Ryan Widmer - Bathtub Murder Trial of Bride of 4 Months, Sarah Widmer

Hi Sherry! I have been following this case since Aug. 11, 2008, when Sarah died. It's been a roller coaster, her family supported him from the start, but that changed. I am still trying to figure it out for myself. I don't have an opinion, cause I just don't know. I just don't see a motive for Ryan murdering her....but you never know what goes on behind closed doors.

They will start again at 9am tomorrow morning continuing jury selection, and Travis will be there...blogging live from the courtroom!

It is a bit confusing~

I just hope justice is done. I'm not convinced of Ryan's guilt as of yet. I didn't see the other trials so following this one will be interesting.

Live blog from the courtroom today with Travis:

http://livewire.wlwt.com/Event/Ryan_Widmer_Trial_3_Jury_Selection_Day_2

The way the jury questioning is going this morning, it sounds as if the secret witness is possibly someone that became obsessed with Ryan, a female. That's not confirmed.

Questions such as: "Clark asks if they've had a relationship with someone who perceived the relationship differently than them. Like an unreciprocated love, for example."

Ryan in court this morning:

They are also asking jurors if they've had a family member with a drug addiction and if they've ever been held under water.

Wow, secret mystery witness to testify right off the bat!

"Ohbytheway. According to a subpoena issued this morning for one Jane (!) Doe, the mystery witness is scheduled to testify Monday, Jan. 24. That's the trial's first day.
by Travis Gettys at 1:07 PM"

Attorneys keep asking the jurors if they know anyone from Iowa.

Also, asking the female jurors about French manicures. Sarah had a French manicure on fingers/toes and all were intact when she died.

Cell phone records have been subpoened from the date of when this story was aired on Dateline through June 17, 2010. Not confirmed it is Ryan's records.

The line of questioning suggests: Jane Doe, possibly from Iowa, with a possible past drug conviction and/or addiction, pursued Ryan after Dateline aired and she was eventually scorned.

The above is only my opinion based on the line of questions that are being asked.....

Attorney just asked potential juror if he has any family or friends who worked at a strip club in Iowa. Interesting.......

Jury seated in Widmer murder retrial

Janice Morse • jmorse@enquirer.com • January 19, 2011

Cincinnati.Com » Local news
Updated: 8:05 pm | January 19, 2011

LEBANON - A jury was seated with relative ease in the murder retrial of Ryan Widmer on Wednesday, but the process was overshadowed by tantalizing hints about the identity of a “mystery” witness.

The prosecution witness, revealed just Tuesday to Widmer’s attorneys, has not been identified publicly. The witness allegedly heard Widmer confess to killing his wife.



Defense attorneys (from left) Lindsey Gutierrez, Jay Clark and Charlie M. Rittgers talk with Ryan Widmer during the second day of jury selection in his murder retrial.

Read more:
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20110119/NEWS01/301190039/Jury-seated-in-Widmer-retrial

Judge Neal Bronson listens to Widmer's defense team ask questions of potential jurors.

The Widmer jury

The jury that will be deciding Ryan Widmer’s fate is made up of six men and six women, all white except for one black woman who has friends in two realms of the criminal justice spectrum: a police officer and a public defender.

Most are middle-aged, but they appear to range from their late 20s to early 70s.

Professions range from a special education teacher to a retired vice president of a large insurance company.

Prosecution asks court to block jury viewing of bathtub scene

By Denise G. Callahan, Staff Writer 3:45 PM Thursday, January 20, 2011

LEBANON — Prosecutors in the Ryan Widmer bathtub drowning trial don’t want the jury to view the scene of the alleged crime in Warren County.

The defense has asked Judge Neal Bronson to let the jury see the scene where Widmer, 30, allegedly drowned his bride Sarah Widmer in August 2008.

The defense said on Tuesday they received permission from the new owners of the Widmer home on Crested Owl Court in Hamilton Twp. to conduct a jury view of the drowning scene.

First Assistant Prosecutor John Arnold said in his motion that since there is a new bathtub in the bathroom and the new owners have likely redecorated, it would be unfair to show jurors a scene that doesn’t mirror the image of the house as it was the night Sarah Widmer died.

