Judge: Even with GPS, accused wife killer cannot attend daughter's wedding in Georgia

Bob Ward awaiting re-trail in wife's murder; judge denies request to leave state

Bob Ward.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Orange County Circuit judge ruled Thursday that even if the Isleworth millionaire awaiting a re-trial in his wife's death has a GPS tracking device he still cannot attend his daughter's wedding in Georgia.

Robert “Bob” Ward is awaiting his second murder trial in the 2009 death of his wife, Diane Ward. A judge said Tuesday that his new trial will begin Feb. 6. Ward was sentenced in 2011 to 30 years in prison in the shooting death of his wife inside their mansion, but an appeals court reversed the conviction last year.

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Ward was released in August, after posting a $1 million bond, officials said. As part of his release conditions, Ward turned over his passport and checks in with a bondsman every Wednesday.

Earlier this week, Ninth Judicial Circuit Judge Leticia Marques denied Ward's request to attend his youngest daughter's wedding and related events near Atlanta for about a week in November.

When Marques first denied the motion, she expressed concern about Ward traveling without a GPS monitoring device and instructed the defense to resubmit the request if they found a way to monitor ward while he was in Georgia.

On Tuesday, Ward's attorney's filed another motion which said Ward is now wearing a GPS monitoring device, which will be tracked through satellite technology anywhere in the world.

The defense counsel asked the State of Florida to reconsider Ward's request to attend his daughter's wedding in Georgia.

"Mr. Ward and his family are hopeful that his newly installed and operational GPS monitoring will address this Court’s concerns and provide this Court with all the assurances it needs to allow Mr. Ward to travel to Georgia to attend his daughter’s wedding," according to the motion.

On Thursday, Marques again denied Ward's request to leave the state.

Editor's note: This story was updated to reflect that the judge denied the request again after Ward obtained a GPS device.


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