OH - Pike County: 8 people from one family dead as police hunt for killer(s) #6

[Sharedspirit]

I'm not convinced that they were involved in cockfighting. Lots of people here raise game roosters for a hobby but they aren't fighting them. Just like not everyone who owns certain breeds of dogs are raising them to fight. Pheasant and quail are also very popular. It is not uncommon to see game roosters in pens like at the Rhoden farm in the area. They are openly sold and traded on our local farm facebook pages.

 

[pisces51]

Just for the heck of it, I compared Pike County with my county (Gilmer County Georgia). We have the exact same population- actually we have 200 more people- but we have 12 more square miles We are in the mountains of Appalachia. Our high school graduation % is the same, average yearly income is the same. These people do not consider themselves to be poor. They don't really have aspirations to "make more, go father or rise above." A lot of people here are land rich- but cash poor. Properties have been in certain families for years and years. If you get into a real jam, you can section off a piece and sell it. You can also call the lumber people and sell your timber off your land (which has a big payoff) To offset your taxes, you can declare your land as a tree farm where you plant trees and they are harvested after so many years- these are usually done in cycles. If you don't have it- your neighbor will provide it- and then when they need something, you will provide it. It's a very give and take society.

Now, the problem I see with young Chris- is that he was young Chris. He probably went around with a lot of bravado. He had a brother, cousins, a dad and uncles to back up his mouth. You are generally taught very young that what's in the family- stays in the family- but he could have trusted the wrong person. The same would be true for Frankie- young and full of piss and vinegar- which is why I think he is at the center of this. By the time you reach your 30's you've mellowed out and while you still are going to be doing some wheeling and dealing- you've established a series of friends and families to get you through whatever comes your way. In my opinion the senior members may have had beefs that were very long standing. The younger generation would have newer beefs. I think whatever set this off is a result of whichever one of those boiled over.

The women in the family pretty much know everything that's going on- but they don't talk except amongst themselves. I think the women all knew what was going on- but HG's family would not have known- she would not have talked to them about anything going on at the Rhodens.

What about young people, new to the fold? Would the boyfriends and girlfriends (including ex's) of the younger generation know what's going on in the inner circle?

 

[mrssmith23]

I know a man who was hiding money in his garage from his wife, forget what kind of cans the money was in might have been old paint cans, so one day he took the money to a friends house (who was also friends with his wife) friends didn't want the money around 50,000.00 at their house so they took it back to his wife. Wife had no idea about the money. Didn't go over too well. He was a success builder money was legal I might add. I remember his wife telling me about it she was livid. Crazy stuff.


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I've been born and raised in the country, I didn't open a bank account until a couple years ago (I'm almost 30.) We have definitely never had a safe in our home, we would just have cash in random places, dresser, shoe box in the closet, hundreds in our wallets. A jar in the cabinet. It's just the normal. Eventually, I started branching out more and realized I needed credit to do anything different in my life and subsequently opened bank accounts, secured CC's, which turned to car loans, etc. so many people that grow up in these circumstances are content with it. We inherited property, had a manufactured home moved to it that we payed off with inheritance and only had property taxes to pay, this is common way of life. Family all around, most you don't even personally know.

I remember someone mentioning it was odd that FR had everything he did with potentially no job for awhile, but it's not that odd. Inheritance is huge in country life, and a big family, family is usually closer and more willing to help get someone on their feet, especially more so considering it seems they were all quite close, and knowing FR had a family of his own.

I think it's a hard culture for a lot of people to understand until they've lived it.

 

[Sharedspirit]

Does Kenneth owe back child support? Families are careful about who they leave their assets too if they want to make sure the property stays in the family. It could be that simple.

 

[no one]

And this weird story about the $$$ strewn that LE will not confirm.....but why would DS say such an outlandish thing if it was so obviously an embellishment to his story ????JMO

I tend to think that money story is made up. And, $1000? Who would leave behind $1000 in such an impoverished area? And how would DS know it was $1000? That story of the money around his feet is hinky to me. IF it was there, then I think it was planted to point to some cartel/gang sending a message instead of someone closer to home.

 

[KKearns]

I'm not convinced that they were involved in cockfighting. Lots of people here raise game roosters for a hobby but they aren't fighting them. Just like not everyone who owns certain breeds of dogs are raising them to fight. Pheasant and quail are also very popular. It is not uncommon to see game roosters in pens like at the Rhoden farm in the area. They are openly sold and traded on our local farm facebook pages.