Read more: http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/crime/prosecution-asks-court-to-block-jury-viewing-of-bathtub-scene-1059548.html

Widmer trial postponed; Jury to view scene of drowning death

The trial will start Wednesday, Jan. 26 instead of Monday to give defense more time to prepare for the mystery witness.

The jury will tour the house. One reporter and one photographer will be chosen to tour the house after the jury leaves. It's my understanding that the new home owners agreed to a tour as long as shoe covers were provided for everyone.

The judge denied two other defense motions. The defense wanted to use Lt. Jeff Braley’s personnel file — which includes false information about his education and past work experience — to discredit him. Bronson said “no.”

Bronson also denied the defense team’s motion to exclude testimony of Dr. Jeffrey Lee. The defense claimed it would be unfair for the state to have two experts — Lee and county Coroner Dr. Russell Uptegrove — testify about the autopsy results.

Read more:
http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/crime/widmer-trial-postponed-jury-to-view-scene-of-drowning-death-1060519.html

Piper wrote:The bathtub sitting close to the jury box...

Bumping up picture of bathtub from 2nd trial

This might seem stupid on my part, but I don't see where a tour of the house would be significant especially since the tub is no longer there...

I have to also wonder what good it will do. They have pictures from the scene. I would think it would cause confusion. Because it's been said the new tub is obviously different and the faucet is in a different place than the original one.

A look ahead to Widmer's third trial

Posted: 11:52 AM 1/25/11
Last Updated: 24 minutes ago

LEBANON, Ohio - Ryan Widmer's third trial resumes Wednesday when the jury returns to Judge Neal Bronson's courtroom. The jury of six men and six women was selected on Jan. 19.

The gap between jury selection and this next stage of the trial gave Judge Bronson time to make final decisions on motions that determined how the trial will move forward. It also gave the defense time to investigate the background of the mystery witness for the prosecution. The mystery witness known only as "Jane Doe" on court documents is expected to testify that Widmer confessed to murdering his wife Sarah.

Legal experts following the case said the mystery witness' testimony could force Widmer, 30, to take the stand for the first time. He did not testify in his first two trials.

Jurors are expected to tour the Widmer home Wednesday morning then hear opening statements. It's too early to know if there will be time to call any witnesses to testify the same day.

Jurors are scheduled to arrive at 9 a.m. Wednesday




Widmer bathroom




Widmer home


Read more:
http://www.kypost.com/dpps/news/tri-state_news/A-look-ahead-to-Widmer%27s-third-trial_5959028

Defense wants alleged confession thrown out in Widmer trial

6:10 PM Tuesday, January 25, 2011


LEBANON — On the eve of the third Ryan Widmer bathtub drowning trial, the defense asked a judge to keep a mystery witness from testifying about an alleged phone call confession.

Widmer’s defense asked Judge Neal Bronson Tuesday in court filings to exclude the alleged phone call confession and to let them introduce evidence of the mystery witness’ past criminal convictions in Iowa for theft, burglary and fraud among other infractions.

The filings state that Widmer never met the woman, but she contacted him after the NBC “Dateline” piece about the case aired in September 2009. The pair communicated on a number of occasions via cell phone, but the defense contends the alleged phone call confession cannot be authenticated and is thus inadmissible.

“Allowing the jury to consider testimony abut a confession allegedly made during a phone call which telephone records show was never made seems to define unfair prejudice,” the motion reads.

Read more:
http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/crime/defense-wants-alleged-confession-thrown-out-in-widmer-trial-1064032.html?cxtype=ynews_rss

Widmer defense motion goes after mystery witness’s past
Defense team files 3 last-minute motions

Posted: 01/25/2011
Last Updated: 1 hour and 33 minutes ago


LEBANON, Ohio - Three new motions were filed by the defense in the Ryan Widmer case just before the third trial gets under way, including their request to include prior convictions in their cross-examination of the mystery witness “Jane Doe.”

