LEBANON - Ryan Widmer will get some public money to pay the fees for two expert witnesses in his upcoming third murder trial, but he won't get money for three others, a judge ruled Monday.

Widmer, 30, sought public funds, asserting he has exhausted his financial resources while defending himself against charges that he killed his wife, Sarah, 24, by drowning her in their Hamilton Township bathtub in 2008. After two mistrials, the case is headed for a third trial Jan. 18.

Judge Neal Bronson agreed to set aside $6,500 to pay for the time spent by Dr. Michael Balko, a Kentucky forensic pathologist who specializes in study of brain problems that can contribute to a person's death. He testified in Widmer's first trial but not in the second trial. In the third trial, he is expected to testify about his examination of tissue slides that were obtained during Warren County Coroner Dr. Russell Uptegrove's autopsy of Sarah Widmer in 2008.