Widmer is on trial for a third time in Warren County and he faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted. The two other trials were declared mistrials and Widmer did not take the stand in either.
The defense showed the jurors Widmer’s in-court reaction to being found guilty in the first murder trial, in which he tearfully told the sentencing judge, “I loved 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 didn’t do anything. If I knew the answer I would give the answer. I was not in the bathroom.”
The defense played that segment and a few other clips from the show to demonstrate Jennifer Crew, a witness who testified Widmer confessed to her that he killed his wife, could have gained information from the TV show.
Crew, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, told jurors last week that an inebriated Widmer confessed to her that he killed his wife after they got in an argument. Crew started communicating with Widmer following the “Dateline NBC” show’s airing.
Chris Kist, who has been friends with Widmer for 12 years and was a college roommate, contradicted Crew’s testimony when he told the jury Wednesday he was with Widmer on Oct. 26, 2009, the night of the alleged confession.
Kist said he was there to move some furniture at Widmer’s mother’s house in Mason. He said Widmer wasn’t drinking and didn’t seem upset that night.
Legal expert Ian Friedman said Widmer still might take the stand, despite the jury having heard him emphatically deny killing his wife.
“The playing of the Dateline snippets has to be taken in conjunction with all of the evidence,” he said. “If defense counsel believes that the jury has heard enough to find that reasonable doubt exists, they may opt not to call Mr. Widmer on his own behalf.”
Several friends and co-workers testified Widmer did not have issues with anger, alcohol or other vices.
Shirley Bonekemper, the former executive director of the Warren County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, said Widmer was a model employee.
Amy Karbiac, who went to dental hygiene school with Sarah Widmer, testified she talked to her friend the night of her death and she had a headache. When prosecutors asked her if Sarah Widmer fell asleep in inappropriate places, Karbiac said no.
However, Widmer’s friend Zack Zoz, an attorney, told a different tale. He said Widmer’s wife would doze off in crowded, noisy bars and at pregame tailgate parties at Paul Brown Stadium
“We thought it was kind of funny at that point,” he said. “Now it’s not.”
Patty Kroger, one of Sarah Widmer’s co-workers at the dental office in Fort Mitchell, Ky. said she was annoyed that Sarah Widmer often took naps in her car before starting her day at work and at lunch. She said Sarah suffered from frequent migraines and stomach pains at work but admitted she never had to schedule a fill-in for her co-worker.
Kroger supplied the defense a copy of a medical record Sarah Widmer filled out that indicated she had a childhood heart murmur. During testimony, Kroger admitted the record was created as part of a software training exercise.
Jurors were shown new photos, including one of the Widmers’ first dance at their wedding, which starkly depicts the height difference between the two. Another photo is of Sarah Widmer at her friend Dana Parker-Kist’s baby shower, where Sarah has the name badge “Sleeper” which friends have labeled her because of her odd sleep habits.
The jury heard from nine defense witnesses on Wednesday. More medical experts are expected to testify on Thursday. The trial won’t resume until 1:30 p.m.
The last thing the jury heard on Wednesday was Kist’s off hand comment when asked if he was at the Widmer home on Aug. 11, 2008 when Sarah Widmer died.
“I didn’t need to be there to know he didn’t do it,” Kist said before the judge ordered the jury to disregard the statement.
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4525 or dcallahan@coxohio.com.
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