Man accused of murder due in court

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Today’s pre-trial hearing for accused murderer Ryan Houser won’t be the only high-profile hearing in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court this week (see Houser story here).

A pre-trial conference for Larry Andrus Jr. is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, October 2. Andrus is facing a total of six felony charges: murder, an unclassified felony; voluntary manslaughter, a first degree felony; two counts of involuntary manslaughter, both first degree felonies; strangulation, a second degree felony, and felonious assault, also a second degree felony.

Andrus, 48, of Van Wert, was scheduled to stand trial August 12-14, but it was delayed just days before it was scheduled to begin due to several late motions filed by defense attorney Barry Schroeder. One of the motions seeks to exclude a report and testimony by Van Wert County Deputy Coroner Chris Ulrich regarding the contributing cause of death of Watts.

Several other motions are expected to be addressed at the hearing as well, but it’s not known if new trial dates will be established by Judge Martin Burchfield during Wednesday’s conference.

There was a motion that was approved by Judge Burchfield last week. It allows the defense to use the services of L.J. Dragovic, M.D. as a medical expert in the case, with the court covering the expense, including an $1,800 deposition fee and $600 hourly rate. The rate to testify is $250 per hour. 

In a previous motion, Andrus provided notice that he intends to claim self-defense during his trial.

The charges against Andrus are connected to the September, 2023, death of Roy D. Watts, 59, at a home on S. Vine St. According to a police report, Andrus and Watts were involved in a verbal argument, followed by a physical altercation. Andrus was interviewed by Van Wert Police shortly after the incident, along with at least one other witness to the altercation. He was indicted by a grand jury on November 2, but fled the area before the indictment could be served. He was arrested several days later by U.S. Marshals in Bay County, Florida. According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Andrus, a tattoo artist, was traveling on a Greyhound bus from Pennsylvania and was supposed to arrive at a Bay County tattoo shop for an interview. Members of the Florida Caribbean Regional Task Force, Panama City Division, stopped the bus and arrested him without incident.

He was booked into the Bay County Jail and waived extradition back to Ohio. He was transported back to Van Wert County in late November.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges and bond was set at $500,000 cash or commercial surety. He remains in the Van Wert County Correctional Facility.