Yeah we found out it is legal to sell them and they sell for a lot of money. It is possible they were in that end of it, but technically selling fighting *advertiser censored* is involvement, even if it isn't participating.

ETA: But I understand how people can compartmentalize it.

 

[DatelineFan]

People with grows would also be wary of having cameras around that might incriminate themselves if they were ever busted.

Sorry, I'm ten hours behind, but it seems to me that if you have a commercial sized grow, cameras aren't your problem if you get caught.

 

[Sharedspirit]

Bases for old grain bins that have been removed will be circles of cement.

 

[tehcloser]

I would like to know if they are still actively working the crime scenes or just holding them in case they need to look for something else.

 

[pisces51]

And this weird story about the $$$ strewn that LE will not confirm.....but why would DS say such an outlandish thing if it was so obviously an embellishment to his story ????JMO

I'm not convinced he said it or, if he did, that the meaning wasn't twisted. Same with the security lights detail. The Daily Mail online is tabloid-ish and I think they twist and exaggerate for good click-bait headlines.

 

[Tiko]

I feel it was someone close to all of them. Someone that could feel comfortable going in potentially dark homes shoot some while sleeping without detection (ie no stumbling or hitting furniture etc) especially given DR just moved. If this was an acquaintance who would know her house layout within such a short amount of time?
I also cannot get past the sister wanting to be left alone. DM had only been gone approximately 16 hours and your already over the police.
IMO.

 

[Meemaw12]

I've been born and raised in the country, I didn't open a bank account until a couple years ago (I'm almost 30.) We have definitely never had a safe in our home, we would just have cash in random places, dresser, shoe box in the closet, hundreds in our wallets. A jar in the cabinet. It's just the normal. Eventually, I started branching out more and realized I needed credit to do anything different in my life and subsequently opened bank accounts, secured CC's, which turned to car loans, etc. so many people that grow up in these circumstances are content with it. We inherited property, had a manufactured home moved to it that we payed off with inheritance and only had property taxes to pay, this is common way of life. Family all around, most you don't even personally know.

I remember someone mentioning it was odd that FR had everything he did with potentially no job for awhile, but it's not that odd. Inheritance is huge in country life, and a big family, family is usually closer and more willing to help get someone on their feet.

I think it's a hard culture for a lot of people to understand until they've lived it.

I understand completely. A few years ago I opened a box of paper clips and found a 1,000.00 I had put in it. Forgot all about it. Told one of my grandsons if something happens to me to go through every nook and cranny and not throw anything out until inspected . I gave him a dresser and we were emptying it out and found a box (not a small box) of guarters, I had forgotten about We had a good laugh.

 

[pisces51]

Does Kenneth owe back child support? Families are careful about who they leave their assets too if they want to make sure the property stays in the family. It could be that simple.

I'm going to guess that he doesn't owe back child support. Someone who praised him mentioned that he maintained child payments after the divorce. I don't think that's the way this family rolls. Family, children, doing the right thing, etc., seems important to them.

 

[molly1255]

Whoa... Kenneth, 44, was the older brother and Chris Sr, 40, inherited all of Grandpop Clarence's land??? Interesting.

This. And why would one brother inherit all of the deceased father's land? There were multiple siblings and the mother is still alive. Weird.

If Chris, Sr. died intestate, the deaths of all of his children would put his grandchildren, who survived, next in line in terms of any assets owned by Chris, Sr. Is there a way to find out if Chris, Sr, had a will?

 

[mrssmith23]

I understand completely. A few years ago I opened a box of paper clips and found a 1,000.00 I had put in it. Forgot all about it. Told one of my grandsons if something happens to me to go through every nook and cranny and not throw anything out until inspected . I gave him a dresser and we were emptying it out and found a box (not a small box) of guarters, I had forgotten about We had a good laugh.

