UNSOLVED Oh - Pike County: 8 People From One Family Dead As Police Hunt For Killer(s) #33

[Betty P]

BBM
Gotcha. The overkill alone, speaks to unleashed anger, to me.

Maybe. It could also just be insurance to make sure no one survives long enough to call 911 or grab a weapon and return fire. JMO, these killings happened pretty fast. Killers were probably very twitchy and kept shooting anyone who was still moving. With the exception of CR1's wounds, I've never thought the number of wounds, 2 or 3 or 5, was significant considering they may have been semi-automatic weapons. It probably took just as much time to fire 5 shots as it did 1.

Also important was the ability to get into these homes in total darkness and ambush the victims in their sleep, shooting them with deadly accuracy, without giving them much time to react and without hitting the babies.

 

[Betty P]

We may never know the whole story. If any local, or area, "upstanding" citizens were involved in something illicit they wanted kept quiet, the perpetrators may have been taken out, too. No better way to keep a secret than to have no one alive to tell it...

The fact LE had to be forced by the news media to offer a reward for information about the murders speaks volumes. They discouraged Ruby from offering a reward, then later "forgot" that they could offer a $10,000 reward through the local Crimestoppers.

Rhoden murder reward announced - 10 weeks late

Rhoden murder reward announced - 10 weeks late

"What if they offered a reward and forgot to tell the public about it?

That's what happened in Pike County, where authorities on Thursday announced a $10,000 reward in the killing of eight family members -- 10 weeks after authorizing the reward in what has become Ohio's largest homicide investigation ever.

Ross County Sheriff's Deputy Dave Weber, who oversees the Southern Ohio Crime Stoppers fund, said there was a "miscommunication and a misunderstanding" about notifying the public about the reward.

"The reward was approved on May 10 but we didn't have approval to put it out there," Weber said. "We got a call from a TV station this week asking why there wasn't a reward in the case. I said that wasn't true." ..."

 

[RAISINISBACK]

The story about the Porters, that Raisin linked, above, came to light from a jailhouse testimony.





Last of 5 defendants found guilty in 2011 murders of Willard couple



http://www.ccscrnews.com/uploads/1/7/7/6/17767517/04-03-14_a_section.pdf

An uncle, had his kin, killed, over property, jealousy, and from the paranoia that his kin, who lived on the same land, were snitches. How crazy is that? That's crazy, imo. What's even crazier, is that he talked four + people into doing it for him! Enlisted/threatened, a man, who brought in his wife, son, and friend. I am not ruling anything out of the R/HHG murders, at this point in the game. I've been wrong before, but, I do believe that hard drugs will play some part in this; how big, I'm not sure.

Sentencing today for Robert Campbell: The uncle found guilty of murdering Willard couple

Robert Campbell was the uncle of Russell Porter, but so was Tony Friend. Phillip Friend and Dusty Hicks were his first cousins.

What struck me RSD is the similarity to the R murders.

The security cameras being destroyed and the computer taken that the cameras fed into. We know that the cameras in the R case were taken. I have always felt that family or close friends would be the only ones who knew where those cameras were at both CR1 and KR's place.

Knowing when they would be home and in bed. Again family or close friend.

Knowing how to enter the house without waking them up. Again family or close friend.

The giving of family property to the newlyweds and the buying of DR's house from a family member.

What also struck me is the steps they took to conceal who they were i.e. taking a shower to get rid of loose hairs, taping their ankles and wrists so they did not leave DNA, using bleach. DeWine said the R killers did everything they could to cover their tracks.

What is amazing is that some ordinary thieves/meth users out of rural Missouri knew how to do that to conceal their involvement in the crime.

I still lean heavily toward the W's but reading this about the Porter murders kind of makes me wonder about the R family and what part DR's new house might have played in this all.

JMO

 

[IceIce9]

I rewatched the first videos of these murders and can't get DeWine and Le's words out of my head now. Cold and calculated execution. Now I strongly feel this was about drugs and gangs. I've done digging on some of the gang members in the media and it's scary. It would be obvious to anyone halfway normal that some of them are gone in the head and heart. Their drug intake is that of anything they can get their hands on, and I m sure there's dealing also. The wads of cash, rec vehicles traded for drugs. Are they clean of having committed any murders? mmm I wouldn't put money on their ignorance even of what and who dd this.

