya johnson atlanta prosecutor kenya if, quote, okay with it, as Eric Johnson is suggesting, how come she wasn't having an affair, just him?

Why is it always the man who always says, oh, we had an open marriage, and the wife is like, what? I totally agree, and I'll tell you, the sham of him not paying, that would have been really short-lived because that's what I paid for a few times. I would begin to get very suspicious and then want to actually see some big statements and some investments. So at some point, you know, you just really have to be cautious when dating online and following up because they can become new people with every new relationship. Well, listen to this, guys. Appearances for state and defense in case number 18 CF 12472. Ryan Vecchio, assistant state attorney, state of Florida. Robert Mandel on behalf of David Tronis. Mr. Mandel, Mr. Vecchio, are you Mr. Tronis? Yes, I am. Mr. Tronis, you're here

pursuant to a KP as a probable cause order for first-degree murder. How are we proceeding? Are you requesting that he remains set at no bond? We are, Judge. And Mr. Mendel, your position on all that? Your Honor, at this time, we're now requesting a bond. Okay, so you're going to keep him, you're submitting to the proof of presumption, great, as far as perseverance? At this juncture, Your Honor, yes. Sir, I'm going to ask that you, I'm going to order that you have no contact with the victim's family in this case. I'm also ordering that you not possess any weapons. If you do own any weapons, if you do get a bond on the line, they must be surrendered to the police department within six

hours of your release, and that does include ammunition. Anything else, counsels? The only other thing that we would ask is that if there's subsequent bond proceedings downtown, we'll deal with it at that time. I would just ask that the court's order include forfeiture of a passport. We reasonably believe that Mr. Trones does have a validly issued United States passport. Counsel for defense, what's your position? Your Honor, I believe that could be taken up at the time we bring the bond motion, if we even bring a bond motion. I agree. I'll go ahead and let the trial division, Division 20, answer the issues of forfeiture and surrender of passport.

Anything else, gentlemen? No, that's all I have. All right. Thank you. Thank you, Your Honor. To Robin Wolitski, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter. Robin, I still say the fake crying and finding the body and the bathtub both dry just minutes after the 911 call. I think that's what led to his arrest. I really do. Yeah, I agree with you. I think the investigator who's saying to him, you know, really calling him on the carpet in that interview and saying, you know, your story is BS. This is complete hogwash. You know, strangulation, it's science. This is not a guessing game.

You know, and she goes on and she's like, it's BS, it's crap, it's crap. And then he's sitting there and he's like the little boy, you know, when your kids get out of the pool, Nancy, and they huddle themselves in a towel or a blanket to dry off. And he's sitting there, you know, boo hoo hoo. And it's all fake. Again, he's like an actor on a soap opera. And he's just totally faking it. He has no answers for this interrogator of the investigator.

He's got nothing. He's got nothing. And what do you do with that, Joseph Scott Morgan? You're the death investigator because Tronis told investigators he found Shanti dead in a half-full bathtub. And then he speculated and hypothesized that she must have fallen while getting into the tub. But cops say she was totally dry and the bathtub was totally dry when they arrived just minutes later. Whoopsie! Forgot to sprinkle water. Yeah, as far as the suspect goes, I don't say anything.

I just let them talk and talk and talk and talk. It's amazing to me that these people cannot shut their mouth when they're talking to the police. They think that they're going to outsmart investigators every single time downrange. Well, long story short, when they asked him how did everything dry out? No, he asked investigators, how did everything dry out? Wow. How did that happen? And why was he huddling himself in a towel? I mean, Karen Stark, psychologist, that's really over the top

for him to be huddling himself in a towel and he's bone dry. He doesn't think about the fact that nothing, that there isn't a single thing he's saying that makes sense, Nancy. He's just acting. And as it was said before, it's very poor acting. He's acting as though he's crying, but there are no tears that are actually coming out of his eyes. He's acting dumb, very innocent. Like, well, how do you think that happened that there isn't any water there? Instead of allowing them to ask him that question. So he's turning everything around.

He has a towel wrapped around him. A poor man, he's trying to look like he's in trouble. But why does he have a towel when he's dry? So none of it makes sense. The acting isn't working. I give all the credit to Detective Teresa Sprague, and I want you to hear her. She is awesome. Listen.

It's complete hot wash. And we haven't even got the medical exam findings from the strangulation and all the things that go along with that it's science it's not guessing it's medical science i know you wish that you could rewind today believe me i've had those days probably not. Believe me, I've had those days, probably not to this degree, but I've had those days. But you can't. You have to move forward. And the best course of action for you is to tell the truth. What happened? We await as justice unfolds. Nancy Grace, Crime Stories, signing off. Goodbye, friend. You're listening to an iHeart Podcast.