8 years since Pike County massacre: Where the case stands now

THE WAY. JUSTICE DELAYED AGAIN. MEMBERS OF THE RHODEN FAMILY JUST FURIOUS TONIGHT AFTER LEARNING THE FOURTH AND FINAL SUSPECT IN THE PIKE COUNTY MASSACRE, WILL NOT GO ON TRIAL AS SCHEDULED. THIS MAY. THANKS FOR JOINING US TONIGHT AT 5:00. I’M SHEREE PAOLELLO AND I’M MIKE DARDIS WLWT NEWS FIVE’S KARIN JOHNSON IN THE COURTROOM TODAY. WHEN THE DEFENSE ASKED FOR A CONTINUANCE. AND SHE’S LIVE RIGHT NOW FOR US IN PIKE COUNTY WITH ALL OF THE DETAILS. HI, KAREN. YEAH. GOOD EVENING. MIKE. TENSE MOMENTS INSIDE THE COURTROOM HERE IN PIKE COUNTY WHEN THE JUDGE GRANTED THE DEFENSE’S REQUEST. WILMA MCCOY, A MEMBER OF THE RHODEN FAMILY, SHE STOOD UP, STORMED OUT, EXTREMELY UPSET. YOU KNOW, SHE TAKES ONE DAY AT A TIME, ONE ONE DAY AT A TIME. AND NOW WILMA MCCOY WORRIES EVEN MORE FOR HER MOTHER, GENEVA RHODEN, THE MATRIARCH OF THE RHODEN FAMILY. I GOT TO GO TELL MY MOM THAT IT’S NOT TILL JANUARY OF 2025, ALMOST NINE YEARS, ALMOST NINE YEARS. WE WILL BE IN A DECADE BEFORE THEY’RE ALL FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED IN APRIL OF 2016. THE RODENTS LOST EIGHT MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILY. THEY WERE ALL SHOT EXECUTION STYLE IN ONE NIGHT. IT TOOK MORE THAN TWO YEARS FOR FOUR MEMBERS OF THE WAGNER FAMILY TO BE INDICTED IN CONNECTION TO THE MURDERS ANGELA, HER HUSBAND BILLY AND THEIR SONS GEORGE AND JAKE, ANGELA AND JAKE TOOK PLEA DEALS, AGREEING TO TESTIFY AGAINST THEIR LOVED ONES. GEORGE WENT TO TRIAL AND WAS FOUND GUILTY. BILLY’S CASE IS THE ONLY ONE STILL MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE COURTS. HIS TRIAL HAD BEEN SCHEDULED TO START MAY 6TH. WE LOOKED AT EVERYTHING REALISTICALLY AND WE WE JUST CAN’T BE READY FOR THAT. MAY 6TH DATE TODAY, DEFENSE ATTORNEYS ASKED FOR A CONTINUANCE. ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS IS STILL RECOVERING FROM A KNEE REPLACEMENT. ANOTHER IS ON MATERNITY LEAVE, AND THEY SAY THEY JUST RECEIVED 16,000 PAGES OF TRANSCRIPTS THAT HAVE TO BE REVIEWED. WE COULD DESPERATELY TRY TO GET READY FOR THE MAY 6TH DATE, BUT WHEN WE BOTH TALKED TO EACH OTHER, IT WAS KIND OF CLEAR THAT WE’RE NOT GOING TO GET THERE. DESPITE THE PROSECUTOR’S OBJECTION, THE JUDGE GRANTED THE REQUEST. I JUST FEEL LIKE THAT OUR FAMILY’S CASE, THIS ONE ESPECIALLY, HAS BEEN PUT ON THE BACK BURNER. MCCOY, MOSTLY CONCERNED FOR HER MOTHER, WHO HAS TO WAIT LONGER FOR JUSTICE NOW. SHE HAS TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR. WILL SHE MAKE IT? THE NEW TRIAL DATE, NOW SET TO BEGIN JANUARY SIXTH, 2025. I DID ASK DEFENSE ATTORNEYS, WHAT ABOUT A PLEA DEAL? ARE THERE TALKS? IS IT A POSSIBILITY THEY TELL ME NOTHING IS OFF THE TABLE. HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO ONGOING TALKS OR ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS AT THIS TIME. REPORTING LIVE TONIG

Eight years after the murder of 8 family members in a small Ohio community, the case of the Pike County killings is still being played out in the courtroom.It's been dubbed as the largest murder investigation in Ohio. The victims — Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 20; Dana Lynn Rhoden, 37; Gary Rhoden, 38; Hanna May Rhoden, 19; Hannah Gilley, 20; Kenneth Rhoden, 44; and Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16 were all shot and killed in or near their four homes in April 2016. Four members of an associated family, George “Billy” Wagner, his wife Angela, and their sons George, and Edward “Jake” Wagner were all accused of their murders.All four Wagners were hit with a slew of charges, including eight counts each of aggravated murder, as well as charges of conspiracy, tampering with evidence and aggravated burglary.Angela Wagner and Jake Wagner took plea deals. They pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated murder and other charges in a plea deal to avoid the death penalty.In 2022, a jury found George Wagner guilty for his role in the crime, including eight aggravated murder charges. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.Last month, the final trial for the patriarch of the Wagner family, George "Billy" Wagner, was pushed back to 2025. In October, Judge R. Alan Corbin said Wagner's trial date is set for May 6, 2024.Last month, Wagner's defense requested the trial date be pushed back.Defense attorney Mark Collins says things came up, saying another attorney had a knee replacement and just recently received 16,000 pages of transcripts and another attorney just had a baby. Prosecutor Angela Canepa objected to the defense's request for a continuance, stating all of the state's witnesses are ready for a May trial date.Judge Alan Corbin stated he is going to need to review the 16,000 pages as well and said he understands the issues that have kept defense attorneys away from work.Corbin granted the continuance, setting a firm trial date for Jan. 6, 2025.

PIKE COUNTY, Ohio —

Eight years after the murder of 8 family members in a small Ohio community, the case of the Pike County killings is still being played out in the courtroom.

It's been dubbed as the largest murder investigation in Ohio.

The victims — Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 20; Dana Lynn Rhoden, 37; Gary Rhoden, 38; Hanna May Rhoden, 19; Hannah Gilley, 20; Kenneth Rhoden, 44; and Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16 were all shot and killed in or near their four homes in April 2016.

Four members of an associated family, George “Billy” Wagner, his wife Angela, and their sons George, and Edward “Jake” Wagner were all accused of their murders.

All four Wagners were hit with a slew of charges, including eight counts each of aggravated murder, as well as charges of conspiracy, tampering with evidence and aggravated burglary.

Angela Wagner and Jake Wagner took plea deals. They pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated murder and other charges in a plea deal to avoid the death penalty.

In 2022, a jury found George Wagner guilty for his role in the crime, including eight aggravated murder charges. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Last month, the final trial for the patriarch of the Wagner family, George "Billy" Wagner, was pushed back to 2025.

In October, Judge R. Alan Corbin said Wagner's trial date is set for May 6, 2024.

Last month, Wagner's defense requested the trial date be pushed back.

Defense attorney Mark Collins says things came up, saying another attorney had a knee replacement and just recently received 16,000 pages of transcripts and another attorney just had a baby.

Prosecutor Angela Canepa objected to the defense's request for a continuance, stating all of the state's witnesses are ready for a May trial date.

Judge Alan Corbin stated he is going to need to review the 16,000 pages as well and said he understands the issues that have kept defense attorneys away from work.

Corbin granted the continuance, setting a firm trial date for Jan. 6, 2025.

8 years since Pike County massacre: Where the case stands now

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