According to the motion filed Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m., the mystery witness has a criminal background stemming from 1992, when she was charged with three counts of burglary. The most recent conviction in 2007 was for 4th degree theft. She was sentenced to pay a $315 fine.

Read more:
http://www.kypost.com/dpps/news/widmer-defense-motion-goes-after-mystery-witness%E2%80%99s-past_5962965

It sure seems like the prosecution is reaching (or are desperate) if they have to have a witness like that with no proof of the call in which the confession was made.

I agree.....

Chicken bone latest twist in Widmer case

By Janice Morse • jmorse@enquirer.com
January 25, 2011

Add this to the long list of strange twists in the Ryan Widmer murder case: a potential expert witness was so badly hurt by a chicken bone, he won't be available to testify until March - but his previous testimony still might crop up in Widmer's current trial.

Dr. Werner Spitz "suffered a perforated bowel from a chicken bone he had swallowed" and underwent emergency surgery on Christmas Eve, and a second surgery on Jan. 4, his office said in a Jan. 25 letter. He will be available to testify "in the latter half of March," the letter said.

Read more:
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110125/NEWS010702/101260346/Chicken-bone-latest-twist-in-Widmer-case

Ryan Widmer Trial 3: Day 1 LIVE

http://livewire.wlwt.com/Event/Ryan_Widmer_Trial_3_Day_1

The jurors will be going to the former Widmer home at 10am. Janice Morse from the Cincinnati Enquirer will be going through the home after the jurors.

Defense: Mystery Witness Can't Verify Widmer Confessed
Attorneys Say Phone Records Cannot Prove Call Made

POSTED: 5:20 pm EST January 25, 2011
UPDATED: 6:10 pm EST January 25, 2011


~Snipped~

Defense attorneys said they expect the Iowa woman to testify that she sent Widmer an e-mail through the website freeryanwidmer.com and the two began exchanging text messages from their own cell phones.

According to defense attorneys, the witness will testify that Widmer called her cell phone from a "blocked" number and confessed to killing 24-year-old Sarah Widmer.

The witness will testify that she and Widmer have never met or spoken face to face but she recognized his voice from the Dateline program, defense attorneys argued.

"(The witness) claims to be able to identify Ryan's voice on the telephone after hearing Ryan speak for approximately 12 seconds during the Sept. 18, 2009, 'Dateline,'" defense attorneys argued.

Defense attorneys said that, based on evidence shared with them by prosecutors, the witness does not remember the date of the call, and they said her phone records do not show any call meeting the time of day, time period or length of the call as she described to investigators.

They asked Judge Neal Bronson to exclude any testimony about such a call.

"Allowing the jury to consider testimony about a confession allegedly made during a phone call which telephone records show was never made seems to define unfair prejudice," defense attorneys argued. "The probative value under these circumstances is virtually zero."

This link also has the 3 motions that were filed:
http://www.wlwt.com/ryan-widmer-retrial/26613489/detail.html

Posted on FB, Jennifer C. is supposedly the mystery witness:






Here is a link to the emails posted on Facebook. www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=177670362268343&id=156366941065352&aid=31451

Notes On Widmer Jury Tour

Judge Neal Bronson allowed Enquirer reporter Janice Morse to retrace the jurors' steps after they left, serving as a "pool reporter" and later sharing observations with other news reporters.

The staircase leading to upstairs is only a few feet from the front door. There are seven steps that end at a landing, then a turn and five more steps to get to the top of the stairs, where one turns a corner to get to the master suite.

The master bedroom is connected to the bathoom where Sarah Widmer drowned in the tub. There is a shower next to the tub.

In the bathroom, it is only about eight steps from the doorway to the far wall. The width from the bathtub to nearby cabinets is only about three feet.

It would be difficult for two adults to stand shoulder to shoulder in that space. The bathroom is small, but looks larger in photos.

Tub fixtures were removed by order of the court because they had been changed since new owners moved into the house.

The judge prohibited media photography inside the home at the request of the home's new occupants.

http://www.wlwt.com/news/26622395/detail.html

In regards to the secret mystery witness, Jennifer Crew, judge will allow her testimony and will allow her past criminal activity. Apparently, she is a current patient in a methadone clinic and can recite parts of the Dateline segment word for word......

