Court allows new trial in Ohio bathtub drowning

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (AP) — A state appeals court has denied prosecutors’ motion to block a new trial for a southwest Ohio man convicted of murder in the bathtub drowning of his wife.

The 12th District Court of Appeals released its ruling today in the case of Ryan Widmer without comment. A jury in April convicted 28-year-old Widmer in the drowning death of 24-year-old Sarah Widmer in the couple’s Hamilton Township home.

Warren County Common Pleas Judge Neal Bronson ruled in July that Widmer deserves a new trial because his right to a fair trial was violated when jurors conducted their own bathroom experiments at home.

Spokesman Matthew Nolan says the Warren County prosecutor’s office will review its options. Prosecutors could appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court.