Reported by: Jay Warren
Photographed by: Eric Clajus
Web produced by: Neil Relyea
A man called 911 saying his wife drowned in the tub after falling asleep.
Two days later police arrested him for her murder. Ryan Widmer will make his first appearance on those charges Thursday morning before a Warren County judge.
"I never saw him doing anything but smiling, so he was a super nice guy. I just can't imagine," said neighbor Mandy Antonczak.
In his call to 911, Ryan Widmer told the dispatcher that he was downstairs watching TV.
He said his wife, Sarah, always falls asleep in the tub.
"Absolutely the cause of death is drowning," said Lieutenant Jeff Braley of the Hamilton Township police department.
"Even though the cause of death was drowning, the mechanics of that death would be a homicide. There was also traumatic injury to the victim," finished Braley.
What that traumatic injury was investigators would not elaborate on.
They did say, however, that it took the expertise of the Warren County coroner to find it.
"They were married on April 19th of this year. They loved each other very much," said Widmer's attorney, Charlie Rittgers.
"He's as surprised by these charges," continued Rittgers. "He's more surprised than anyone."
Widmer is a graduate of Colerain High School and Miami University.
He is employed at the Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Sarah was a dental hygienist at the Fort Thomas office of Dr. John Becker.
Widmer faces a charge of murder which is punishable by 15-years to life in prison. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday.
