Forceful Drowning News Today

>> could this murder had been deliberately. >> she was murdered. >> i loved sarah. i would never have hurt her. >> sarah crying because i felt so bad for her. >> there is just no chance that he had anything to do with it. >> three trials, three juries. >> we are scared that the truth may not come out. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> sometimes the shades are drawn early in a marriage. even for a young couple so in love like newlyweds sarah and ryan. everything in life was still fresh. even at home on yo...

Have been caused by emts lifesaving efforts. >> the things that were the most disconcerting were the three bruises seat on the right side of the scout. she had another bruised on her forehead. shes got a significant degree of neck hemorrhage. shes undergone significant cpr. however, there was no hemorrhage anywhere in the area of the chess. so, it is difficult to try to rationalize that the hammer judge in her neck can be the result of cpr. >> as the corridor saw it, the significant bruising on ...

I get a call from the sergeant. "lieutenant, were out on a drowning. the paramedics are working on her. but somethings not right here." >> reporter: as he rolled to the house he knew some of what to expect. when you are a cop more than a decade you become familiar with the signs of the drowning like the froth about the victims nose and mouth. >> your mind starts running immediately about possibilities. they initially tell me i have a 24-year-old drowning victim that died in the tub. im thinking ...

But hadnt gotten a response. minutes later, jill was with her son waiting anxiously together in a room off emergency. >> finally, a woman came in and then we said is she gone? and she said yes. and he just dropped down to his knees and was just bawling and sobbing into the chair. >> reporter: sarah widmer, 24 years old, the bride of less than four months, was dead. her husband ryan told the emergency services people he thought she had fallen asleep in the bathtub and drowned. but the emts doing ...

>> we knew she had drowned from the scene itself. it was the manner in which she drowned that had raised all the questions. >> but detective braley would have the most questions for the seemingly happily married husband. was it possible there was stress in the marriage that no one knew about? >> i had to rely on the fact in the back of my mind that nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors. >> as police consider foul play, friends and family wonder was there something medical hyped this myst...

Examiner couldnt satisfactorily explain, but that it was murder? coming up -- the case goes to court and out comes the evidence. >> it would be virtually impossible for somebody to fall asleep and not wake up. >> and later, ryan speaks out at last. so you think they wanted to make a case here? >> why would they arrest me a day after if they didnt want to make a case? >> when the bathtub mystery continues. what?! im here to steal your car because, well, thats my job. what? what?? what?! (laughi...

House that night. >> ryan widmer purposely killed sarah stewart widmer and murdered her by drowning. >> the prosecutors began with the first moments of the case. ryans call to 911. >> my wife, she fell asleep in the bathtub, i think. i was downstairs. i came up here and she was laying face down in the bathtub. >> on the stand, the emergency dispatcher testified that the voice was giving more details than normal. >> the caller was rather calm. usually i cant get anything out of them. >> shes in t...

Her did you really need it, why did you buy it or something. he thought she was spending too much money. >> he was very concerned about her shopping habits. >> correct. there were still stresses, things going on in their family. >> even the prosecutors had to acknowledge that this didnt necessarily add up to a clear motive for murder. but they believed there were things happening in the little house that no one but sarah or ryan knew about. >> anybody who has been married or in a relationship kn...

>> as the coroner saw it, the significant bruising on sarahs neck was caused by ryans forceful drowning of her. >> do you have an opinion as to the manner of sarahs death? >> yes. the manner of death was homicide. >> and that took prosecutors into the realm of speculation. what had happened in the bedroom that night if sarah hadnt drowned by herself in the bathtub? this forensic pathologist had one scenario explaining a damp head but dry body. >> her head was pushed over the edge of either the b...

Guilty of the lesser included offense of murder. >> guilty. the jury had decided that ryan widmer did indeed murder his wife, sarah. >> mr. widmer, is there anything you wish to say? >> the accused, now the convicted, would kiss his wedding ring and then address the court for the first time. he hadnt taken the stand, as was his right. >> i love my wife. i did not hurt her. i was never given a chance. the day after she passes away they charged me with murder. i didnt even -- if i had an answer, i...