Wife's tragic last text before husband finds her body in wardrobe

Tina Strader had a special way of letting her husband know she was safe, until the day it raised the alarm because she wasn't

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It had been a whirlwind relationship for Tina Strader and her husband Gerald after they'd met through their work at a processing plant. They felt such a love for each other that they had married just four months after their first date. Tina, 46, had four children from a previous relationship, and two grandchildren that she adored. She loved to dance and bake and was known affectionately by many as "Tiny Tina".

In 2019, she and Gerald, 53, moved to Florida, and Tina got a job as housekeeping manager at the Rodeway Inn in Venice, an hour away from Fort Myers.

She and Gerald were able to live on site in a corner suite of the motel. Tina's friendly personality made her popular with the guests, and they often returned because of how well she'd looked after them.

Then Gerald's health swiftly declined, and life became more challenging for the couple. He was struck down by an aggressive autoimmune disease and he lost the full use of his legs.

After a lengthy stay in hospital, Gerald was left in a wheelchair and Tina became his primary carer. Gerald could no longer work as a delivery driver so Tina was their main earner. Each morning she would help her husband get out of bed, prepare his medications and breakfast, then go to work cleaning the rooms.

On 20 April 2021, Tina headed to work as usual. She and Gerald had set up a simple safety protocol. When Tina entered a room for cleaning, she would send a text to Gerald to let him know when she entered the room and when she'd moved onto the next. That way, Gerald could look out for his wife, who was often working solo.

Horrific discovery