OH - Pike County: 8 people from one family dead as police hunt for killer(s) #8

Ohio family massacre highlights rural region’s ties to illegal drugs
POSTED 6:00 PM, MAY 1, 2016, BY CNNWIRE


link

The gruesome slayings have rattled this southeast corner of Appalachian Ohio, a region that culturally identifies more closely with neighboring Kentucky and West Virginia than the state’s northern cities. As U.S. 23 leads away from Columbus, business parks and strip malls give way to lush stretches of farmland dotted with old farmhouses and rusted silos. Farther south into the Appalachian foothills, churches, pickup trucks and Confederate flags become more common.

[...]

Adding to the shock was the discovery of hundreds of illegal marijuana plants on Rhoden’s property, highlighting the region’s dependency on the illegal drug trade as jobs in agriculture and timber have dried up.

No one has been arrested, and law enforcement has kept a tight lid on the investigation. What little is known has raised more questions than answers.

[...]

“The family that I knew could not have been involved in that,” said friend Heather Romine of Waverly, the next town over. She met Dana Rhoden while working in a nursing home years ago and they became friends. “It’s just so out of character for them. I don’t think it’s plausible.”

Pike County’s ties to the drug trade

The killings have cast a spotlight on the remote region’s ties to the drug trade, thanks to its obscured terrain and U.S. 23, the north-south highway that splits Pike County in two.

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PIKE COUNTY, Ohio (WSAZ) -- The names and dates of birth for the eight victims killed in execution-style murders in Pike County, Ohio Friday have been released. The names are as follows:

• Hannah Gilley, DOB 02/28/1996
• Christopher Rhoden, Sr., DOB 09/17/1975
• Christopher Rhoden, Jr., DOB 11/04/1999
• Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, DOB 08/10/1995
• Dana Rhoden, DOB 08/29/1978
• Gary Rhoden, DOB 12/19/1977
• Hanna Rhoden, DOB 04/07/1997
• Kenneth Rhoden, DOB 03/30/1972

http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Inv...376728131.html (this link also contains audio of the 911 calls)

PRESSER: APRIL 27, 2016

MOD NOTE: Tricia has given permission for sleuths to discuss the criminal records of the family members who were murdered. In light of the grow operations they may be very relevant. Please refrain from posting criminal histories of other individuals who have not been named persons of interest or suspects by LE or simply because they have the last name of the victims or may be a distant cousin or aunt. Stick with the victims for now. That may change as more develops on this case.

MOD NOTE: Please don't speculate about the current custody of the minor children who were left alive. It is a blessing they are alive. If posting snips from articles regarding the children please redact their names. These babes are innocents. one day they will google their names. And plenty will come up. Thanks.

Rules Etiquette & Information


CASE NOTES (courtesy of cujenn81) this link contains locations, distance, victim info, relationships and more.

MEDIA LINKS NO DISCUSSION

CASE MAP (courtesy of K.L.Puyallup)

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Is anyone else having trouble with the case map link by K L Puyallup?

04009margaret said:

Is anyone else having trouble with the case map link by K L Puyallup?

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I can get to it

04009margaret said:

Is anyone else having trouble with the case map link by K L Puyallup?

Click to expand...

I see it on my iPhone

ohreally said:

Would it be unusual to hear four to five shots if someone was shooting at a wild animal in the middle of the night? I ask this because I wonder if FR's house was hit first is it possible that the shots were heard at CRsr's home but they thought nothing of it and so they didn't react and arm themselves?

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You also cannot discount the possibility of a suppressed smaller caliber handgun, something like a .40 or 9mm, which likely would not have audibly carried to another dwelling. But that suggests a higher order of battle beyond a home grown spree killer. If you have a few months and a few hundred dollars, most people eligible to possess a firearm can legally purchase a suppressor. Not saying one was used here, just that it is a possibility, like anything else. I suppose one could also use a pillow or cushion as a poor man's sound muffler.

How do we know the infants were 'spared' as opposed to just being overlooked in the dark? I see nothing in the way of any mercy displayed by this monster. To say the killer shot the mother of a new baby but spared the child is a perverse mutation of any compassion that I know of. Until someone says otherwise, overlooked is my operative word.

This case is just over the top in so many ways...

