OH - Pike County: 8 people from one family dead as police hunt for killer(s) - #25

[SerialGal]

I agree. We also heard they would start arresting people for not talking. When is that going to start? Empty threats from LE do not motivate people to talk. MOO.

We heard it from the sheriff : somebody is covering something. So when someone will start talking, how will we know it's the truth?

How much evidence they have apart from the autopsy ? At this point, 11 months in the case, My guess is "not enough"

 

[becky3066]

If I could write a letter to the Pike County authorities it would say this:

No one is going to admit to killing the Rhodens because the people who killed the Rhodens have no conscience and have probably killed before. They also probably arent intimidated by fake threats of going to jail for not telling the truth and really probably do not live nearby anyway. Please release every single thing you know so the public can help solve this crime. Thank you.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Totally agree. I've felt for a while that this was a drug-related, professional hit by people with military experience. Whoever shot these people knew what they were doing. This wasn't a couple of locals or amateurs. This being tied to a larger, federal investigation is very possible imo.

 

[Betty P]

I agree. We also heard they would start arresting people for not talking. When is that going to start? Empty threats from LE do not motivate people to talk. MOO.

They do arrest local people on a regular basis, if you check the county jail web site. Whether or not any of these people have helped with the investigation is unknown. But the way this murder investigation has been conducted is highly unusual, IMO. They imply unflattering things about the victims, instill fear and paranoia in the community and ultimately get them to turn against each other. They've offered no protection to surviving family members who might become targets of the killers. If not for the news media lawsuits, the investigation would be completely silent, on it's way to becoming a cold case.

It's been compared to the investigation into the deaths of Abigail Williams & Liberty German in Delphi, IN where there's a big reward, regular contact with the public and plenty of cooperation with other LE agencies. Very different.

Perhaps putting someone new in charge will help get things back on track.

JMO

ETA: Maybe the best idea is, as the anniversary of this horrible crime approaches, it might be a good idea to get a social media campaign going. Encourage everyone to call Congressman Brad Wenstrup http://wenstrup.house.gov/, Senator Rob Portman https://www.congress.gov/member/rob-portman/P000449 and Senator Sherrod Brown https://www.congress.gov/member/sherrod-brown/B000944.

Members of Congress routinely see and discuss classified information, they would be trustworthy to view all the files on this case and assure the public the investigation is being pursued effectively.

It's a place to start.

 

[Dudly]

They do arrest local people on a regular basis, if you check the county jail web site. Whether or not any of these people have helped with the investigation is unknown. But the way this murder investigation has been conducted is highly unusual, IMO. They imply unflattering things about the victims, instill fear and paranoia in the community and ultimately get them to turn against each other. They've offered no protection to surviving family members who might become targets of the killers. If not for the news media lawsuits, the investigation would be completely silent, on it's way to becoming a cold case.

It's been compared to the investigation into the deaths of Abigail Williams & Liberty German in Delphi, IN where there's a big reward, regular contact with the public and plenty of cooperation with other LE agencies. Very different.

Perhaps putting someone new in charge will help get things back on track.

JMO

ETA: Maybe the best idea is, as the anniversary of this horrible crime approaches, it might be a good idea to get a social media campaign going. Encourage everyone to call Congressman Brad Wenstrup http://wenstrup.house.gov/, Senator Rob Portman https://www.congress.gov/member/rob-portman/P000449 and Senator Sherrod Brown https://www.congress.gov/member/sherrod-brown/B000944.

Members of Congress routinely see and discuss classified information, they would be trustworthy to view all the files on this case and assure the public the investigation is being pursued effectively.

It's a place to start.

I think a campaign of contacting CNN, MSNBC, 20/20, Dateline, Investigation Discovery, HLN, etc. to name a few, just asking them why the LE would keep the murder of eight family members a complete secret for a year with no arrests pending... I'd be willing to do this, anyone else?

 

[rsd1200]

I don't think anyone is going to come in and confess to this crime. In the event of a false confession, you don't need the information in an autopsy to weed out the weirdos that do this. They have the trailers stored out of reach of the family and the public. Just ask them some details about the inside of the trailers. After all no news media or public has been inside of them so that information is still being held from the public. Not even family (other than BJM and DS) has been inside the crime scenes. LE wouldn't even let them in to collect papers needed for probate. They are stored inside a warehouse, wrapped (we think) in plastic. So just ask them "hey if you are the killer, then what color carpet is in the bedroom? What was sitting on the dining room table ect?"