"Haven't seen the ruling, but based on the prosecution objections the judge sustained and overruled, it seems that he will allow evidence of charges related to fraud/burglary/theft but not probation violations or driving without a license. Guess he's narrowly allowing the stuff most related to her truthfulness and credibility. Makes sense to me."
by Travis Gettys at 12:25 PM

I've enjoyed the info Travis is supplying us with...will tune back in after lunch break (1:30) when court resumes...

Hi Estee! It's like being there. I read where Inside Edition is there as well as Dateline now. I think this secret mystery witness is a total bust......what a farce. I was kind of expecting a jail house snitch, but so far she appears to be even worse than that....... on the prosecution.

Secret mystery witness - Jennifer Crew

~Snipped~

During her opening statement, defense attorney Lindsey Gutierrez identified the witness as Jennifer Crew, the manager of a gentleman's club in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Crew contacted Ryan through the website freeryanwidmer.com after seeing the September 2009 episode of Dateline featuring the case. The relationship evolved into e-mails to Ryan's personal account, then text messaging and phone calls to Ryan's personal cell phone.

Crew states that there was a call with Ryan that lasted an hour and that in that call he confessed to drowning his wife, Sarah.

She cannot say when the call took place, or the number it took place from. Defense attorneys say phone records showed no record of an hour long call on Jennifer's cell phone.

When interviewed by investigators, defense attorneys said Crew could quote word for word the Dateline episode.

Prosecutors say Crew told them Ryan appeared to be intoxicated when he confessed.

She sent several texts to Ryan in December, and then seven months later, after sending birthday presents to Ryan and his twin brother, she told investigators Ryan confessed to her.

Judge Bronson reminded jurors that opening statements are not evidence.

http://www.fox19.com/Global/story.asp?S=13909519

Yes, Piper...this is quite interesting...Court just wrapped up...I've been glued to my laptop all day and probably will be until this whole trial is completed...I'll probably wind up with a DVT for being so inactive...I can't believe the discrepancies in that transport record...and some of the testimony that said wet magazine and floor and other testimony that said no water found anywhere...There definately is conflicting testimony...Don't know when Ms Crew will take the stand, but sounds like it will be quite entertaining to say the least...
Hope others here at RC are getting involved in this thread....Thanks for bringing it to my attention...

I'm here! I didn't get to keep up today outside of the updates in this thread though. I'm hoping to read up on the news after dinner tonight. It sounds interesting so far.

Day 2 of trial #3.........

Link to Travis Gettys' live blog:
http://livewire.wlwt.com/Event/Ryan_Widmer_Trial_3_Day_2

Mystery Witness Identified In Ryan Widmer Trial
Jurors Tour Former Widmer Home Before Trial Begins

POSTED: 10:30 am EST January 26, 2011
UPDATED: 11:18 pm EST January 26, 2011

Recap of yesterday's proceedings with video..
http://www.wlwt.com/ryan-widmer-retrial/26622156/detail.html

~Snipped~

News 5 talked with a woman in Missouri who said Jennifer Crew stole her identity.

"Our wires are still crossed. I have no idea who this person is," the fraud victim said. "I wouldn't take her word for much at this point."

The woman said her credit is still impacted.

However, the prosecution said that even someone with a checkered past may have insight into what happened to Sarah Widmer.

Krumbein said it could be possible that Crew has bulletproof information that only the killer would know.

The prosecution has the first line-up of witnesses and it's still unclear when Crew will take the stand.

My bet is Ms Crew will testify near the end (so the jury will still have it in their memory)...I might be wrong, but that is my gut feeling... then its time for me to get to Travis' blog...

For some reason, people were thinking she'd testify first, I didn't think that would happen either! She sounds like a real piece of work from what's been said in court and her criminal background. She's memorized the entire Dateline episode! I find that very odd....


