The estranged wife of Zach Oyler testified in divorce proceedings that the Peoria city councilman had physically and emotionally abused her during their marriage. Heather Oyler said under oath in Peoria County Court that , echoing accusations she made on her blog earlier this year. She also reiterated a claim that Oyler so she could not be found by investigators while he was being prosecuted in a domestic violence case.
However, Zach Oyler was not asked about the alleged abuse when he took the witness stand under a barrage of questioning from Heather Oyler's attorney, Norman McGill. In the , Zach Oyler agreed to a rarely used Alford Plea. He was ordered to pay fines and be under court supervision.
In an Alford Plea, the defendant but also recognizes there is enough evidence that could convince a judge or jury to find the defendant guilty. "Divorce is a painful experience for all involved and even more challenging to live it out in public," Zach Oyler said in a statement to the Journal Star about the divorce proceedings. "There are most certainly two sides to every story and unfortunately there was not time for my side to be heard on Tuesday.
Heather's testimony was filled with inaccuracies as even others involved will attest. There is no doubt this marriage and lengthy multi-year divorce process has created significant financial burden which I alone have been diligently working to resolve. "It is not my character to publicly speak negatively of someone else and I will continu.