Trial dates scheduled for accused killer

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Five days have been set aside for a jury trial for a man accused of shooting and killing a Van Wert woman last September.

Barring a plea bargain, Ryan E. Houser, 38, of Celina, will stand trial April 15-19 in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court. The trial dates were set during a pre-trial conference held Wednesday. Court records show a final pre-trial conference is scheduled for March 27.

Houser is the sole suspect in the death of Barbara Ganger. Her body was discovered on September 4, after the Van Wert Police Department was dispatched to do a welfare check at her residence at Van Wert West Apartments on W. Main St. Officers found she had been shot twice, once in the stomach area and once in the head. Ganger and Houser reportedly had a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship.

Houser was arrested and jailed in Mercer County September 8 on unrelated charges of having a weapon under disability and a probation/parole violation. He was indicted by a Van Wert County grand jury November 2, and pleaded not guilty during an arraignment hearing several days later. Van Wert County Common Pleas Court Judge Martin Burchfield set bond was at $1 million. A request made in November to modify his bond was denied by Judge Martin Burchfield.

Houser is facing four charges, aggravated murder, an unclassified felony; murder, an unclassified felony; possessing a weapon under disability, a third degree felony, and tampering with evidence, a third degree felony. He’s represented by attorney Scott Gordon.