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Ryan Widmer: Innocent man charged
by Jeff Falcon
Sarah Widmer's family believed so strongly in her husbands innocence, they put her funeral on hold because they wanted Ryan Widmer to attend but he was in jail.
Ryan Widmer, 27, was charged with murder in the drowning of his wife, Sarah Widmer, 24. The couple, married April 19, 2008, were living in a home in Hamilton Township.
Friends and relatives said the murder charge was a huge mistake.
(The funeral) is pending until we can see when we can clear this up for Ryan. Hes her family; hes my family. He needs to be there, said Mike Steward, 28, Sarahs brother. With every ounce of my being, I believe theres no possible way he could have done this.
But Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel stood her ground.
The murder charge is based on injuries that are consistent with a violent death, not an accident, Hutzel said Thursday.
Coroner Russell Uptegrove found the injuries inside Sarah Widmers body during an autopsy, Hutzel said. She says ethical rules bar her from sharing more details right now.
Ryan Widmers lawyer, Charlie Rittgers, is urging Hutzel to provide a coroners preliminary report to him so he can get an independent opinion about the injuries.
Where is this mystery evidence? And is it purely interpretation? Rittgers said.
Steward unsuccessfully asked a judge today to lower the bond for his brother-in-law, saying, Ryan should be treated as a hero for trying to save my sister He doesnt deserve this.
Meanwhile, Jill Widmer, Ryans mother, and Ruth Ann Steward, Sarahs mother, tearfully embraced outside court. During an arraignment this morning, with Ryan Widmer appearing by video from jail, Ruth Ann Steward had encouraged Jill Widmer and other supporters to sit near a center aisle so Ryan can see all of us here.
Ryan and Sarah got married at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Middletown, after about 1½ years of dating. Friends and relatives say Ryan Widmer had no known history of getting angry. They also say Sarah Widmer was known to spend hours in the bathtub and that she habitually fell asleep, even as she sat in a car on her way to social outings or during movies.
Against this backdrop, the account that Ryan Widmer gave when he called 911 just before 11 p.m. Monday makes sense, they say.
He reported that his wife had fallen asleep in the tub and may have died and that she fell asleep in the tub all the time. He also said he tried to give her CPR but didnt know much about it.
Steward, who now lives in the Washington, D.C., area, said: There were times when, even before she met Ryan, she fell asleep in the tub. So to have it blown out of proportion all over the news like it was some kind of criminal cover-up, it just befuddles me.
However, the injuries to Sarah Widmers body cannot be explained by any accidental cause. They also are different than those that could be associated with CPR attempts, Hutzel said.
Registered nurse Dana Kist of Alexandria, Ky., a close friend of Sarah Widmer and years-long acquaintance of Ryan Widmer, said detectives were interviewing employees today at the Fort Thomas dentist office where Sarah Widmer worked as a dental hygienist. Kist had worked there as a receptionist while in nursing school.
Ryan Widmer was the roommate of Kists husband, Chris, at Miami University in Oxford.
The Kists introduced Sarah to Ryan. The pair went on their first date at the Brazenhead Irish Pub in Mason around August 2006.
You could tell quickly that it was the real deal with them. It was just the way they looked at each other. You could tell that she just brightened up his life, said Ayran Widmer of West Chester, Ryans twin brother.
Dana Kist said Sarah Widmers history of sleepiness and recent migraine headaches may suggest an undiagnosed seizure disorder or perhaps narcolepsy, a condition that causes people to suddenly fall asleep. Kist says another friend told her that Sarah Widmer complained of a bad headache during a telephone call the night of the fatal bathtub incident another sign of a possible seizure.
But Hutzel said the coroner found no disease process in the victims brain.
Kists husband, Chris, says Ryan Widmer was so laid-back, that he never saw him angry during the decade theyve known each other.
There isnt anything in this world that could get him upset enough to do anything violent to anyone, let alone the woman he loved, said Chris Kist. He loved her. You could just tell. I knew it. Everyone knew it...Im just shocked that hes even a suspect, let alone charged.
