Bob Ward jailhouse calls criticize judge, prosecutor, jury

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Eyewitness News has obtained jailhouse calls Bob Ward made to a family member after being convicted a second time of killing his wife.

Ward was retried and found guilty of manslaughter in February in the 2009 death of his wife, Diane Ward.

“I am (expletive). I mean, I am. I just lost the rest of my life,” Ward said in the call in February.

The former Isleworth millionaire's first conviction was overturned by an appeals court due to mistakes made by the defense during the first trial.

Channel 9's Shannon Butler listened to the jailhouse calls where Ward and his sister-in-law, Paula Saare, called the jury garbage.

“Never, never in a million years did I think you would have found six more stupid people in Orlando who would have convicted you,” the sister-in-law said.

“Well, they were stupider in the last bunch, I think,” Ward said.

Ward said the prosecutor, Will Jay, lied during closing arguments.

In the calls, Ward talked about how he asked for a mistrial more than once and hopes to file a direct appeal, but first, he needs to get through sentencing. He was supposed to be sentenced in late February, but it was rescheduled for May 3.

On the jail calls, Ward and his sister-in-law suggest one of the reasons for the delay was because of an outburst from one of his daughters after the guilty verdict when she yelled out, “It’s not fair.”

Ward called Circuit Judge Leticia Marques a (expletive) on the call and said he thinks the judge has it out for him.

“She can’t wait to sentence me for 25 years,” Ward said.

He faces up to 25 years in prison, but could get less.

Cox Media Group