Yep! That's how it always was growing up (hey! Found $300 in this old purse) it sounds RIDICULOUS to those who don't live it. Growing up country also meant growing up poor, while we would hoard the money we got and forgoed thinks like Internet, cable, expensive cell phones, we wouldn't take out loans. Cars were paid for with cash and weren't anything to write home about but got you to A and B. Sometimes the men would try to fix the cars up and sell them for more money. Selling random things from the house to pay the electric bill or buy groceries when we'd fall on hard times. Or selling things to buy something you need, like a new furnace because you don't have the ability to take our the loan for it. I don't find much about the Rhoden's abnormal, because I know how it is. I also know how easy it is to get into slinging pot and realizing the profit that can be made. For people that don't have money and find themselves in legal trouble etc, sometimes it seems like the only option to make a quick buck knowing they aren't qualified for positions. Once that money starts rolling in, it's hard to just stop. It's a crappy cycle to get sucked into, I'm so happy I was able to break free from it, (though I do still live in the country, but have dissociated ourselves from certain family members) but so many people can't. I never landed myself in legal troubles which I think helped me in the long run. Selling any type of drugs is a viscous cycle, you start seeing the money come in and you want more and more and more, it's only normal to want more for yourself or your family, to want to help your kids so they don't struggle their whole life like you did... You aren't thinking about the dangers you are facing, you're blinded by the money.

ETA: someone had mentioned country folk are usually land rich and cash poor, and that's exactly it. The land stays in the family, but the families still struggle, but they find a way to keep their land.

 

[JoHyphen]

I agree 100%!

So why the whole family?

 

[Everyday Grace]

This. And why would one brother inherit all of the deceased father's land? There were multiple siblings and the mother is still alive. Weird.

If Chris, Sr. died intestate, the deaths of all of his children would put his grandchildren, who survived, next in line in terms of any assets owned by Chris, Sr. Is there a way to find out if Chris, Sr, had a will?

He was not necessarily the sole heir for Clarence. Very possible that Clarence left a will and named his son Christopher as executor.

If Clarence died intestate, his sole heir would have been his surviving spouse.

It's impossible to know for certain about who may have inherited Clarence's estate without seeing probate documents

As far as I've been able to determine, Pike County does not make their probate records available online.

Court records would also be the way to determine if Chris Sr. had a will or if he died intestate.

If he died intestate, his heirs would be his four grandchildren.

Here is a link to the Ohio Bar regarding intestate that includes some layman's language regaring Ohio statute of descent and distribution:

https://www.ohiobar.org/forpublic/resources/lawfactspamphlets/pages/lawfactspamphlet-1.aspx

 

[Lalalacasbah]

I always look at the timing or triggers in these cases, as there's a reason for the timing. This was planned out yes, but then it was actually set in motion. Here's the events close to the time:

1. H's baby birth: As posters mentioned it seems they maybe waited until after H's baby was born. Unless this is a coincidence as stated upthread, she might've had an extra night in the hospital etc.

2. DR Moving: DR did move two weeks prior. Did this event trigger someone and set the plan in motion? Could this have been planned in two weeks?

3. Altercation: The kid's mom and dad got involved and the mom just rec'd probation 2 days prior to murder spree. These people have been semi-cleared by LE (although they might be saying, we don't know their strategy). I doubt this murder could be planned in 2 days or they would have inside knowledge of the properties/Kenny's cameras etc.

Those are the three that stand out to me. Is there any other big event that happened close to the crime that we haven't thought of?

 

[mrssmith23]

I always look at the timing or triggers in these cases, as there's a reason for the timing. This was planned out yes, but then it was actually set in motion. Here's the events close to the time:

1. H's baby birth: As posters mentioned it seems they maybe waited until after H's baby was born. Unless this is a coincidence as stated upthread, she might've had an extra night in the hospital etc.

2. DR Moving: DR did move two weeks prior. Did this event trigger someone and set the plan in motion? Could this have been planned in two weeks?

3. Altercation: The kid's mom and dad got involved and the mom just rec'd probation 2 days prior to murder spree. These people have been semi-cleared by LE (although they might be saying, we don't know their strategy). I doubt this murder could be planned in 2 days or they would have inside knowledge of the properties/Kenny's cameras etc.

Those are the three that stand out to me. Is there any other big event that happened close to the crime that we haven't thought of?

That shatter bust a couple months ago? With no arrests or named suspects?

 

[Sharedspirit]

But he did have an open domestic case still. According to the pike county civil court records, the case was closed when he died. And there was a judgement against him for court fees starting in 2002. I will have to go back to see when the land was inherited. I think Chris was treated by the family as the oldest "responsible" male. The family would pick the one most capable, not just because he's the oldest.