OH - Pike Co - 8 in Rhoden Family Murdered Over Custody Issue - 4 Members Wagner Family Arrested #73

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Friday, Sept. 30th:
*Trial continues (Day 14) (@ 9am ET) - OH - Pike County 8 people dead: Christopher Rhoden, Sr. (40), his ex-wife, Dana Manley Rhoden (37), their three children, Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden (20), Christopher Jr. (16), Hanna Mae (19); Frankie's fiancée, Hannah Hazel Gilley (20), Christopher Rhoden Sr.'s brother, Kenneth Rhoden (44), & a cousin, Gary Rhoden (37). Hanna Rhoden's baby girl (5 days old), another baby (6 mos.) & a young child (3) were unharmed. (April 21-22, 2016, Pebbles) – for *George Washington Wagner IV (27/now 30) (Jakes’ bro) indicted (11/12/18), arrested (11/13/18), charged (11/15/18) & arraigned (11/28/18) with 8 counts aggravated murder, (plus gun specifications on each), 1 count of 1st degree conspiracy, 4 counts of 1st degree aggravated burglary, 1 count of 5th degree unlawful possession of dangerous ordnance, 3 counts of 3rd degree evidence tampering, 1 count of 5th degree forgery, 1 count of 5th degree unauthorized use of computer or telecommunications, 1 count of 4th degree interception of wire, oral or electronic communication, 1 count of 5th degree obstructing justice, & 1 count of 1st degree engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. Plead not guilty. Held without bond. DA will seek the DP. Per Jake’s plea agreement, DP is off the table if his testimony is truthful.
Trial began on 8/29/22 with final jury selection & the jury was seated on 8/30/22. 12 Jurors & 6 alternates. Jury: (9 women & 3 men) & 6 alternates: (5 women & 1 man).
Trial began with opening statements began on Monday, 9/12/22. (Trial is scheduled for 30 days).
Crime info & court hearings from 11/28/18 thru 9/6/22 & Trial Day 1-12 (9/12 to 9/27/22) post #490 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...bers-wagner-family-arrested-73.637705/page-25
Reason for early adjournment: a juror had family issues.
9/28/22 Wednesday, Trial Day 13: State witness: Suzanne Elliott, a BCI shoeprint expert back on stand.
for more info see post #493 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...bers-wagner-family-arrested-73.637705/page-25
for more info see post #501, 508, 509 & 511 & 518 (video) here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...bers-wagner-family-arrested-73.637705/page-26
State witness: Julia Eveslage, a criminal intelligence analyst at BCI.
for more info see post #536 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...bers-wagner-family-arrested-73.637705/page-27
for more info see post #564 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...bers-wagner-family-arrested-73.637705/page-29
State witness: BCI special agent Ryan Scheiderer, lead investigator for the agency.
for more info see post #610 (article) here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...bers-wagner-family-arrested-73.637705/page-31
for more info see post #647 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...bers-wagner-family-arrested-73.637705/page-33
Court will not be in session tomorrow (Thursday 9/29) because of an illness. Trial continues on Friday, 9/30/22.
 
Antimony said:
My opinion is that the W's were finalizing their plans about the time Jake bought the ,22 lr Walther replica of the colt 45 m1911. The only reasons to buy one of those is that you are afraid of a "real" .45 Colt or you have a special reason for that handgun.
Click to expand...
Just a question...is that type of gun in that movie Boondock Saints?
 
justtrish said:
I hope we hear more, but here is my thinking. IF we hear that those are the only vehicles seen that night on that video (seems reasonable that there is very little traffic there it's after 1am and just after 3am.. how much traffic would be on an old country road like that).. it corroborates Jake's story.

Detectives know 100% 8 people died. They checked video along the route that goes from homes 1, 2, and 3, over to home 4 and find video of vehicles and what time. If these are the only times vehicles show up on camera, then it has to be the murderer(s).

So Jake shares that they did xyz, then drove to home 4 in 2 vehicles. Then they have video of 2 vehicles following closely behind heading the direction of the 4th home and then 20 minutes later 2 vehicles heading back. We don't really need to know what kind of vehicle if this is just being used to show Jake is telling the truth. At least 2 people must be involved in order to move 2 trucks.
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The problem with that is the BCI agent pointed out on the map there are various ways to get from Union Hill Road to Left Fork. In other words the 772 road was not the only way to get there. As he pointed out there were alternate roads.

