Decision on Houser request coming in June

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Tuesday, June 24. That’s when a man accused of shooting and killing his girlfriend in Van Wert will learn if his motion to withdraw his no contest plea to one count of murder has been granted, or if he’ll be sentenced to 15 years to life on the charge.

Ryan Houser, 39, of Rockford, appeared in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court Thursday morning for a hearing on his request, which was made immediately prior to a scheduled sentencing hearing on May 7. At that time, through his attorney, Kenneth Rexford, Houser proclaimed his innocence and made the request with withdraw the plea.

During Thursday morning’s hearing, Rexford and Van Wert County Prosecutor Eva Yarger reviewed recently submitted paperwork and questioned one witness who took the stand, Lt. Rob Black, a detective with the Van Wert Police Department. Most of Black’s testimony centered around the the estimated time of death of the victim, Barbara Ganger, and a subsequent autopsy. Rexford has previously said Houser has an alibi during the suspected time of Ganger’s death.

After hearing Black’s testimony and oral arguments from Rexford and Yarger, Judge Martin D. Burchfield set June 24 as the date he’ll issue a ruling.

Previously, Rexford filed legal documents citing a precedent that may allow Houser to withdraw his plea, which was made in early March. A response filed by Yarger refuted the motion.

Houser changed his plea in early March from not guilty to no contest to a single count of murder, an unclassified felony, and was found guilty by Judge Martin D. Burchfield. Three other charges – aggravated murder, possessing a weapon under disability, and tampering with evidence were dismissed.

The charges are tied to the September, 2023, shooting death of Ganger. Her body was discovered on September 4, 2023, 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 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, 2023, on unrelated charges of having a weapon under disability. Court records show he recently entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to time already served.

He was indicted by a Van Wert County grand jury November 2, 2023, and pleaded not guilty during an arraignment hearing held several days later. Houser has been in jail in lieu of $1 million bond since his arrest.

Houser was originally scheduled to stand trial in April of 2024, but his case was delayed multiple times by two changes of legal counsel, a suppression hearing and a lengthy list of motions.

If his motion is granted, it’s likely the case would go to trial approximately two years after Ganger’s death, presumably on the four original charges.