Houser gets new attorney, trial delayed

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

A man charged in connection with a September shooting in Van Wert has had his upcoming trial delayed.

During a hearing held Wednesday morning in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court, Judge Martin Burchfield granted a change of counsel request made by Ryan Houser, 38, who has addresses in Rockford and Celina. Attorney Zach Maisch, of Lima, was appointed as Houser’s new attorney, and a pre-trial conference was scheduled for 3 p.m. April 24.

Houser was previously represented by court-appointed attorney Scott Gordon but in January, Houser made a request to change lawyers via a handwritten note.

“Hi this is Ryan Houser,” the request said. “I would like a deff att (sic) Scott Gordon is not working out for me. Thank you, Ryan Houser. This letter is for the Judge Martin Burchfield.”

His request was rejected, but Judge Burchfield appointed Maisch as a second attorney for a second opinion only. A second request was made on February 27, which led to Wednesday’s hearing. Houser was present at the hearing.

Houser is accused of killing Barbara Ganger, 43, of Van Wert. Her body was discovered on September 4, after the Van Wert Police Department was asked to do a welfare check at her residence at Van Wert West Apartments on W. Main St.

Officers discovered she had been shot twice, once in the stomach area and once in the head.

Houser was arrested and jailed in Mercer County on 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 held several days later. Judge Burchfield set bond was at $1 million. A request made in November to modify his bond was denied.

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.

His trial was scheduled for April 15-19, but due to the change in attorneys, it’s been delayed and new trial dates have not been set.