One thing we need to keep in mind is this was the first day of turkey season there so there was another reason someone could be out on the back roads early in the morning. It would suck if they discovered those vehicles were hunters heading somewhere before daylight to set up to hunt turkey. Just another monkey wrench in this very complicated case.

JMO
 
justtrish said:
They have to lay out the evidence they did already in order to explain the crimes and what happened. I wouldn't expect any evidence yet of anyone doing this unless there was DNA, which there isn't. That is important too. No DNA of anyone else either. No someone else did it defense based on a random unknown dna hit. Whoever did it was in gloves and made sure not to leave evidence.

We haven't even gotten to the analysis of the guns recovered, what was said in interviews that didn't line up, what was found on the W's phones, what else was discovered in the search warrants, what was uncovered in the recorded conversations. Remember they arrested them before Jake and Angela started talking.

They way they have been presenting this is in order, a very good detailed order and even some witnesses will be called back as they unfold the story in order. They haven't even gotten to the interviews, the tips received, how they homed in on the Wagners, etc.

Also they were arrested in Nov 2018 so not quite 4 years they have been in jail. Jake took a deal in April 2021. We don't know when the prosecution even offered a deal or if he asked for one at some point. There is only a deal if the prosecution is willing to offer one so maybe it wasn't even an option early on.

Also, I can't discredit the testimony of George's ex wife or anyone in this story that has interacted with this family. This is not some big conspiracy against one family. There is good reason she didn't have custody of her son and it's because she left that home fearing for her life. She hid till dark and drove a bike to the store to call for help. She knows how this family operated while her and George were married. She can speak about her personal interactions and experiences. Did they vote on things? There is a pattern here and it is evidence. Jake's wife that is now an ex. Again, she saw first hand how they spoke, if they did family votes, did they control social media for the wives? You might think it's just he said she said, but testimony about personal experiences is evidence.
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I think it would be a good idea to wait until the jury gets the case for deliberations before deciding if they have proven anyone guilty. We don’t know what evidence they have yet to show.
 
RAISINISBACK said:
I understand what you are saying and believe me I was the first one on here to point the finger at the W's. Many posters on here can tell you that or you can go back on the earlier threads. I argued with just about everyone on here over that early on. Even got a couple time outs over it. I was adamant all 4 were involved and 100% guilty. I was also adamant that Chris Sr and Billy were in the drug business together, probably drug trafficking. I even argued Kenny was probably in it too and most certainly Gary was. But from the first I said it was over child custody and even looked up I don't know how many others who had killed entire families over child custody as examples. Most posters on here knows that. For 6 years I have stood by my belief that all 4 W's were the killers. I have not budged off that, until they started presenting evidence.

But since the trial started and I am watching the evidence presented, as time goes on and George's name is not mentioned as having done this or that alone (it's all been the W4 lumped together so far) I just cannot see them getting a conviction.

Each time a witness testifies they can't prove George wore the shoes, they can't find any DNA or forensics linking George to the scenes, ect I am getting more discouraged they will get a conviction on him.

Since we are talking about George's here let me put it the way another George did "My heart is sinking like a setting sun."

JMO
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The way it sounds to me, even if JW testifies that GWIV was at the scenes, wearing those shoes, you say that isn’t proof he is guilty? It could have been someone else wearing the same new shoes.
But, if JW testifies that GWIV was not there, then it is proof that he is not guilty?
 
Cool Cats said:
Of course George doesn't have to have done it all alone. Of course they are all lumped together. This is a 4 person Conspiracy. All the jury has to believe is George went along, lumped along, with his dad and brother, and was at the murder scenes. This not only shows conspiracy but shows tampering with evidence and aggravated burglary. Just going along puts him at risk for 8 murders.

We haven't even heard the 8,000 recordings of interest. So many things are adding up like dominoes. Totality of evidence cannot be ignored. 2 co-defendants turning State's evidence can't be ignored. George voting for it and not stopping it and doing everything with Jake cannot be ignored.

George's name will come up plenty when the trial gets past this beginning part, the prosecution has to show the Rhoden's were shot, where, and with what weapons and give a time frame.
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BBM
Of course they are all lumped together.

Once again this is George's trial. What Jake, Billy and Angie did doesn't mean a hill of beans to the jury, because this is George's jury, his trial. The prosecution can prove Jake, Billy and Angie were in the planning, execution and cover up all year long, but the jury is not even going to consider the evidence against anyone but George.

