Third trial to begin for man accused of drowning his wife

Associated Press

CINCINNATI

A mystery witness, questions about another witness’s credibility and concerns about seating an impartial jury are key issues going into a third trial of an Ohio man accused of drowning his wife in their bathtub.

Ryan Widmer’s trial begins today with jury selection in Warren County Common Pleas Court in Lebanon. Widmer, 30, is charged with murdering Sarah Widmer, 24, at their home in Hamilton Township north of Cincinnati in 2008.

Developments since the earlier trials have added new twists to an already unusual case, say trial veterans who have followed the case.

Widmer’s 2009 murder conviction was thrown out after some jurors experimented at home with how long it took to air-dry after bathing and shared the results during deliberations. Emergency responders — arriving minutes after Widmer called 911 to say he just pulled his wife from the tub — had testified that the victim was dry except for her hair.

Judge Neal Bronson ruled that experiments outside court violated Widmer’s right to a fair trial and ordered a new trial. Widmer’s second trial last year ended in a hung jury when jurors failed to reach a verdict.

Since then, a witness has come forward claiming to have heard Widmer confess killing his wife. A judge allowed the witness to remain unidentified until the trial. Prosecutors had argued that revealing the identity could endanger the witness.

“There have been more kinks and turns in this case than in a crooked highway,” said Cincinnati attorney Martin Pinales, a former president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. “And I don’t expect it to straighten out in the third trial.”

Bronson prohibited attorneys and prosecutors in the case from commenting outside of court.

Prosecutors, while not addressing a possible motive, argue that bruising on the victim’s neck indicated she was grabbed and her head forced underwater. Defense attorneys argue that resuscitation efforts could have caused bruising and that Sarah Widmer may have suffered a medical problem before drowning.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys normally know what to expect from witnesses testifying for a third time, but “this isn’t a normal case,” said Mike Allen, a Cincinnati defense attorney and former prosecutor.

Allen said he expects Widmer’s attorneys to seek a short postponement after learning the witness’s identity, so they can look into his or her background and claims.