Ohio dispatcher not asleep before drowning call

LEBANON, Ohio (AP) — A report has concluded that a dispatcher at an Ohio 911 center was not asleep before answering a call about the drowning of a woman in a bathtub last summer.

Management consultant Mark Lucas said Tuesday there is no evidence the Warren County dispatcher was asleep or mishandled the call and no reason to discipline him.

Lucas concluded the southwest Ohio dispatcher answered the call in a timely manner and followed proper procedures.

The consultant said one possible reason for long gaps in the conversation was that the dispatcher was hearing static on his headset.

Ryan Widmer faces a March retrial in the August drowning death of his wife, Sarah Widmer, after his murder conviction was thrown out due to juror misconduct.