All the jury has to believe is George went along, lumped along, with his dad and brother, and was at the murder scenes.

That's the problem, the prosecution has not presented any evidence he went along, lumped along or was even in the state of Ohio when the other 3 planned, carried out and covered up the murders.

That is what I am waiting for. Real evidence against George. Not what Jake said, not what Angie said, not some shoe evidence that the state expert admitted that they couldn't prove George wore or ever saw, not some maybe truthful story by Jake that George was there, not some half baked story George went with Jake and Angie to buy a truck from a cousin and not some blurry shots of some headlights and tail lights of vehicles that could have been driven by a couple of early morning turkey hunters.

Right now they have him on MAYBE obstruction of justice. That's all I see RIGHT NOW. Maybe later on they will get to some evidence against just him alone, because that is what it is going to take to convict him of anything.

I cannot pin my hopes on the proffers by Jake or Angie. Half of what Angie said is hearsay, that she said the men told her after they returned. That will be thrown out. She can testify to the shoes she bought but has already went on record saying she threw them away because the boys didn't like them. One of the BCI Agents testified they put all 4 W's in separate rooms to be interviewed at the border. When questioned about the shoes in separate interviews from each other and Angie, both Jake and George denied they ever saw those shoes.

And Jake admitted he killed 5, shot 1 and Billy killed 3.

AC said there are inconsistencies with the evidence the state has in Jake's story. In fact during one motion she said Jake told several different stories. How are we supposed to pin any hope on that? That's like a 16 year old boy when asked where he was all night. I was at Tom's house. Ok I'll call Tom's mom. No wait I was at Dick's house. Then I will call Dick's mom. No wait I was really at Harry's house. Then I will call Harry's mom. No wait I really had amnesia and don't remember where I was last night. Good luck on getting the to the truth.

That's how I feel about Jake's story. Repositioned Hannah's body so the baby could nurse. Major BS. He didn't give a FHF about that baby or if it starved to death. If he did he wouldn't have killed the baby's mother and especially not in the dark with that same baby in bed with her. An old friend once said "Bullets don't have eyes." And several people have told me a .22 bullet could have went though her body and hit the baby and killed it.

Sorry I just don't believe anything Jake said.

JMO
 
Dudly said:
The way it sounds to me, even if JW testifies that GWIV was at the scenes, wearing those shoes, you say that isn’t proof he is guilty? It could have been someone else wearing the same new shoes.
But, if JW testifies that GWIV was not there, then it is proof that he is not guilty?
Click to expand...
No that is not what I am saying. I am saying that I am not going to take what Jake says as the gospel truth. Whether he says George was there or not, I don't believe him either way. I want to see hard evidence against George that the jury will buy, not what the rest of that off the rails family did.

You know me @Dudly. I have argued with just about everyone here almost from day one that the W's were guilty. All 4 of them. For over 6 years now. You know that. I got time outs for it. I made posts laying out theories on how they did it that were almost a book.

All I am saying is I am not seeing the evidence on George and am afraid someone that I believe is a killer is going to skate free because the prosecutor drops the ball and doesn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt he was even at the crime scenes.

The evidence and the trial so far has been a major disappointment for me. Sour grapes I guess because I think that what I have swore by for 6 long years is not going to fly with a jury and George is going to smile all the way out of the courthouse.

JMO
 
I can see JW and AW plotting to buy GW4 shoes, knowing they were going to frame him for conspiracy to commit murder.

I can see JW and AW enticing GW4 to purchase items, so as to frame him in the conspiracy to commit murder.

I can see JW and AW leaving GW4 out of the conspiracy to commit murder decision but include him In every other clan-like decision.

I can see JW and AW framing GW4 in purchasing the truck used in the murder of 8 people.

I can see JW and AW enticing GW4 to go on tape threatening LE, as if it were only a joke.

since there isnt any DNA it is obvious the GW4 and his crime family didnt commit these murders.

JW and AW are so delusional they wanted to gain fame by pleading to murder of 8 and selling out the other 2

As far as Im concerned GW4 needs to take the stand and profess his innocence. If the shoe doesnt fit you must acquit.

Oh wait, GW4 obstructed justice by hiding evidence of the 8 murders because JW and AW tricked him.

Yes, let them ALL free. Allow the so-called hillbilly justice mafia deal with them. While they are at it, Millers farm is down the road might as well get the Amish Mafia involved. All My Opinion, on a Friday night!
 
