Houser sentenced to prison for murder

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

A Rockford man convicted of shooting and killing his girlfriend in Van Wert in early September of 2023 was sentenced this morning and there were no surprises.

Ryan Houser, 39, will spend the next 15 years to life in prison, the mandatory sentence for murder, for the shooting death of Barbara Ganger. Van Wert County Common Pleas Court Judge Martin D. Burchfield handed down the sentence during a late morning hearing. Houser was given credit for 491 days already served at the Van Wert County Correctional Facility and was told if he’s released from prison, he must register as a violent offender.

“I think this is a good resolution in this case,” Van Wert County Prosecutor Eva Yarger said after the hearing. “I think we did bring closure and justice to the victims. There was the interruption in the process because he did that last minute motion to withdraw his guilty plea and I’m sure this will no doubt go up on appeal, but I think the judge made the right rulings and this is the right resolution.”

Defense attorney Kenneth Rexford said Houser will “definitely appeal” the outcome.

Houser, who showed no emotion during any of the proceedings and did not make a statement before sentencing, was seen sobbing as he was being led by deputies outside the courtroom back to the jail to await transport to prison.

During the sentencing hearing, two family members made statements, including a nephew, Mikey Lange.

“I just feel this guy has no remorse,” Lange told the court.

Ganger’s daughter, Angel Ganger, spoke on behalf of three brothers and the family and noted every day has been a struggle.

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about her,” Ganger stated. “We just want to know why you did this to our mother…you deserve everything you get and more.”

A statement was read by a victim’s advocate on behalf of Ganger’s sister.

“My sister Barbie Ganger was an incredible source of support,” the statement said. “She always made it a point to help everybody, she didn’t deserve what happened to her. Her passing has left a profound void in my life and I miss her every single day.”

Ganger was shot and killed at her residence at Van Wert West Apartments in early September of 2023. Her body was discovered after the Van Wert Police Department was dispatched to do a welfare check. She had been shot twice, once in the stomach and once in the head.

Houser was arrested and jailed on in Mercer County four days after Ganger’s death on unrelated charges of having a weapon under disability. He was indcited by a Van Wert County grand jury roughly two months after the murder. His bond was set at $1 million and he has remained an inmate at the Van Wert County Correctional Facility since then.

Earlier this year, he entered a guilty plea to the Mercer County charge and was sentenced to time served.

During his incarceration, Houser’s case has been slowed by various delays, the latest of which occurred in May, two months after he abruptly entered a no contest plea to the murder charge and was then found guilty by Judge Burchfield. In exchange for the plea, three other charges – aggravated murder, an unclassified felony, possessing a weapon under disability, and tampering with evidence, both third degree felonies, were dismissed.

Sentencing was scheduled for May 7, However, as sentencing was about to take place that day, Houser claimed he was innocent and asked that his no contest plea be withdrawn. A hearing on the request was scheduled for May 22, but eight days after that, Judge Burchfield issued a ruling denying the request.

Other delays in the case included two changes of legal counsel. the filing of several legal motions and a supression hearing. Trial dates were established twice, once in April of 2024 and again in April of this year.