Andrus sentenced to 6-9 years in prison

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

A Van Wert man convicted of involuntary slaughter in connection with the death of his stepfather nearly 20 months ago was sentenced this morning in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Larry Andrus Jr., 50, was sentenced by Judge Martin D. Burchfield to 6-9 years in a state prison on the first degree felony charge. He was given credit for 539 days already served at the Van Wert County Correctional Facility. Once his prison term is complete, Andrus will be subject to 2-5 years of post-release control. In Ohio, involuntary manslaughter calls for a prison term of 3-11 years in prison, along with a possible fine of up to $20,000.

The involuntary manslaughter charge was tied to the September 30, 2023 death of Roy DeWayne Watts, 59, of Van Wert.

Before the sentence was handed down, Andrus made a brief statement and four family members delivered victim impact statements. 

“I would just like to say to the Watts family that I am sorry for their loss,” Andrus said. “We both suffered a loss through all of this.”

“Words cannot express the pain and anguish that our family and friends have endured since DeWayne’s murder,” one of the relatives said in a prepared statement. “Larry’s decision to take the life of a human being with no regard for the effect it may have on others is unimaginable. Our family is broken because of what he done.”

Another family member noted Andrus has shown no remorse through the entire legal process.

Andrus was scheduled to stand trial this week on charges of murder, voluntary manslaughter, two counts of involuntary manslaughter and strangulation, but he opted to plead guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter during a pre-trial hearing held in mid-April. In exchange for the guilty plea, the remaining charges were dismissed by the Van Wert County Prosecutor’s Office.

He was originally scheduled to stand trial in August, 2024, but was delayed by a series of motions. At one point during the process, defense attorney Barry Schroeder filed notice that Andrus intended to claim self-defense at the trial.

According to a Van Wert Police Department report, Andrus and Watts were involved in a verbal argument, followed by a physical altercation at a home on S. Vine St. 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, 2023 but fled the area. He was then arrested six days later by U.S. Marshals in Bay County, Florida. According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, he was traveling on a Greyhound bus from Pennsylvania and was scheduled to arrive at a Bay County tattoo shop for an interview. Once the bus was identified, members of the Florida Caribbean Regional Task Force, Panama City Division, pulled it over and arrested him without incident.

Andrus was booked into the Bay County Jail and waived extradition back to Ohio. He was transported back to Van Wert County November 29. During his arraignment that same day, he entered a not guilty plea and bond was set at $500,000.