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RAISINISBACK said:
I understand what you are saying and believe me I was the first one on here to point the finger at the W's. Many posters on here can tell you that or you can go back on the earlier threads. I argued with just about everyone on here over that early on. Even got a couple time outs over it. I was adamant all 4 were involved and 100% guilty. I was also adamant that Chris Sr and Billy were in the drug business together, probably drug trafficking. I even argued Kenny was probably in it too and most certainly Gary was. But from the first I said it was over child custody and even looked up I don't know how many others who had killed entire families over child custody as examples. Most posters on here knows that. For 6 years I have stood by my belief that all 4 W's were the killers. I have not budged off that, until they started presenting evidence.

But since the trial started and I am watching the evidence presented, as time goes on and George's name is not mentioned as having done this or that alone (it's all been the W4 lumped together so far) I just cannot see them getting a conviction.

Each time a witness testifies they can't prove George wore the shoes, they can't find any DNA or forensics linking George to the scenes, ect I am getting more discouraged they will get a conviction on him.

Since we are talking about George's here let me put it the way another George did "My heart is sinking like a setting sun."

JMO
Click to expand...

I can vouch for your early assessment of the murders and motives behind them. I think we have to be patient until they finish presenting all the evidence gathered from the murders. It will begin focusing on GW4, especially after they start giving testimony on the shoeprint evidence, texts, wiretaps, etc. When we start hearing his voice, discussing the murders with other family members, it will be clear.
 
ohioexpat63 said:
I can see JW and AW plotting to buy GW4 shoes, knowing they were going to frame him for conspiracy to commit murder.

I can see JW and AW enticing GW4 to purchase items, so as to frame him in the conspiracy to commit murder.

I can see JW and AW leaving GW4 out of the conspiracy to commit murder decision but include him In every other clan-like decision.

I can see JW and AW framing GW4 in purchasing the truck used in the murder of 8 people.

I can see JW and AW enticing GW4 to go on tape threatening LE, as if it were only a joke.

since there isnt any DNA it is obvious the GW4 and his crime family didnt commit these murders.

JW and AW are so delusional they wanted to gain fame by pleading to murder of 8 and selling out the other 2

As far as Im concerned GW4 needs to take the stand and profess his innocence. If the shoe doesnt fit you must acquit.

Oh wait, GW4 obstructed justice by hiding evidence of the 8 murders because JW and AW tricked him.

Yes, let them ALL free. Allow the so-called hillbilly justice mafia deal with them. While they are at it, Millers farm is down the road might as well get the Amish Mafia involved. All My Opinion, on a Friday night!
Click to expand...

There's an Amish Mafia? :oops: It will make my annual trip to Ohio Amish Country much more interesting.
 
RAISINISBACK said:
The problem with that is the BCI agent pointed out on the map there are various ways to get from Union Hill Road to Left Fork. In other words the 772 road was not the only way to get there. As he pointed out there were alternate roads.

One thing we need to keep in mind is this was the first day of turkey season there so there was another reason someone could be out on the back roads early in the morning. It would suck if they discovered those vehicles were hunters heading somewhere before daylight to set up to hunt turkey. Just another monkey wrench in this very complicated case.

JMO
Click to expand...

True, there were a couple other routes, but the problem was they had a specific amount of time in which to kill all the family members, clean up the crime scene and make it to the next location. Time was of the essence and the only other route was much longer. Even if they chose the alternate route, it would have taken them past the camera at Union Hill Rd and Hwy 722

www.google.com

4331-4091 Co Rd 65 to Left Fork Road

www.google.com www.google.com
 
RAISINISBACK said:
The problem with that is the BCI agent pointed out on the map there are various ways to get from Union Hill Road to Left Fork. In other words the 772 road was not the only way to get there. As he pointed out there were alternate roads.

One thing we need to keep in mind is this was the first day of turkey season there so there was another reason someone could be out on the back roads early in the morning. It would suck if they discovered those vehicles were hunters heading somewhere before daylight to set up to hunt turkey. Just another monkey wrench in this very complicated case.

JMO
Click to expand...
I think the key is that if JW did not know about the videos and his statements still aligned with the video evidence
 
Live now, judge explaining about the ill juror and the day off yesterday. Must've been covid, says they have disinfected the jury box.

The sick juror will not be in court, alternate taking her place for now.

Two phone conferences held on the 28th and 29th without the defendant present.

Jury coming in.

April Manley takes the stand.

 
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