Ryan Widmer is a graduate of Colerain High School and Miami University.
He began working for the Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau in 2004 and was promoted in December to sales manager/sporting events.
Shirley Bonekemper, the bureaus executive director, issued a brief statement: We are at a loss for words and so very sad. Ryan is a valued employee. This is a terrible tragedy and we are all grief-stricken by this.
Widmers mother, Jill, worries about her son and grieves over the loss of her daughter-in-law.
I loved her like a daughter, Jill Widmer said. She just brought sunshine to every person she touched.
Sarah Widmer was a 2002 graduate of Edgewood High School, her brother says. She finished her dental hygienist studies at the University of Cincinnati in 2006.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looks like County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel, is delusional. Show her a shaved head and a tatoo and she has fantasies of the Hells Angels taking over her town. This guy isn't a thug, he has obviously shaved his head because it is a common thing that balding men do. Tattoos are also a common thing these days, they do not identify killers. Some people do not belong in law enforcement, a therapist's couch would serve them better.
But let's not give her all the credit. "A healthy 24-year-old women doesn't just fall asleep in the bathroom," chief investigator Doyle Burke said. "Someone like that doesn't drown without the intervention of another person."
How do these morons become investigators?
Earlier in the year, Warren County, Mason resident Michel Veillette, was accused of killing his wife and their three children. On January 18, 2008 he was put on suicide watch when he arrived at the jail and was later taken off suicide watch. He reportedly committed suicide on April 15, 2008 while he was in jail awaiting his death penalty murder trial. He was probably innocent too.
Now one would think that the prosecutor would have freed the young man after being ridiculed in the media but Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel, delayed the trial, because she wanted more time to learn about defense witnesses, including Dr. Werner U. Spitz, who was brought in from Michigan to conduct a second autopsy on Sarah Widmers body.
Spitz, in his 80s, is a nationally acclaimed forensic pathologist who has practiced for 56 years. He has served for years as a chief medical examiner, has been a professor and has written widely-used textbooks.
On Aug. 15, 2008 Spitz performed an autopsy on Sarah Widmer, the results of which have not been made public, but were presented to the prosecution on Oct. 30, 2008.
Defense attorney Charlie Rittgers also brought in an expert on emergency resuscitation efforts, whose report was released to Hutzel on Monday.
So Hutzel asked for a postponement, saying Rittgers didnt release witness information to her quickly enough to allow her to prepare for trial.
These are witnesses that the defense has come up with at the last minute, Hutzel told reporters after a closed-door meeting with the judge.
Hutzel said Rittgers raised a big stink that it took prosecutors until Oct. 3 to provide him with the county coroners autopsy report.
Hutzel has said Coroner Russell Uptegroves autopsy, conducted Aug. 12, found that Sarah Widmer died a violent death and her injuries could not have been caused by accidental means. Uptegroves report also has not been made public.
Last month, Rittgers publicly stated that Uptegroves report was unclear as to what factors convinced Uptegrove that Sarah Widmer died a violent death.
Prosecutors didnt allow Rittgers to speak to Uptegrove until Oct. 24. After gathering that information, Rittgers provided Spitzs report to Hutzel six days later.
Now, the case is turning into a battle of expert witnesses.
Ryan Widmer was scheduled to face a jury in Warren County Common Pleas Judge Neal Bronson on Monday, Nov. 17, for the August death of Sarah Widmer, but after a pre-trial conference on Nov. 12, 2008, the trial was postponed because the prosecution asked for a continuance. The new trial date has been set for March 23, 2009 and Ryan Widmer is still innocent.
Amazingly, the murder trial of 28-year-old Ryan Widmer was been pushed back another four months. The prosecution asked for and was granted a continuance, saying they need more time to interview two new expert witnesses called on by the defense and to review an autopsy done by one of those witnesses. What they most require is psychiatric assistance to examine their brains, because they operate on the false premise that Sarah Widmer did not have a history of falling asleep in the bathtub.
