Ohio man's wife upset by North Korea appeal

CINCINNATI (AP) — The wife of an Ohio man detained in North Korea was “very upset” today after he told The Associated Press that he and another American will soon be put on trial.

The attorney for Jeffrey Edward Fowle’s family said today his wife had gotten word quickly about his appeal for U.S. help to get them home.

“I can tell you that she is very upset, as you can imagine,” said Lebanon attorney Timothy Tepe. “She has been holding up fairly well the last few months. Obviously, this is very upsetting.”

He said he and the family were still gathering information and likely would have a statement Monday. Fowle and his wife Tatyana, a Russian immigrant, have three children ages 9, 10 and 12 in the Dayton suburb of Miamisburg.

In their first appearance since being detained for alleged “anti-state” crimes more than three months ago, Fowle and Matthew Todd Miller told an AP video crew that they were in good health and were being treated well but worried about going on trial that could result in long prison terms. North Korea hasn’t detailed the alleged acts it says violated their status as tourists.