I have questions for those who have alluded to me being out there with my gang theory. And to the ones who keep saying IJ has been cleared. Why is it so crazy to think that a person who flashes gang signs and wears gang symbols would keep with his gang code of not letting an insult go unpunished? Where is the link or info that says he's been cleared? By his own admission he is a suspect. LE searched his house, took his clothes and took his cellphones. When asked why, he blames it on baby mamas. Really! So the number one reason your a suspect doesn't come to mind? you have to blame it on baby mamas. I also do not like how he repeats what everybody says about Dana Rhoden, I'll give you the shirt off my back. His responses are not sincere to me. I just don't understand how it's crazy to discuss this guy but not crazy to discuss DS?? http://myfox28columbus.com/news/loc...ction-with-rhoden-murders-maintains-innocence

Stippling said:

You also cannot discount the possibility of a suppressed smaller caliber handgun, something like a .40 or 9mm, which likely would not have audibly carried to another dwelling. But that suggests a higher order of battle beyond a home grown spree killer. If you have a few months and a few hundred dollars, most people eligible to possess a firearm can legally purchase a suppressor. Not saying one was used here, just that it is a possibility, like anything else. I suppose one could also use a pillow or cushion as a poor man's sound muffler.

How do we know the infants were 'spared' as opposed to just being overlooked in the dark? I see nothing in the way of any mercy displayed by this monster. To say the killer shot the mother of a new baby but spared the child is a perverse mutation of any compassion that I know of. Until someone says otherwise, overlooked is my operative word.

This case is just over the top in so many ways...

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When a case goes quiet like this one, it happens a lot that people tend to get rather adamant about their theory being correct - it just gets difficult in the insane amount of speculation to remember that's all it is, speculation.
That includes things like 'they must have heard the gun shots' or 'the babies were spared'. Spared implying (IMO) that it was on purpose. But we do not know that. Yes, the little ones lived.... thankfully! But take just Hanna's case - she was shot multiple times. The baby was right next to her. It had to have blood on it (I hate saying 'it' and I know the gender is known, but I don't want to use it for privacy reasons). There's no way to know (for us, I'm sure LE knows) if maybe the baby was grazed by a bullet, or even if one of the shots was meant for the baby. Or overlooked, like you said. We can guess on probability, but we don't know.

Same as with 'they had to have heard the shots'. My ex-husband was an avid hunter but you could fire a gun next to him if he was sleeping and he'd sleep right through it. There were many men in his family that would sleep through anything. I'm not convinced anyone would have heard anything. If anyone, IMO Hannah would have. She was likely the most 'programmed' to wake up with the kids and hear their noises.

Speculation is all we can do here but sometimes it tends to get odd when cases go so quiet and we're desperate for news.

Stippling said:

You also cannot discount the possibility of a suppressed smaller caliber handgun, something like a .40 or 9mm, which likely would not have audibly carried to another dwelling. But that suggests a higher order of battle beyond a home grown spree killer. If you have a few months and a few hundred dollars, most people eligible to possess a firearm can legally purchase a suppressor. Not saying one was used here, just that it is a possibility, like anything else. I suppose one could also use a pillow or cushion as a poor man's sound muffler.

How do we know the infants were 'spared' as opposed to just being overlooked in the dark? I see nothing in the way of any mercy displayed by this monster. To say the killer shot the mother of a new baby but spared the child is a perverse mutation of any compassion that I know of. Until someone says otherwise, overlooked is my operative word.

This case is just over the top in so many ways...

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I don't think they were spared either, murder 8 people and spare the children? I think not. jmo idk

04009margaret said:

Is anyone else having trouble with the case map link by K L Puyallup?

Click to expand...

Here's a quick link to a Google Maps version. Google Maps doesn't show correct addresses for these, but this is where the crime scenes are.

1 - Dana R & family
2- Chris R, Sr. & Gary
3- Frankie R & Hannah & children
4- Kenneth R



https://goo.gl/maps/EySBbJH4NHm

Libertasi said:

I have questions for those who have alluded to me being out there with my gang theory. And to the ones who keep saying IJ has been cleared. Why is it so crazy to think that a person who flashes gang signs and wears gang symbols would keep with his gang code of not letting an insult go unpunished? Where is the link or info that says he's been cleared? By his own admission he is a suspect. LE searched his house, took his clothes and took his cellphones. When asked why, he blames it on baby mamas. Really! So the number one reason your a suspect doesn't come to mind? you have to blame it on baby mamas. I also do not like how he repeats what everybody says about Dana Rhoden, I'll give you the shirt off my back. His responses are not sincere to me. I just don't understand how it's crazy to discuss this guy but not crazy to discuss DS?? http://myfox28columbus.com/news/loc...ction-with-rhoden-murders-maintains-innocence

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According to that interview, he says he's still considered a suspect. So we can discuss him here?