There are all kinds of things that are being kept secret in this case. Like moving the crime scenes and storing them away from the public eye. I think it has more to do with AG Dewine and Sheriff Readers dislike of media than it does compromising the case.

If there was something specifically done, to the deceased, it would be important to hold that back, imo. This is just my feeling, but, although they are deceased, they are still entitled to their privacy. This is their final medical record. The autopsies will be of little use to the general public, however, if releasing them would be critical to the safety of the general public then I'd say that would outweigh the deceased's privacy, otherwise, although I admit that I'm curious, it's their private medical record.

 

[Flatbush]

There are two reasons I want autopsy reports released. 1) In Ohio, photos taken during autopsy are not public but the written autopsy report is public. Not the preliminary one, but the final certified autopsy report. 2) Certain people in authority seem to think they are so powerful they can make up laws to suit their own wants. The law in Ohio relating to autopsies is clear.


http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/313.10v1


I truly understand we all would like to protect their privacy, the reports will come out in court anyway. Once a person has deceased, sadly their right to privacy goes out the window.


Far as getting a hold of media and trying to jump start this, I am all for it. AND if arrests are made, Junk needs to be out of it. Special prosecutor in a different county would be ideal.

 

[glf]

It has seemed to me, for many months now, PCSD has put this case on the back burner. The Rhodens were just common, everyday people. Had they been relatives of the mayor, or some other city or county big wig, this case would have been solved within eight weeks. Granted, there could be a bigger case connected to the Rhodens, but my intuition tells me that's baloney. I think Charlie and Rob Junk are too busy playing CYA, and could care less about the Rhodens, or any other common folks murders...

 

[rsd1200]

There are two reasons I want autopsy reports released. 1) In Ohio, photos taken during autopsy are not public but the written autopsy report is public. Not the preliminary one, but the final certified autopsy report. 2) Certain people in authority seem to think they are so powerful they can make up laws to suit their own wants. The law in Ohio relating to autopsies is clear.


http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/313.10v1


I truly understand we all would like to protect their privacy, the reports will come out in court anyway. Once a person has deceased, sadly their right to privacy goes out the window.


Far as getting a hold of media and trying to jump start this, I am all for it. AND if arrests are made, Junk needs to be out of it. Special prosecutor in a different county would be ideal.

.
Noted, with the exceptions of (d) and (e). Some states do consider the AR private. Legal or not, I consider them private. I'd not want every detail of my death, my body, (and my life), out into public view, b/c some coward decided to murder me. If it has to come out in court, that's different.

 

[RAISINISBACK]

.
Noted, with the exceptions of (d) and (e). Some states do consider the AR private. Legal or not, I consider them private. I'd not want every detail of my death, my body, (and my life), out into public view, b/c some coward decided to murder me. If it has to come out in court, that's different.

I too am a private person. I understand your view and I wouldn't want any of my medical records out there for public consumption.

But I think whoever killed them has killed at least two times before them and at least once after. It is important to find them before they kill again.

AG Dewine and Sheriff Reader suppressed any national interest in the Rhoden murders when they alleged drug ops and cockfighting. They made them unsympathetic victims and the national news media dropped them fairly quickly. I don't think shows like Nancy Grace, HLN or ID would take them up because of that. So in essence the only national attention this case is getting right now is in blogs like this.

By releasing the autopsies, it could generate publicity and give other LE with unsolved murders, not just in Pike county but in the state of Ohio and other states adjoining Ohio the opportunity to compare those autopsies with autopsies in other murders.

If for instance LE in West Virginia has an unsolved murder where the victims were killed while sleeping and their autopsies are similar say in method (i.e shot in the same area, with the same caliber weapon, same marks on the body ect) then LE in West Virginia can say wait a minute whoever killed the Rhodens killed our victim also. By tying the two murders together then they would know they are looking for a perp that has ties to both areas, thus narrowing the suspect pool.

Also if for instance the victims were all shot in some unusual area, like say the pelvis, and LE in some other area has victims that were shot likewise, it could be a signature that would tie those in together and generate more leads. Or someone in the public who knows the killers sees it and says "hey so-in-so was talking about shooting some dude in the pelvis just the other day" and then calls LE.

I think getting the information out there for other LE in other areas to see and maybe generate tips that could solve this is important because of the secrecy of this case. This secrecy needs to end so the public and LE in other areas of the nation can help solve this.

I am probably saying this very badly but I think getting information out in the public is very important now to generate more interest in this case. Otherwise I think it will go cold.

 

[ilovepierre]

I too am a private person. I understand your view and I wouldn't want any of my medical records out there for public consumption.

But I think whoever killed them has killed at least two times before them and at least once after. It is important to find them before they kill again.

