Further motions filed in Houser case « The VW independent

SCOTT TRUXELL/freelance editor

While new trial dates have not yet been set in two local murder cases, there are new developments in one of them.

According to documents filed with the Van Wert County Clerk of Court's office, Van Wert County Common Pleas Court Judge Martin Burchfield granted a motion by Kenneth Rexford, the attorney for 38-year-old Ryan Houser of Rockford, to withdraw a request for up to $5,000 to hire a private investigator to assist the defense. The motion was filed by one of Houser's former attorneys, Zachary Maisch. At the time, he wanted to hire Seabolt Investigations of Sugar Grove, Ohio, to assist the defense.

“At this time, the defense is not requesting such assistance,” Rexford wrote in the motion.

Rexford also filed a motion withdrawing a request to see evidence, namely the caliber of two bullets, along with a separate motion that would allow the defense to claim that Houser was convicted of a prior drug offense. In a written ruling dated Aug. 9, Judge Burchfield said, “For purposes of impeachment, no prior convictions dating back more than 10 years will be admitted.” One of the charges against Houser is possession of a firearm while under disability, a third-degree felony.

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

The next hearing in the case, a pretrial conference, is scheduled for September 30.

Houser is charged with aggravated murder (an unclassified crime), murder (an unclassified crime), possession of a weapon while under disability (a third-degree felony), and tampering with evidence. The charges are all related to the September 2023 death of Barbara Ganger, who was found shot to death in the Van Wert West Apartments.

Houser was arrested and jailed in Mercer County on September 8 on charges of carrying a weapon while under disability and violating probation. A Van Wert County grand jury indicted him on November 2 and he entered a not guilty plea at an arraignment several days later. He remains in jail pending $1 million bail.

Houser's trial date was originally scheduled for the week of April 15, but the case was postponed several times due to two changes of 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 Aug. 12-14, but the trial was postponed after the defense filed some late motions. Andrus is charged with murder, manslaughter, two counts of manslaughter and strangulation in connection with the September 2023 death of Roy D. Watts, 59, of Van Wert.