On June 11^th, 2019, Ronald Strouse, 77, called 911 and told the operator a “lady” was fighting with him. The “lady” turned out to be Strouse’s 77 year old wife of almost 50 years of marriage.  Later in the call, the defendant told the 911 operator he and his wife were physically fighting and he didn’t think she was with us any longer. The day before the murder, the victim confronted the defendant and told him she was leaving him. The next day, while the victim was lying on the couch, the defendant pulled her off and began aggressively battering her, while he sat on top of her and strangled her until she stopped moving. On June 27^th, 2023 Strouse was convicted by a Polk County Jury of 2^nd Degree Murder. He will be sentenced later this year and could receive Life in prison. State Attorney Brian Haas thanks Assistant State Attorney Mikaela Perry and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case.

Assistant State Attorney Mikaela Perry