AG Dewine and Sheriff Reader suppressed any national interest in the Rhoden murders when they alleged drug ops and cockfighting. They made them unsympathetic victims and the national news media dropped them fairly quickly. I don't think shows like Nancy Grace, HLN or ID would take them up because of that. So in essence the only national attention this case is getting right now is in blogs like this.

By releasing the autopsies, it could generate publicity and give other LE with unsolved murders, not just in Pike county but in the state of Ohio and other states adjoining Ohio the opportunity to compare those autopsies with autopsies in other murders.

If for instance LE in West Virginia has an unsolved murder where the victims were killed while sleeping and their autopsies are similar say in method (i.e shot in the same area, with the same caliber weapon, same marks on the body ect) then LE in West Virginia can say wait a minute whoever killed the Rhodens killed our victim also. By tying the two murders together then they would know they are looking for a perp that has ties to both areas, thus narrowing the suspect pool.

Also if for instance the victims were all shot in some unusual area, like say the pelvis, and LE in some other area has victims that were shot likewise, it could be a signature that would tie those in together and generate more leads. Or someone in the public who knows the killers sees it and says "hey so-in-so was talking about shooting some dude in the pelvis just the other day" and then calls LE.

I think getting the information out there for other LE in other areas to see and maybe generate tips that could solve this is important because of the secrecy of this case. This secrecy needs to end so the public and LE in other areas of the nation can help solve this.

I am probably saying this very badly but I think getting information out in the public is very important now to generate more interest in this case. Otherwise I think it will go cold.

Great post!
I totally agree with you.
Something in the AR's could trigger a memory in someone.
I get that a person's medical records are private, but these people are now dead. IMO, whatever has been redacted in those reports, is the answer to what happened to the Rhodens.
Even if LE in other counties/states could see unredacted reports, they could tie these murders with others in the area....if there even is a connection. I'm still not sold on the theory that the Rhoden murders are connected to the Eapmon and Newsome murders.

IMO, the AR's hold important clues to what happened. It would be nice to see what has been redacted.

All JMO.

 

[Flatbush]

.
Noted, with the exceptions of (d) and (e). Some states do consider the AR private. Legal or not, I consider them private. I'd not want every detail of my death, my body, (and my life), out into public view, b/c some coward decided to murder me. If it has to come out in court, that's different.

I honestly wish these ARs had not became an issue, and I do mean that will total respect. I wish it had not come this far.
Someone took 8 lives away for no good reason. No excuse good enough. They are running around free as a bird. As someone else pointed out, this person or persons need caught before they kill again. They have proven they are capable of doing it.
Something has to break in this case. Debating WHO in the media to try to draw in, need someone big, they will just brush local media aside.

 

[RAISINISBACK]

I honestly wish these ARs had not became an issue, and I do mean that will total respect. I wish it had not come this far.
Someone took 8 lives away for no good reason. No excuse good enough. They are running around free as a bird. As someone else pointed out, this person or persons need caught before they kill again. They have proven they are capable of doing it.
Something has to break in this case. Debating WHO in the media to try to draw in, need someone big, they will just brush local media aside.

The problem is big shows like sympathetic victims. Take Nancy Grace for instance. She likes the victims she covers to be pure as the driven snow and her perps true villains who are widely disliked by the general public for one reason or another. The Casey/Caylee Anthony case is an example. Beautiful young child with a mother who is a pathological liar for the perp.

AG Dewine and Reader made the Rhodens about as unsympathetic a victim as you can get right from the start. First they alienated the general public with the news of the biggest grow op in Ohio history. Then they came out with cockfighting (I still can't figure out how AG Dewines wife knew about cockfighting. Is she LE? Did she attend cockfights at some time? Or did she raise game roosters? If she is not LE then why did she and her husband insert her opinion into this case?) alienating all those animal lovers out there. Then Reader told the rest of the family to arm themselves making it look like some kind of family feud gotten out of hand. Then he came out with this family was targeted specifically causing the public to perceive it as not being a danger to the community at large. This in essence caused the general public to believe the Rhoden family brought this all on themselves so no need for anyone else to worry about the perps coming into their homes and killing them in their sleep.

All this was so wrong on so many levels.

First I don't think this was about drugs. Over drugs they would have killed CR1 and KR and maybe FR. But DR and kids makes it personal.

Second I don't think the Rhodens specifically brought this on themselves.

Third the general public is in great danger as long as these killers are out there running loose.

