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LEBANON — Bond was set at $1 million for a 27-year-old Hamilton Twp. man accused of drowning his wife in a bathtub.

Ryan K. Widmer, 27, was charged in Warren County Court with murder. He stands accused of drowning his 24-year-old wife, Sarah A. Widmer, in a bathtub at their home.

According to court documents filed after the arraignment, the victim's family requested that Widmer be released.

Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel said she was meeting with Sarah's family Thursday morning and that it would be premature to comment about the case.

Widmer turned himself in to Hamilton Twp. police Wednesday, Aug. 13, after learning he had been charged with murder.

Widmer initially told police that Sarah accidently drowned. He called 911 at 10:48 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11, and was trying to administer CPR when emergency workers arrived.

"My wife fell asleep in the bathtub and I think she's dead," Widmer said during the call. "I was downstairs and I just came up here and she was laying face-down in the bathtub."

Sarah Widmer was found naked in the bathtub and taken to Bethesda Arrow Springs in Lebanon and pronounced dead there.

Warren County Coroner Russell Uptegrove conducted an autopsy and determined Wednesday that drowning was the cause of death.

Despite Ryan's statements on the 911 recording that Sarah "falls asleep in the bathtub all the time," the coroner's chief investigator found inconsistencies in his statements.

"A healthy 24-year-old women doesn't just fall asleep in the bathroom," Doyle Burke said. "Someone like that doesn't drown without the intervention of another person."

Authorities suspect her death was not accidental because Sarah's body had "trauma that would not be consistent with any accident" and there were signs of the "use of violent force," Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel said at a press conference Wednesday.

Burke said Thursday that Ryan's statement has several inconsistencies that made them suspicions but could not elaborate on them further.

Hutzel and police declined to discuss other details of their investigation.

Sarah worked as a dental technician in Fort Thomas, Ky., and Ryan is a sales manager for the Warren County Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

According to court records, police executed a search warrant at the Widmer's house at 5250 Crested Owl Court in Hamilton Twp., but the search warrant has been sealed. The Widmers purchased the home in March 2007 for $192,704. They had no children.

Widmer's attorney Charlie Rittgers could not be reached for comment.

Investigators who took evidence from the couple's four-bedroom home said they found contradictions with Widmer's account of what happened.

Widmer's lawyer, Charlie Rittgers, said the two were not having trouble and he doesn't understand why investigators believe the death wasn't accidental.

The couple had been married about six months and had no documented history of domestic violence, Hutzel said. Rittgers said Widmer has no criminal record.