Ralph Fisher A Free Man
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The six-man, six-woman jury deliberated about 1-1/2 hours before returning to the Kosciusko Circuit Court, where Judge Rex Reed read the verdict of not guilty.
Fisher, 47, of Goshen, was charged with murder in the Jan. 15, 2001, shooting death of 48-year-old Kathy Vroman of Milford inside the Country Car Co., a Milford business owned by Jason Fisher.
Fisher began to cry as the verdict was announced, and his wife and stepdaughters also shed tears as shouts of triumph were given by many of his nearly two dozen supporters in the courtroom. Fisher then wrapped his attorney, Thomas Leatherman of Goshen, into a bear hug. Afterward, Fisher spoke about the circumstances surrounding the murder charge.
"I'm angry about what my son has done to me and (my wife) Ramona," he said, "but I still love him. He's still my son." The family is planning a "getting out" party for Ralph Fisher, although he doesn't expect his son to be there. "I'm so happy this is over and all I want to do is go home with my loving wife tonight."
Originally, Fisher's son, Jason Fisher, 24, of Millersburg, was charged with Vroman's murder. However, in December, Jason Fisher turned the focus of the investigation on his father when he implicated Ralph Fisher as the shooter. Jason Fisher spent 10 months in the Kosciusko County Jail before accusing his father of the murder.
Ralph Fisher said he has had no communication with his son since his Jan. 3 arrest. Jason Fisher was released from incarceration, pending trial, but said Wednesday that the murder charge is to be dismissed in exchange for his testimony.
Kosciusko County Prosecutor Charles Waggoner confirmed at the conclusion of the trial that the murder charge against Jason Fisher will be dismissed as stipulated. Waggoner said the dismissal will come after Jason Fisher's testimony is compared to the polygraph examination Jason Fisher passed, and that led to Ralph Fisher's arrest, to make sure they are consistent. The charge will be dismissed "with prejudice," which means it cannot be refiled at a later date.
When asked who he believed killed Kathy Vroman, Waggoner said, "I prosecuted the guy I thought shot Kathy Vroman."
Waggoner said he had two polygraph examiners check the test Jason Fisher passed in his attorney's office prior to the Dec. 6 statement taken from that polygraph that became the basis for the probable cause affidavit in Ralph Fisher's case.
Jason Fisher remains charged with burglary and auto theft in connection with the December 2000 break-in to Rice Ford, where more than $100,000 worth of vehicles was taken. Investigators said the auto thefts were the reason Kathy Vroman was killed and William Vroman was expected to be killed.
William Vroman; Lawrence Grant of Shipshewana; and George Aldrich of Etna Green, were convicted of burglary and theft charges for their roles in the auto thefts. Grant also was convicted of unlawful movement of a body.
Ralph Fisher was originally charged with assisting a criminal and unlawful movement of a body and later with conspiracy to obstruct justice. All of those charges were subsequently dismissed.
Jason Fisher said Ralph Fisher planned the murders over a $900 debt William Vroman owed him and for which William Vroman testified the two men worked out a deal to repay.
During his closing statement, Leatherman painted a picture of Jason Fisher as "a controlling, lying, spoiled brat" who "has figured out a way to control every person in his life," from his mother establishing a credit line for his business, to his father giving him inventory for his business, money for a down payment on his house, office furniture and use of a credit card, his stepmother cashing in her retirement account to pay for his attorney and getting the guys that work for him "to do everything for him."
"After all that, he blames his crime on his father," Leatherman said. "What a sick kid."
Leatherman said Jason Fisher also is controlling law enforcement in Kosciusko County because Waggoner and Milford Town Marshal Dave Hobbs believe him. "And he wants to control you," Leatherman told the jurors. "He got up on that stand and told so many lies ... They believe him," Leatherman said, pointing at Waggoner and Hobbs. "They're letting the murderer go."
As far as the state's failure to disprove the Ralph Fisher's alibi defense, Leatherman said, "This is a road map to murder and they had it in their hands."
The alibi defense was filed on March 1 and Waggoner said after the trial that not only is it difficult to investigate an alibi, but also that 17 days wasn't a lot of time to do it.
Leatherman said he is required by law to file a notice of alibi prior to trial "so that they can check it out. That's what they're supposed to do so we don't have to go through these charades."
He said Jason Fisher lied about many things, including who the gun belonged to and where it was kept, what time things happened, how many telephone calls were made and by whom and his downplaying of his interest in the HBO series "The Sopranos," which was his favorite television show and Leather claimed Jason Fisher aspired to be like the mafia family members portrayed in the program.
"We refuted every one of Jason's denials with statements from witnesses," Leatherman said. "There are two sides to this case. One side is Jason Fisher and the other side is everybody else. To convict Fred of anything ... you have to believe Jason Fisher and disbelieve everybody else."
"He didn't do anything but try and help his son," Ramona Fisher said about her husband Friday afternoon.
Ralph Fisher said that he plans to pursue a notice of tort claim against Hobbs and the town of Milford that alleges he was unlawfully arrested and detained and claims battery, destruction of property and destruction of health, among other issues. He said he hopes to retain Leatherman for that legal matter. "I wouldn't miss it for the world," Leatherman said.
William Vroman's father, Gordy Vroman, was the only person in the courtroom representing Kathy Vroman, whom he said he considered "more of a daughter than a daughter-in-law."