And finally the state of Ohio needs to consider electing a different AG. One who isn't too busy carrying on a vendetta with news media to do his job. One who doesn't depend on his wife's opinion to make damaging media statements.

This is probably not going to be a popular post, but it is what it is. All JMO of course.

 

[becky3066]

I think a campaign of contacting CNN, MSNBC, 20/20, Dateline, Investigation Discovery, HLN, etc. to name a few, just asking them why the LE would keep the murder of eight family members a complete secret for a year with no arrests pending... I'd be willing to do this, anyone else?

I think Investigation Discovery would be a great one to contact since they recently did that series about the missing/dead Chillicothe women. Same area, some of the same players (Junk). Those women were admittedly not very sympathetic (prostitutes, drug users), but producers were open about that and still felt it was an important story.

 

[Betty P]

The problem is big shows like sympathetic victims. Take Nancy Grace for instance. She likes the victims she covers to be pure as the driven snow and her perps true villains who are widely disliked by the general public for one reason or another. The Casey/Caylee Anthony case is an example. Beautiful young child with a mother who is a pathological liar for the perp.

AG Dewine and Reader made the Rhodens about as unsympathetic a victim as you can get right from the start. First they alienated the general public with the news of the biggest grow op in Ohio history. Then they came out with cockfighting (I still can't figure out how AG Dewines wife knew about cockfighting. Is she LE? Did she attend cockfights at some time? Or did she raise game roosters? If she is not LE then why did she and her husband insert her opinion into this case?) alienating all those animal lovers out there. Then Reader told the rest of the family to arm themselves making it look like some kind of family feud gotten out of hand. Then he came out with this family was targeted specifically causing the public to perceive it as not being a danger to the community at large. This in essence caused the general public to believe the Rhoden family brought this all on themselves so no need for anyone else to worry about the perps coming into their homes and killing them in their sleep.

All this was so wrong on so many levels.

First I don't think this was about drugs. Over drugs they would have killed CR1 and KR and maybe FR. But DR and kids makes it personal.

Second I don't think the Rhodens specifically brought this on themselves.

Third the general public is in great danger as long as these killers are out there running loose.

And finally the state of Ohio needs to consider electing a different AG. One who isn't too busy carrying on a vendetta with news media to do his job. One who doesn't depend on his wife's opinion to make damaging media statements.

This is probably not going to be a popular post, but it is what it is. All JMO of course.

I agree with most all of it. From the first hours, the AG and local LE have painted the family in a bad light. That's very wrong. The intent seemed, JMO, to be to stir up the rumor mill in town and in the news media/social media. It reminded me of the way the Steubenville rape case was handled by local LE: imply the victim was responsible and the perps victims of circumstance.


Despite all the rumors and trash talk, outside of the alleged grow op, there's no evidence Rhodens were involved in anything illegal. The autos on their property were all eventually returned to their family/heirs, so those weren't stolen. The AG's office later admitted the roosters were healthy and had not been used in cockfights. By then, the damage had been done.

If you live in Ohio, you know that DeWine's wife Fran is used to promote his folksy, family friendly image. She's always a big part of his campaigns, with ice cream socials and photos with grandkids. Not long into this investigation, DeWine announced he was running for Ohio Governor, so...

But my biggest concern is there appears to be zero activity on this investigation, beyond the initial gathering of evidence and autopsies. Refusal of reward funds, no search warrants, no arrests, no criminal profile information issued to the public. And yeah, allowing fear and paranoia to grow in the community so people turn on each other is very unprofessional.

Even if the unredacted AR's aren't released, there need to be regular updates to the public giving some information about what they're doing to solve the crime. There's more information they can share with the public without compromising their investigation.

 

[Betty P]

The Columbus Dispatch used this online news article as evidence of how the poor LE and prosecutor handling of this case has stirred up terrible news stories that paint the victims in an unflattering manner. I have to say I agree, it's disgraceful
In many ways, it's like accusing rape victims for provoking a sexual assault. It's the feeling I get when I hear people blame the murders on "hillbilly justice", with the implication that the victims brought the attacks on themselves and thus, don't deserve justice.

Garbage

Were eight members of the Rhoden family murdered in an extreme case of ‘hillbilly justice’?

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/re...e/news-story/1b45bdf93e2acea8da0a4701357cbfb0

 

[jpo74]

i just wish someone, anyone can come forward and take on the ohio AG and his minions and give em what for. this case needs to be solved and the handling of this case so far is utmost ridiculous. this family needs closeure and the ninnies in charge are too busy polishing their image. :maddening:

 

[rsd1200]

The problem is big shows like sympathetic victims. Take Nancy Grace for instance. She likes the victims she covers to be pure as the driven snow and her perps true villains who are widely disliked by the general public for one reason or another. The Casey/Caylee Anthony case is an example. Beautiful young child with a mother who is a pathological liar for the perp.