Libertasi said:

I have questions for those who have alluded to me being out there with my gang theory. And to the ones who keep saying IJ has been cleared. Why is it so crazy to think that a person who flashes gang signs and wears gang symbols would keep with his gang code of not letting an insult go unpunished? Where is the link or info that says he's been cleared? By his own admission he is a suspect. LE searched his house, took his clothes and took his cellphones. When asked why, he blames it on baby mamas. Really! So the number one reason your a suspect doesn't come to mind? you have to blame it on baby mamas. I also do not like how he repeats what everybody says about Dana Rhoden, I'll give you the shirt off my back. His responses are not sincere to me. I just don't understand how it's crazy to discuss this guy but not crazy to discuss DS?? http://myfox28columbus.com/news/loc...ction-with-rhoden-murders-maintains-innocence

Click to expand...

I agree. This is my #1 theory...and there's more than one guy who made threats against the Rhodens who's originally from Baltimore.

Libertasi said:

I have questions for those who have alluded to me being out there with my gang theory. And to the ones who keep saying IJ has been cleared. Why is it so crazy to think that a person who flashes gang signs and wears gang symbols would keep with his gang code of not letting an insult go unpunished? Where is the link or info that says he's been cleared? By his own admission he is a suspect. LE searched his house, took his clothes and took his cellphones. When asked why, he blames it on baby mamas. Really! So the number one reason your a suspect doesn't come to mind? you have to blame it on baby mamas. I also do not like how he repeats what everybody says about Dana Rhoden, I'll give you the shirt off my back. His responses are not sincere to me. I just don't understand how it's crazy to discuss this guy but not crazy to discuss DS?? http://myfox28columbus.com/news/loc...ction-with-rhoden-murders-maintains-innocence

Click to expand...

I understand where you're coming from. Obviously, LE decided he was a suspect, hence his detention, questioning, taking of DNA, prints, etc. But they released him for now. IMO, the problem with IJ being a suspect comes back to Kenneth R., the victim who is an "outlier" in the killings. If IJ wanted revenge over paternity, love gone wrong, etc., why would he arrange to kill Kenneth? He's not a member of the immediate family and lived quite a distance away from the others. It's likely IJ wasn't even acquainted with him. The killing of Kenneth at a distant location is the one factor that rules out some theories.

And while pride and ego is an issue, is it enough for a bunch of gang members to risk prison for life for killing 8 people?

ETA: DS doesn't seem a likely prospect on his own. Unless he also had connections to a gang of people willing to help, it seems unlikely that a small, unhealthy looking man would have the skill and energy to commit a large scale killing.

JMO, but I feel like that children were "spared". Maybe not killed would be a better use of words.

I've been wondering what would cause someone to go after Kenneth. I noticed there aren't many cars where he lives. I'm thinking he might have went to Chris' place to do that? In my mind it ties him in a lot.

Damarna said:

I can get to it

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Cool, it's working for me now too, wasn't earlier

Whose IJ?

Never mind I see.
2 of the 3 mothers of his kids... Good grief.

CSIDreamer said:

JMO, but I feel like that children were "spared". Maybe not killed would be a better use of words.

I've been wondering what would cause someone to go after Kenneth. I noticed there aren't many cars where he lives. I'm thinking he might have went to Chris' place to do that? In my mind it ties him in a lot.

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That's the big question for me, too. The fact that he was also murdered is I mean the anomaly.....but it seems to somewhat narrow down the possible motives..... I mean, he has nothing to do with custody or paternity of the babies....he has nothing to do with Chris jr's disputes, he is connected possibly because of a property dispute (if there even IS one), and possibly because of a "business" issue, if he is a business partner of Chris sr......or maybe even Frankie. JMO

Betty P said:

I understand where you're coming from. Obviously, LE decided he was a suspect, hence his detention, questioning, taking of DNA, prints, etc. But they released him for now. IMO, the problem with IJ being a suspect comes back to Kenneth R., the victim who is an "outlier" in the killings. If IJ wanted revenge over paternity, love gone wrong, etc., why would he arrange to kill Kenneth? He's not a member of the immediate family and lived quite a distance away from the others. It's likely IJ wasn't even acquainted with him. The killing of Kenneth at a distant location is the one factor that rules out some theories.

And while pride and ego is an issue, is it enough for a bunch of gang members to risk prison for life for killing 8 people?

ETA: DS doesn't seem a likely prospect on his own. Unless he also had connections to a gang of people willing to help, it seems unlikely that a small, unhealthy looking man would have the skill and energy to commit a large scale killing.

Click to expand...

Kenneth would factor in because if he was one the ones there the night the carload of people went out there to fight then he would be on the retaliation list. Gang violence and what these younger ones are willing to risk is getting crazier and crazier everyday. I've seen some brutal stuff the last two years.

I think the fact that the children were spared is telling of a group of people with code. A gang shot caller would likely say no kids. In black and especially Mexican gangs there is a distaste for those who hurt kids, even the most savage murderers are respected but not if you kill a kid. If I had to guess who would spare little kids, one of those 2 groups would be on my radar.

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