Ryan Houser

(6-25-25) Ryan Houser (39) of Rockford was found guilty of murder by Van Wert County Common Pleas Court Judge Martin D. Burchfield in the shooting death of Barbara Ganger. Houser pleaded no contest to the charge. As part of a plea agreement, the remaining charges that he faced were dismissed.

Houser had attempted to withdraw his plea prior to sentencing, but the Judge Burchfield denied his request.

Houser was sentenced to spend the next 15 years to life in prison, the mandatory sentence for murder.

JUDGMENT ENTRY SENTENCE FILED. DEFENDANT HAS BEEN CONVICTED AND ADJUDGED GUILTY AFTER A PLEA OF NO CONTEST TO: COUNT TWO: MURDER AN UNCLASSIFIED FELONY; SET FORTH IN THE INDICTMENT. DEFENDANT IS NOT AMENABLE TO COMMUNITY CONTROL. DEFNEDANT IS SENTENCED TO SERVED AN INDEFINITE TERM OF IMPRISONMENT OF A MINIMUM TERM OF 15 YEARS TO A MAXIMUM TERM OF LIFE IN PRISON IN THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION AND CORRECTIONS. THE COURT WOULD GRANT CREDIT FOR 491 DAYS; 15 YEARS OF THE TIME IS MANDITORY. DEFENDANT IS ORDERED TO PAY COURT COSTS. COPY TO ATTY YARGER; ATTY REXFORD; PROBATION; SHERIFF; JAIL

On Labor Day in 2023, Van Wert Police officers responded to Ganger’s apartment for a welfare check. They found her dead from gunshot wounds to the stomach and eye. Houser was arrested and was jailed in Mercer County four days after Ganger’s death on unrelated charges of having a weapon under disability. He was indicted by a Van Wert County grand jury two months after the murder. Houser has been an inmate at the Van Wert County Correctional Facility since that time.

Houser’s lawyer indicated that he will appeal his case.

Original indictment