After the verdict was announced, he said he was "OK" with it. Gordy Vroman believes Jason Fisher committed the murder and was not upset that Ralph Fisher was acquitted of the charge. [[In-content Ad]]
The six-man, six-woman jury deliberated about 1-1/2 hours before returning to the Kosciusko Circuit Court, where Judge Rex Reed read the verdict of not guilty.
Fisher, 47, of Goshen, was charged with murder in the Jan. 15, 2001, shooting death of 48-year-old Kathy Vroman of Milford inside the Country Car Co., a Milford business owned by Jason Fisher.
Fisher began to cry as the verdict was announced, and his wife and stepdaughters also shed tears as shouts of triumph were given by many of his nearly two dozen supporters in the courtroom. Fisher then wrapped his attorney, Thomas Leatherman of Goshen, into a bear hug. Afterward, Fisher spoke about the circumstances surrounding the murder charge.
"I'm angry about what my son has done to me and (my wife) Ramona," he said, "but I still love him. He's still my son." The family is planning a "getting out" party for Ralph Fisher, although he doesn't expect his son to be there. "I'm so happy this is over and all I want to do is go home with my loving wife tonight."
Originally, Fisher's son, Jason Fisher, 24, of Millersburg, was charged with Vroman's murder. However, in December, Jason Fisher turned the focus of the investigation on his father when he implicated Ralph Fisher as the shooter. Jason Fisher spent 10 months in the Kosciusko County Jail before accusing his father of the murder.
Ralph Fisher said he has had no communication with his son since his Jan. 3 arrest. Jason Fisher was released from incarceration, pending trial, but said Wednesday that the murder charge is to be dismissed in exchange for his testimony.
Kosciusko County Prosecutor Charles Waggoner confirmed at the conclusion of the trial that the murder charge against Jason Fisher will be dismissed as stipulated. Waggoner said the dismissal will come after Jason Fisher's testimony is compared to the polygraph examination Jason Fisher passed, and that led to Ralph Fisher's arrest, to make sure they are consistent. The charge will be dismissed "with prejudice," which means it cannot be refiled at a later date.
When asked who he believed killed Kathy Vroman, Waggoner said, "I prosecuted the guy I thought shot Kathy Vroman."
Waggoner said he had two polygraph examiners check the test Jason Fisher passed in his attorney's office prior to the Dec. 6 statement taken from that polygraph that became the basis for the probable cause affidavit in Ralph Fisher's case.
Jason Fisher remains charged with burglary and auto theft in connection with the December 2000 break-in to Rice Ford, where more than $100,000 worth of vehicles was taken. Investigators said the auto thefts were the reason Kathy Vroman was killed and William Vroman was expected to be killed.
William Vroman; Lawrence Grant of Shipshewana; and George Aldrich of Etna Green, were convicted of burglary and theft charges for their roles in the auto thefts. Grant also was convicted of unlawful movement of a body.
Ralph Fisher was originally charged with assisting a criminal and unlawful movement of a body and later with conspiracy to obstruct justice. All of those charges were subsequently dismissed.
Jason Fisher said Ralph Fisher planned the murders over a $900 debt William Vroman owed him and for which William Vroman testified the two men worked out a deal to repay.
During his closing statement, Leatherman painted a picture of Jason Fisher as "a controlling, lying, spoiled brat" who "has figured out a way to control every person in his life," from his mother establishing a credit line for his business, to his father giving him inventory for his business, money for a down payment on his house, office furniture and use of a credit card, his stepmother cashing in her retirement account to pay for his attorney and getting the guys that work for him "to do everything for him."
"After all that, he blames his crime on his father," Leatherman said. "What a sick kid."
Leatherman said Jason Fisher also is controlling law enforcement in Kosciusko County because Waggoner and Milford Town Marshal Dave Hobbs believe him. "And he wants to control you," Leatherman told the jurors. "He got up on that stand and told so many lies ... They believe him," Leatherman said, pointing at Waggoner and Hobbs. "They're letting the murderer go."
As far as the state's failure to disprove the Ralph Fisher's alibi defense, Leatherman said, "This is a road map to murder and they had it in their hands."
The alibi defense was filed on March 1 and Waggoner said after the trial that not only is it difficult to investigate an alibi, but also that 17 days wasn't a lot of time to do it.
Leatherman said he is required by law to file a notice of alibi prior to trial "so that they can check it out. That's what they're supposed to do so we don't have to go through these charades."
He said Jason Fisher lied about many things, including who the gun belonged to and where it was kept, what time things happened, how many telephone calls were made and by whom and his downplaying of his interest in the HBO series "The Sopranos," which was his favorite television show and Leather claimed Jason Fisher aspired to be like the mafia family members portrayed in the program.
"We refuted every one of Jason's denials with statements from witnesses," Leatherman said. "There are two sides to this case. One side is Jason Fisher and the other side is everybody else. To convict Fred of anything ... you have to believe Jason Fisher and disbelieve everybody else."
"He didn't do anything but try and help his son," Ramona Fisher said about her husband Friday afternoon.
Ralph Fisher said that he plans to pursue a notice of tort claim against Hobbs and the town of Milford that alleges he was unlawfully arrested and detained and claims battery, destruction of property and destruction of health, among other issues. He said he hopes to retain Leatherman for that legal matter. "I wouldn't miss it for the world," Leatherman said.
William Vroman's father, Gordy Vroman, was the only person in the courtroom representing Kathy Vroman, whom he said he considered "more of a daughter than a daughter-in-law."
After the verdict was announced, he said he was "OK" with it. Gordy Vroman believes Jason Fisher committed the murder and was not upset that Ralph Fisher was acquitted of the charge. [[In-content Ad]]