Ryan Widmer: 911 Call Analysis
First published February 2011 Ryan Widmer, 30, stood trial three times for the murder of his wife, Sarah, 24. On August 11, 2008, his wife was found unresponsive in their bathtub in Ohio. The first time Ryan was convicted, but that conviction was overturned. The second time, the jury was hung and now the third time, Widmer was convicted this month again, and he was sentenced to 15 years to life.
I have been asked to take a look at the 911 call.
Read moreWhen you listen to the 911 call, its interesting. Ryan says, “My wife, ah, fell asleep in the bathtub and I think she’s dead.”
How would he know that she fell asleep? Notice he doesn’t speculate when he says it? I find that interesting. Second, he thinks she is dead? He didn’t check–he doesn’t know for sure? Last, notice his lack of interest to get an ambulance immediately to try to save her? That’s a huge red flag.
A few seconds later, Ryan says, “Yeah, she fell asleep in the bathtub, I think. I was downstairs and I just came up here and found her and she was laying face down in the bathtub.”
Notice the afterthought of the words, “I think”?
When people fall asleep in the tub, do they end up face down? That sounds weird to me. Furthermore, I would think if you fall asleep and breath in water, it would make you wake up and cough, as your body struggles to get oxygen. It would be an automatic response.
They way Ryan says, “24”, is notable to me. There is no signs of fear, sadness, or distress in voice.
The dispatcher says, “She in the water right now?” Ryan says, “Yes, the water’s draining right now…I tried to do it…everything.”
The dispatcher continues, “Have you taken her out of the water now?” and Ryan says, “Yeah, the water’s completely drained and she’s just laying here unconscious.”
The dispatcher asks again, “She’s still in the bathtub?” Ryan says, “Yeah”.
WHAT? He didn’t take her out of the tub the instant he found her? That’s what a loving husband would do unless she was so large that he couldn’t lift her, but I would expect him to say that, and beg for help if that was the case, but he doesn’t do that either.
Also, the second time he says she is “unconscious”. I thought he thought she was dead. Why would he jump to the conclusion she is dead immediately?? Most people hold out hope they can revive a loved one and don’t give up so quickly, but Ryan seems to have given up when he called 911. That’s very notable.
Ryan is intently listening. You can just feel it.
The dispatcher asks, “Have you tried CPR?” Ryan says, “As much as I could…what little bit I know.” How do you do CPR on a victim who is in a bathtub, supposedly face down? You either know CPR or you don’t…
The dispatcher says, “There is no way you can get her out of the tub.” Ryan says, “I’ll try, but I have to put the phone down.” Why wouldn’t he have done this earlier?
“I’ll try?”…Caring husband, isn’t he?
Notice Ryan was able to get his wife out of the tub without much effort. Why didn’t he do this instinctively?
The dispatcher tells Ryan to give Sarah CPR, and Ryan doesn’t ask for directions. You would think if he wants to save her life, he’d ask, “How do I do it?! I need help.” Afterall, he already admitted to not knowing much about CPR. He doesn’t. There is also no urgency when it comes to Ryan’s actions at all. That is flat out inconsistent, if you ask me.
Listen to how Ryan says in the calmest of calm voices, “Okay, they are unlocked now” and then “we’re upstairs”. People who are truly distraught don’t shift emotions so quickly.
Listen to the breaths Ryan makes into the phone. It doesn’t sound like it is going into his wife’s chest, does it? If you’ve done CPR, even if only on a dummy, it doesn’t sounds like this! Hello!
The dispatcher doesn’t pick up on the fact Ryan was doing CPR just there with those breaths and says, “Ryan I need you to put down the phone for me and do CPR, okay?” Ryan responds, “Yes, I am.”
Doing CPR and holding the phone are not very compatible. Ryan thought he was doing CPR…maybe to the phone he was, but not to his wife.
We then hear Ryan in the background going “Come on, man…come on…” and then the call ends. He must think CPR is two breaths and that’s it. He couldn’t be more against saving his wife than he displayed in this call. Something is very wrong.
I think the jury got it right. There are way too many red flags in this 911 call for me!!
