More motions filed in Houser case

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

While new trial dates have yet to be established in two local murder cases, there are new developments in one of them.

According to paperwork filed with the Van Wert County Clerk of Courts Office, Van Wert County Common Pleas Court Judge Martin Burchfield granted a motion by Kenneth Rexford, the attorney representing Ryan Houser, 38, of Rockford, to withdraw a request for up to $5,000 to hire a private investigator to assist the defense. The request was made by one of Houser’s previous attorneys, Zachary Maisch. At the time, he was seeking to hire Seabolt Investigations of Sugar Grove, Ohio, to aid the defense.

“At this moment, the defense is not currently seeking that assistance,” Rexford wrote in the motion.

Rexford also filed a motion withdrawing a request to inspect evidence, namely the caliber of two bullets, along with a separate motion that would allow the defense to stipulate Houser has been convicted of a prior felony drug offense. In a written ruling issued on August 9, Judge Burchfield said “no prior convictions dating back more than 10 years will be admissible for the purposes of impeachment.” One of the charges against Houser is having weapons under disability, a third degree felony.

In addition, Rexford filed a motion for the transfer of a Mercer County case against Houser. Van Wert County Prosecutor Eva Yarger has until Thursday, August 29, to file a response or request a hearing.

The next hearing is the case, a pre-trial conference, is scheduled for September 30.

Houser is charged with aggravated murder, an unclassified felony; murder, an unclassified felony; possessing a weapon under disability, a third degree felony, along with tampering with evidence. The charges are all tied to the September, 2023 death of Barbara Ganger, who was found fatally shot at Van Wert West Apartments.

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. He remains in jail in lieu of $1 million bond.

Houser was originally scheduled to stand trial the week of April 15, but the case has been delayed multiple times by two changes of legal counsel, a suppression hearing and other motions.

A separate and unrelated murder case is pending in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court. Larry Andrus Jr., 48, of Van Wert, was scheduled to stand trial August 12-14, but it was delayed after a handful of late motions were filed by the defense. Andrus is charged with murder, voluntary manslaughter, two counts of involuntary manslaughter and strangulation, in connection with the September, 2023 death of Roy D. Watts, 59, of Van Wert.