» 02-21-2009
I believe the man to be innocent, there is no motive. The prosecution has found no reason for Ryan Widmer to murder his wife, yet they are convinced he did. Discuss
by Jeff Falcon
Sarah Widmer's family believed so strongly in her husbands innocence, they put her funeral on hold because they wanted Ryan Widmer to attend but he was in jail.
Ryan Widmer, 27, was charged with murder in the drowning of his wife, Sarah Widmer, 24. The couple, married April 19, 2008, were living in a home in Hamilton Township.
Friends and relatives said the murder charge was a huge mistake.
(The funeral) is pending until we can see when we can clear this up for Ryan. Hes her family; hes my family. He needs to be there, said Mike Steward, 28, Sarahs brother. With every ounce of my being, I believe theres no possible way he could have done this.
But Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel stood her ground.
The murder charge is based on injuries that are consistent with a violent death, not an accident, Hutzel said Thursday.
Coroner Russell Uptegrove found the injuries inside Sarah Widmers body during an autopsy, Hutzel said. She says ethical rules bar her from sharing more details right now.
Ryan Widmers lawyer, Charlie Rittgers, is urging Hutzel to provide a coroners preliminary report to him so he can get an independent opinion about the injuries.
Where is this mystery evidence? And is it purely interpretation? Rittgers said.
Steward unsuccessfully asked a judge today to lower the bond for his brother-in-law, saying, Ryan should be treated as a hero for trying to save my sister He doesnt deserve this.
Meanwhile, Jill Widmer, Ryans mother, and Ruth Ann Steward, Sarahs mother, tearfully embraced outside court. During an arraignment this morning, with Ryan Widmer appearing by video from jail, Ruth Ann Steward had encouraged Jill Widmer and other supporters to sit near a center aisle so Ryan can see all of us here.
Ryan and Sarah got married at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Middletown, after about 1½ years of dating. Friends and relatives say Ryan Widmer had no known history of getting angry. They also say Sarah Widmer was known to spend hours in the bathtub and that she habitually fell asleep, even as she sat in a car on her way to social outings or during movies.
Against this backdrop, the account that Ryan Widmer gave when he called 911 just before 11 p.m. Monday makes sense, they say.
He reported that his wife had fallen asleep in the tub and may have died and that she fell asleep in the tub all the time. He also said he tried to give her CPR but didnt know much about it.
Steward, who now lives in the Washington, D.C., area, said: There were times when, even before she met Ryan, she fell asleep in the tub. So to have it blown out of proportion all over the news like it was some kind of criminal cover-up, it just befuddles me.
However, the injuries to Sarah Widmers body cannot be explained by any accidental cause. They also are different than those that could be associated with CPR attempts, Hutzel said.
Registered nurse Dana Kist of Alexandria, Ky., a close friend of Sarah Widmer and years-long acquaintance of Ryan Widmer, said detectives were interviewing employees today at the Fort Thomas dentist office where Sarah Widmer worked as a dental hygienist. Kist had worked there as a receptionist while in nursing school.
Ryan Widmer was the roommate of Kists husband, Chris, at Miami University in Oxford.
The Kists introduced Sarah to Ryan. The pair went on their first date at the Brazenhead Irish Pub in Mason around August 2006.
You could tell quickly that it was the real deal with them. It was just the way they looked at each other. You could tell that she just brightened up his life, said Ayran Widmer of West Chester, Ryans twin brother.
Dana Kist said Sarah Widmers history of sleepiness and recent migraine headaches may suggest an undiagnosed seizure disorder or perhaps narcolepsy, a condition that causes people to suddenly fall asleep. Kist says another friend told her that Sarah Widmer complained of a bad headache during a telephone call the night of the fatal bathtub incident another sign of a possible seizure.
But Hutzel said the coroner found no disease process in the victims brain.
Kists husband, Chris, says Ryan Widmer was so laid-back, that he never saw him angry during the decade theyve known each other.
There isnt anything in this world that could get him upset enough to do anything violent to anyone, let alone the woman he loved, said Chris Kist. He loved her. You could just tell. I knew it. Everyone knew it...Im just shocked that hes even a suspect, let alone charged.
Ryan Widmer is a graduate of Colerain High School and Miami University.