Lengthy questioning in regards to EMT's on the scene, one EMT was disciplined for that particular run. And it's interesting that the defense has an incomplete report compared to the prosecution's complete report. No wonder there was so much confusion. And it seems both contain inaccuracies. So the entire story of exactly what happened to Sarah once they arrived is not clear at all. They did 5 intubation attempts and worked on her for 45 minutes, that takes a toll on a body. And once she arrived at the hospital, that intubation was pumping air into her stomach and not her lungs.

Next firefighter/paramedic being questioned was disciplined for this run, not the report or actions but because he told his mother something about the case while venting about work. Says his brother overheard this and posted some of the confidential patient info on a blog.

Widmer testimony continues amid buzz

By Janice Morse • jmorse@enquirer.com • January 27, 2011

~Snipped~
LEBANON - Testimony in the Ryan Widmer murder case resumed this morning with continued questioning of one of the first-responding medics who tried to revive drowning victim Sarah Widmer .

Speculation continued over when a new, recently disclosed witness will testify about the alleged confession of Sarah Widmer's husband, Ryan.

Legal experts say that a coroner likely would need to testify and allege a crime before the witness, Jennifer Crew, 36, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, could testify. Prosecutors say she heard Ryan Widmer confess to drowning his wife in their bathtub.

Warren County Coroner Russell Uptegrove, who ruled Sarah Widmer's death a homicide, was the 18th prosecution witness to testify last year, and his testimony took more than four hours. Prosecutors have not said when Uptegrove might testify during this trial.

Prosecutors say Widmer got drunk and made an hour-long phone call to Crew in the middle of the night to confess - and that he made a threat that kept her silent until last June, after Widmer's second trial ended in a hung jury.


But defense lawyers say they found no record showing any call of that duration and time frame on Crew's phone records. Crew alleges Widmer's motive was that his wife of four months was planning to leave him, lawyers said in court.

But Widmer's lawyers say evidence will show the newlyweds exchanged love-filled text messages preceding Sarah Widmer's death.

Read more:
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20110127/NEWS0107/301270048/

Jason Stevens, firefighter/paramedic testimony:

Stevens says Sarah was dead the entire time they were attempting to revive her.
by Travis Gettys at 11:58 AM

Stevens says no attempt made to falsify the report. Existence of incomplete report had no impact on their treatment of Sarah.
by Travis Gettys at 11:57 AM

Vieux asking where incomplete copy of report came from, and Clark objecting. But Stevens allowed to say that the investigator might have turned it over with other documents related to case.
by Travis Gettys at 11:57 AM

Stevens says an incomplete version of the report was given to an investigator at the hospital. Says he did not tell investigator that report wasn't complete.
by Travis Gettys at 11:55 AM

Hi, Piper!

I looked for this thread in the wee hours and could not find it! What is it under? I clicked on it now on the Homepage to the left (recent comments).

I found numerous articles from main stream media in the News section of RC last night. I clicked on the articles and many had videos.

One article said his wife was going to divorce him. Maybe she told him that and he killed her?

I saw where one TV station has a Live Chat during the trial. I think a reporter is providing info while in the Court Room.

That is cool for those following the case!

Maybe the third time will be a charm and he is found guilty. Hopefully, the jury won't screw up and cause a mis-trial. Didn't that happen in the first trial?

Articles said the second trial was a hung jury.

As you can see, I have not followed this case.

Hi Ann! It's under the Daily News Thread. The live blog is really cool, Travis Gettys from WLWT Channel 5 runs the blog from the court room.

Ryan was found guilty in the first trial, but then it was revealed some jury members conducted their own tests on how fast a body would dry. So it was declared a mistrial and Ryan was released from prison. And the 2nd trial was a hung jury.

The proper/improper CPR and intubation attempts are very relevant in this case. As are the inconsistent reports in relation to the coroner stating cause of death as a homicide. It seems the defense will be stating these attempts could have caused the injuries that the prosecution is claiming came from Ryan. And with an incorrect report, the prosecution didn't have correct information to base their case on........

Day 3 of trial #3, link to live blog:



http://livewire.wlwt.com/Event/Ryan_Widmer_Trial_3_Day_3

Expert: Sarah Widmer not likely to have seizure

By Janice Morse • jmorse@enquirer.com • January 28, 2011

LEBANON – A medical expert testified Friday that drowning victim Sarah Widmer's medical records revealed no significant medical problems that could have contributed to her death -- not even her reported bouts of sudden sleepiness and her severe headaches.

