“Crime News At MJP”
Van Wert — A preliminary hearing for Larry Andrus, who is accused of killing a fellow county resident last year, was set for Wednesday, October 2nd, in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.
After lawyers met privately with Judge Martin Burchfield to review a motion that defense counsel Barry Schroeder submitted on August 8, the pretrial hearing that was supposed to take place on Wednesday morning never happened.
This case involves the defense’s request for expert testimony from Chris Ulrich, the assistant van Wert county coroner. The material at issue is “new to the defense and the state… which could result in a prejudicial effect to the defendant,” as disclosed in court records.
A report must be prepared and submitted to the court by Ulrich within 30 days.
Andrus is being held on suspicion in connection with the death of 54-year-old Roy Watts of Van Wert. Watts was discovered deceased after an incident at his residence on South Vine Street in Van Wert on September 30, 2023.
Upon further investigation, the Lucas County Coroner’s Office determined that Watts’ death was a homicide, confirming the previous “suspicious” status of the matter. The police now suspect that Andrus, 48, was involved in Watts’ death after an inquiry revealed his possible involvement.
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The Van Wert resident was indicted by a grand jury on November 2, 2023, for multiple counts of murder, manslaughter (voluntary and involuntary), strangling, and felonious assault.
A few days down the road, Andrus was taken into custody at a Dade County, Florida, bus stop and taken to the Van Wert County imprisonment.