AG Dewine and Reader made the Rhodens about as unsympathetic a victim as you can get right from the start. First they alienated the general public with the news of the biggest grow op in Ohio history. Then they came out with cockfighting (I still can't figure out how AG Dewines wife knew about cockfighting. Is she LE? Did she attend cockfights at some time? Or did she raise game roosters? If she is not LE then why did she and her husband insert her opinion into this case?) alienating all those animal lovers out there. Then Reader told the rest of the family to arm themselves making it look like some kind of family feud gotten out of hand. Then he came out with this family was targeted specifically causing the public to perceive it as not being a danger to the community at large. This in essence caused the general public to believe the Rhoden family brought this all on themselves so no need for anyone else to worry about the perps coming into their homes and killing them in their sleep.

All this was so wrong on so many levels.

First I don't think this was about drugs. Over drugs they would have killed CR1 and KR and maybe FR. But DR and kids makes it personal.

Second I don't think the Rhodens specifically brought this on themselves.

Third the general public is in great danger as long as these killers are out there running loose.

And finally the state of Ohio needs to consider electing a different AG. One who isn't too busy carrying on a vendetta with news media to do his job. One who doesn't depend on his wife's opinion to make damaging media statements.

This is probably not going to be a popular post, but it is what it is. All JMO of course.

A little bit of NG goes a long way with me. I can't tolerate her for very long. AG & Dewine said things in the beginning that were either untrue then, or are untrue now. The number of, and places of, the grows has changed from day one to now, constantly.

I will say that the AG has probably speculated about the gamecocks. Whenever I see them in their little huts on folk's property, my first though is not that they are raising them for family pets, or for food. I think she just pointed out what they were as the AG had no clue what a gamecock was. I mean, seriously, he's a grown man, and didn't know what a gamecock was? He's lived and worked in that area for how long?

 

[Dudly]

A little bit of NG goes a long way with me. I can't tolerate her for very long. AG & Dewine said things in the beginning that were either untrue then, or are untrue now. The number of, and places of, the grows has changed from day one to now, constantly.

I will say that the AG has probably speculated about the gamecocks. Whenever I see them in their little huts on folk's property, my first though is not that they are raising them for family pets, or for food. I think she just pointed out what they were as the AG had no clue what a gamecock was. I mean, seriously, he's a grown man, and didn't know what a gamecock was? He's lived and worked in that area for how long?

I knew they were gamecocks by the way they were housed. I never thought they were used for fighting. People buy, sell, and trade poultry all the time. There is a big animal swap meet at Lucasville, Ohio not far from them. The *advertiser censored* fighting claim was a far reach by DeWine. He was giving excuses as to why the Rhodens would have been murdered.

 

[rsd1200]

I knew they were gamecocks by the way they were housed. I never thought they were used for fighting. People buy, sell, and trade poultry all the time. There is a big animal swap meet at Lucasville, Ohio not far from them. The *advertiser censored* fighting claim was a far reach by DeWine. He was giving excuses as to why the Rhodens would have been murdered.

"My wife told me they were game *advertiser censored*"... That, I can't buy. You know that everyone there knew those chickens were gamecocks. There just weren't enough gamecocks there, though, for anyone who's been around the block, to think they'd been murdered over a handful of fighting birds. It just wasn't a big operation. I think that it was FR who was mostly into breeding and fighting a few birds, but nothing like what they've busted around these state lines, for instance, like the The Big Blue Sportsmen's Club out of Floyd County, Ky. Now that was a *advertiser censored* fighting ring.

 

[RAISINISBACK]

"My wife told me they were game *advertiser censored*"... That, I can't buy. You know that everyone there knew those chickens were gamecocks. There just weren't enough gamecocks there, though, for anyone who's been around the block, to think they'd been murdered over a handful of fighting birds. It just wasn't a big operation. I think that it was FR who was mostly into breeding and fighting a few birds, but nothing like what they've busted around these state lines, for instance, like the The Big Blue Sportsmen's Club out of Floyd County, Ky. Now that was a *advertiser censored* fighting ring.

BBM
It does seem as though Dewine should have known what they were if his wife did. They did everything they could to tarnish the victims IMO. Had they not did that the national media would have stayed on it longer I think. I am giving up hope for it ever being solved. I think it might go the way of the Burgette and Newsomes. At least until they vote Dewine and reader out of office.