Dr. James Layne Moore, who heads the Ohio State University lab that studies brain waves, sleep and epilepsy problems, left open the possibility that Sarah Widmer could have suffered a first-time seizure. “She’s not a very likely candidate to have a seizure…(but) it can’t be ruled out,” Moore said.

During testimony that spanned more than two hours Friday, Moore conceded that bruises on the right side of Sarah Widmer’s head could have been inflicted if she fell and hit her head during such a seizure. He also said that, if she had fallen forward, she could have gasped and breathed in water and “you wouldn’t be able to sit up.”

Assistant Prosecutor John Arnold offered Moore’s testimony to counter defense lawyers’ contentions that Sarah Widmer, 24, may have suffered a medical problem that contributed to her drowning in her Hamilton Township bathtub in August 2008. Prosecutors allege that her husband, Ryan Widmer, 30, of Mason, killed his wife of four months.

Moore also reviewed a new piece of information: A report of a heart murmur when Sarah Widmer was 10 months old. That report was absent from two past trials of her husband, Ryan Widmer.

Read more:

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20110128/NEWS010702/301280026/

Coroner insists Sarah Widmer's death was homicide
Ryan Widmer's lawyers try to make point that rescue attempts could have left marks

By Janice Morse • jmorse@enquirer.com • January 28, 2011

LEBANON - Warren County Coroner Russell Uptegrove remained steadfast in his opinion while testifying Friday: Sarah Widmer’s drowning was a homicide, he says, largely because of bleeding he found deep inside the tissues of the front of her neck.
He thinks a blow to the neck or compression could have caused the injuries, and says they weren’t consistent with those he has seen caused by life-saving efforts.

But defense lawyers got Uptegrove to admit he was unfamiliar with studies that show medical procedures – including attempts to insert a breathing tube – can cause injuries that mimic marks inflicted by choking.



The coroner also acknowledged that bruising on Sarah Widmer’s body may have appeared exaggerated because water dilutes a drowning victim’s blood, causing it to seep further than undiluted blood.

Sarah Widmer’s husband, Ryan, 30, of Mason, is being tried for a third time on a murder charge following two mistrials. The couple had been married just four months before her drowning death in August 2008.

On the fifth day of Widmer’s current trial, Uptegrove’s five-hour testimony kept jurors in court until after 7 p.m. Friday.

Bronson told the jury to return to court at 8 a.m. Monday, an hour earlier than usual.

That fueled speculation that prosecutors may call the formerly secret “mystery witness” to testify Monday. Prosecutors say Widmer made a drunken confessional call to Jennifer Crew, 36, on her cell phone in Iowa, admitting he had drowned his wife after an argument.

Defense lawyers say Crew has a history of drug problems and criminal convictions and that her cell phone records do not show that call.

Uptegrove’s testimony was a key setup move for prosecutors. Legal procedures require evidence of a crime before another witness could allege that someone confessed to that offense, experts say.

But prosecutors could choose to call other witnesses before calling Crew, and more medical testimony is expected in the case, which is expected to last about three weeks in Warren County Common Pleas Court.




Read more and see
• Expert on Sarah Widmer's medical condition
• Complete trial coverage: Video, photos, timeline


http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110128/NEWS010702/301270038/Coroner-insists-Sarah-was-killed

Years ago, my brother's girlfriend was visiting me and all of a sudden she started having a seizure. It was so violent that I immediately grabbed her shaking head and put it in my lap so it would be a softer blow than the carpeted floor. When it was over I took her to the emergency room. She told me she had never had a seizure before. She was 17 years old at the time. And, it was not epilepsy but I can't remember now what caused it.

What if this was Sarah's first seizure? The excessive bleeding to the back of the neck could have been caused by her head banging against the tub. One of those blows could have knocked her out.

It just seems like there is a concerted effort to put Ryan away for murdering his wife. Those injuries surely could have been caused by other reasons than homicide.