Ryan Widmers Wife Death Is Still A Mystery After More Than A Decade

May 2024 · 4 minute read

In this article we will try to find what happened to newlywed Sarah Widmer, who drowned in her bathtub in 2008, becoming one of the most popular criminal investigations in the country. It makes you believe her death was a horrible murder, or a mysterious accident. 

A retired homicide detective who talked to Ryan Widmer and reinvestigated his murder conviction for the drowning of his wife more than a decade ago, says Ryan is lying.

Former Alabama cop Chris Anderson interviewed Widmer in prison, where the 37-year-old condemned killer revealed him a tattoo carrying his wife’s name on his ring finger

There would be three different trials for Ryan Widmer before he was found guilty of murder. But some are still not conclusive.

Widmer always retained his integrity and is still appealing his conviction. 

His twin brother Ayran Widmer took the case to Anderson and attorney Fatima Silva as part of the TV show “Reasonable Doubt.

The show’s belief is to analyze controversial cases and give the convict’s family closure – one way or the other.

So what did they discover about Widmer?

They Don’t Trust Him

The former detective called Widmer mysterious and caught him in various inconsistencies. 

Anderson asked Widmer about the night his wife expired when Widmer said he walked into their bathroom and discovered her submerged. He told she was face up. 

But, in his original 911 call, made on Aug. 11, 2008, he explained she was face down.

This led to an odd dialogue in which Widmer told Anderson he never said that, then admitted he told it but again argued she was looking up. 

Anderson also asked why Widmer didn’t grab his wife out of the tub until a 911 dispatcher told him to.

Later, Widmer told Anderson his wife was so wet she slid from his hands. 

But when police arrived there, they said her body was dry.

Autopsy Images

A juror in the third trial told Widmer’s behavior in court was one of the substantial explanations he found guilty. Precisely, it was Widmer’s response – or lack of reaction – to autopsy images showed in the courtroom.

“He didn’t react like a normal person whose wife is dead should have,” the juror said.

Strange Medical Condition?

Silva asked a coroner in Kentucky to evaluate the autopsy and medical records of Sarah Widmer. 

The coroner said doctors conducted a heart disease test on Sarah Widmer when she was 10 months old. The results didn’t indicate any signs of Long QT syndrome, a medical condition that has been speculated as a possible cause of death.

That’s the viewpoint of a retired homicide detective who spoke to Ryan Widmer and reinvestigated his murder conviction for the drowning of his wife almost a decade ago. 

The situation includes rapid heartbeats that might trigger a sudden fainting spell or seizure. Other things mentioned by Widmer’s family about headaches and fatigue are not symptoms of this medical condition, the coroner said.

While the coroner didn’t rule out the possibility Sarah Widmer developed a condition such as this later in life, she said it was highly unlikely.

At the end of the show, the investigators asked Ayran Widmer if he would ever change his mind about his brother.

“There’s no way,” he said. “I know he’s innocent. Just because he says one thing differently doesn’t mean he killed her.”

Outcomes of Widmer Case

Widmer’s case has garnered considerable publicity over the years. A conviction resulting from the first trial was overturned due to juror tampering, after which a second trial ended with the hung jury. Widmer was finally convicted in 2011 and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. He had requested a fourth trial in an appeal that was denied last year.

His case recently was the subject of an episode of “Reasonable Doubt,” in which a forensic expert dismissed some of the prosecution’s evidence as junk science. 

Prosecutors had argued that marks left inside the Widmers’ tub indicated there had been a struggle inside it, but the expert said there was no way to prove that.

Widmer’s case is also the subject of a new book by a former Cincinnati Enquirer reporter. “Submerged: Ryan Widmer, His Drowned Bride and the Justice System” by Janice Hisle was released in June. 

While Ryan Widmer was the focus of Saturday’s event, those gathered spoke fondly of Sarah Widmer as well. They recalled her as a “beautiful, beautiful person.”

“We all feel horrible for her and her family,” Gary Widmer said before leading the group in a prayer

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7t7XZmpqaZpOkunC%2B2JqlZq%2BZmbqmvoymsKyslafGcA%3D%3D