He began working for the Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau in 2004 and was promoted in December to sales manager/sporting events.
Shirley Bonekemper, the bureaus executive director, issued a brief statement: We are at a loss for words and so very sad. Ryan is a valued employee. This is a terrible tragedy and we are all grief-stricken by this.
Widmers mother, Jill, worries about her son and grieves over the loss of her daughter-in-law.
I loved her like a daughter, Jill Widmer said. She just brought sunshine to every person she touched.
Sarah Widmer was a 2002 graduate of Edgewood High School, her brother says. She finished her dental hygienist studies at the University of Cincinnati in 2006.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looks like County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel, is delusional. Show her a shaved head and a tatoo and she has fantasies of the Hells Angels taking over her town. This guy isn't a thug, he has obviously shaved his head because it is a common thing that balding men do. Tattoos are also a common thing these days, they do not identify killers. Some people do not belong in law enforcement, a therapist's couch would serve them better.
But let's not give her all the credit. "A healthy 24-year-old women doesn't just fall asleep in the bathroom," chief investigator Doyle Burke said. "Someone like that doesn't drown without the intervention of another person."
How do these morons become investigators?
Earlier in the year, Warren County, Mason resident Michel Veillette, was accused of killing his wife and their three children. On January 18, 2008 he was put on suicide watch when he arrived at the jail and was later taken off suicide watch. He reportedly committed suicide on April 15, 2008 while he was in jail awaiting his death penalty murder trial. He was probably innocent too.
Now one would think that the prosecutor would have freed the young man after being ridiculed in the media but Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel, delayed the trial, because she wanted more time to learn about defense witnesses, including Dr. Werner U. Spitz, who was brought in from Michigan to conduct a second autopsy on Sarah Widmers body.
Spitz, in his 80s, is a nationally acclaimed forensic pathologist who has practiced for 56 years. He has served for years as a chief medical examiner, has been a professor and has written widely-used textbooks.
On Aug. 15, 2008 Spitz performed an autopsy on Sarah Widmer, the results of which have not been made public, but were presented to the prosecution on Oct. 30, 2008.
Defense attorney Charlie Rittgers also brought in an expert on emergency resuscitation efforts, whose report was released to Hutzel on Monday.
So Hutzel asked for a postponement, saying Rittgers didnt release witness information to her quickly enough to allow her to prepare for trial.
These are witnesses that the defense has come up with at the last minute, Hutzel told reporters after a closed-door meeting with the judge.
Hutzel said Rittgers raised a big stink that it took prosecutors until Oct. 3 to provide him with the county coroners autopsy report.
Hutzel has said Coroner Russell Uptegroves autopsy, conducted Aug. 12, found that Sarah Widmer died a violent death and her injuries could not have been caused by accidental means. Uptegroves report also has not been made public.
Last month, Rittgers publicly stated that Uptegroves report was unclear as to what factors convinced Uptegrove that Sarah Widmer died a violent death.
Prosecutors didnt allow Rittgers to speak to Uptegrove until Oct. 24. After gathering that information, Rittgers provided Spitzs report to Hutzel six days later.
Now, the case is turning into a battle of expert witnesses.
Ryan Widmer was scheduled to face a jury in Warren County Common Pleas Judge Neal Bronson on Monday, Nov. 17, for the August death of Sarah Widmer, but after a pre-trial conference on Nov. 12, 2008, the trial was postponed because the prosecution asked for a continuance. The new trial date has been set for March 23, 2009 and Ryan Widmer is still innocent.
Amazingly, the murder trial of 28-year-old Ryan Widmer was been pushed back another four months. The prosecution asked for and was granted a continuance, saying they need more time to interview two new expert witnesses called on by the defense and to review an autopsy done by one of those witnesses. What they most require is psychiatric assistance to examine their brains, because they operate on the false premise that Sarah Widmer did not have a history of falling asleep in the bathtub.
» 02-21-2009
I believe the man to be innocent, there is no motive. The prosecution has found no reason for Ryan Widmer to murder his wife, yet they are convinced he did. Discuss
