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A renowned Ohio anesthesiologist, Dr. Mark Wangler, was convicted in the 2006 Labor Day weekend tragedy of carbon monoxide poisoning that killed his wife, Kathy Wangler, in their Lima home. The conviction, which came about three years later after the wife's death, gave rise to a great deal of controversy, given that many asserted his innocence while others believed he was to blame.
On Wednesday, Oxygen's Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will revisit the case that surrounds Dr. Mark Wangler and his wife, Kathy Wangler. The episode, titled Deadly Exposure, will air on September 7, 2022, at 8:00 pm ET, exposing shocking details about the former couple's strained marriage and the events that occurred in the years that followed the tragic Labor Day "accident."
This article will further discuss the details of the incident in question that killed Mark Wangler's wife and his ultimate and contested conviction.
Dr. Mark Wangler maintains his innocence in wife's carbon monoxide poisoning death
Kathy Wangler, 48, tragically died from carbon monoxide poisoning in her Lima, Ohio, home, where she lived with her husband, Dr. Mark Wangler, during Labor Day weekend in 2006.
Dr. Wangler was found guilty by a jury after a trial in 2011, years after the incident originally occurred. He remains incarcerated at Ohio's Marion Correctional Institution, serving a 25-year jail term even after maintaining his innocence to date. His family believes he was wrongfully convicted. The current wife, Esther Wangler, reportedly claimed that the prosecution,
" withheld the fact that they had these samples from the defense, even though they're required by law to disclose any exculpatory evidence to us."
Dr. Wangler claims that Kathy's death was an unfortunate mishap due to a defective water heater lodged in their basement. However, investigators and the victim's family had reason to believe otherwise.
Following Kathy's demise, Mark began dating an old friend, Esther Erkman. The two eventually got married around 14 months later. Mark soon confessed that the latter years of his marriage to Kathy had been particularly challenging. He asserted that they were consulting a marriage counselor and sleeping in separate rooms but had not discussed divorce.
A strained marriage may have led to Kathy Wangler's suspicious death
Kathy Wangler, according to husband Mark, had a hidden bank account, consisting of over $16,000 from their joint account. He also discovered an additional $60,000 in credit card debt that he was unaware of.
In an interview with CBS 48 Hours, Mark Said,
"I came to find that there was about another $60,000 worth of credit card debt that I had not been aware of."
Diane, Kathy's sister, allegedly stated that the mother-of-two confided in her about the problems she was having in her marriage to husband Mark Wangler. The cops were also suspicious of Mark's overall demeanor during the initial stages of the investigation. They believe it was too fortunate that Mark survived the incident while Kathy died in the same house.
Gas company workers examined the water heater and the furnace during the inquiry but were unable to find any problems because neither equipment was emitting excessive amounts of CO. This called into question Mark's claim that the heater malfunctioned. The prosecution suspected he murdered Kathy in order to escape divorce, which was not ideal for a righteous guy in a religious society.
Lt. Clyde Breitigan reported that,
"They examined and tested the water heater, the furnace They could not find anything malfunctioning."
All about Dr. Mark Wangler's current whereabouts
Police detained Mark Wangler following a three-year investigation because they had reason to believe that he had pumped exhaust from an engine in the garage into the room where Kathy Wangler was peacefully sleeping that night. Mark's current wife Esther Wangler and his son, Aaron, believe that he is innocent.
However, Sara Schlarman, the victim's mother, made a statement, saying
"Mark, you senselessly robbed Kathy of her many most precious moments; her two sons, Nathan and Aaron. She worshipped them, did everything in the world for them."
During the trial, investigators involved along with the prosecution asserted that the vehicle exhaust was maliciously diverted into air ducts to induce CO poisoning.
Speaking about the trial, wife Esther Wangler reportedly stated:
"I really don't think the jury understood the instructions fully about 'beyond a reasonable doubt.' There's a great deal of theatrics, a great deal of bias in the investigation that continued into the courtroom."
Mark's son Aaron added:
"I don't feel like, Esther said, people really understood the science behind it. With our test witnesses and everything, I just feel like the jury didn't even comprehend what they were saying and even get the logic behind it. And it's just hard to still face the facts of what's happening with our lives."
As previously stated, Mark was convicted of aggravated murder in March 2011 and given a 25-year prison sentence. Sources state that Dr. Mark Wangler remains detained at Ohio's Marion Correctional Institution, only to be eligible for parole in 2036.
Learn more about Dr. Mark Wangler's controversial and disputed trial on Dateline: Secret Uncovered's upcoming episode, which is scheduled to air this Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at 8 pm ET.