Cold blooded killers who spared the lives of the children, and whom the dogs did not attack.

Those two facts made me think “family” from the first time I saw this on local breaking news.

Most cold blooded killers wouldn’t think twice about killing kids, and Mexican drug cartels kill children frequently.

Not only were they not intentionally harmed, the killers were carefonot to accidentally hit them when shots were fired around them.

 

[Betty P]

Robert Campbell was the uncle of Russell Porter, but so was Tony Friend. Phillip Friend and Dusty Hicks were his first cousins.

What struck me RSD is the similarity to the R murders.

The security cameras being destroyed and the computer taken that the cameras fed into. We know that the cameras in the R case were taken. I have always felt that family or close friends would be the only ones who knew where those cameras were at both CR1 and KR's place.

Knowing when they would be home and in bed. Again family or close friend.

Knowing how to enter the house without waking them up. Again family or close friend.

The giving of family property to the newlyweds and the buying of DR's house from a family member.

What also struck me is the steps they took to conceal who they were i.e. taking a shower to get rid of loose hairs, taping their ankles and wrists so they did not leave DNA, using bleach. DeWine said the R killers did everything they could to cover their tracks.

What is amazing is that some ordinary thieves/meth users out of rural Missouri knew how to do that to conceal their involvement in the crime.

I still lean heavily toward the W's but reading this about the Porter murders kind of makes me wonder about the R family and what part DR's new house might have played in this all.

JMO

I agree with most everything you said. Various LE said early on that someone close to the family (not necessarily a relative) had to be involved in giving info to the killers about location of cameras, how to enter, family schedules, dogs, etc. I think we're all in agreement that happened.

Same with the ability of the killers to not leave much evidence (that we know of) behind. JMO, I still think there's DNA evidence, but LE isn't saying. I think someone may have been injured in the fight with CR1. I also think LE has evidence from the cell phone activity of the Rhodens and others prior to the murders.

But doing this to 8 people at 4 crime scenes in a short period of time requires some level of experience or rehearsal and involvement of multiple killers, possibly in teams. That's been my theory from the beginning. Multiple killers and multiple crime scenes require extra effort and planning for logistics, weapons, communications.

The only theory I'm still not buying is that the murders were done by close family members. This case would have been solved a long time ago if that were the case.

 

[Dudly]

Maybe. It could also just be insurance to make sure no one survives long enough to call 911 or grab a weapon and return fire. JMO, these killings happened pretty fast. Killers were probably very twitchy and kept shooting anyone who was still moving. With the exception of CR1's wounds, I've never thought the number of wounds, 2 or 3 or 5, was significant considering they may have been semi-automatic weapons. It probably took just as much time to fire 5 shots as it did 1.

Also important was the ability to get into these homes in total darkness and ambush the victims in their sleep, shooting them with deadly accuracy, without giving them much time to react and without hitting the babies.

A good laser sight and the bullet hits the red dot shining on the target. LE also talked to a guy that makes silencers.

 

[Charliegizmo49]

Cold blooded killers who spared the lives of the children, and whom the dogs did not attack.

Those two facts made me think “family” from the first time I saw this on local breaking news.

Most cold blooded killers wouldn’t think twice about killing kids, and Mexican drug cartels kill children frequently.

Not only were they not intentionally harmed, the killers were carefonot to accidentally hit them when shots were fired around them.

I wonder if the dogs were tested for Benadryl or other short term tranquilizers.

 

[rsd1200]

We may never know the whole story. If any local, or area, "upstanding" citizens were involved in something illicit they wanted kept quiet, the perpetrators may have been taken out, too. No better way to keep a secret than to have no one alive to tell it...

I think they are, for the most part, still alive and kicking, could be an exception though.

 

[Betty P]

A good laser sight and the bullet hits the red dot shining on the target. LE also talked to a guy that makes silencers.

JMO, it takes skill, experience and a cool head to do it over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over. In different rooms, homes, with dogs outside (don't tell me those dogs didn't start barking once the shooting started, unless they were tranquilized or knocked out) while avoiding babies and searching for victims hiding, tripping over furniture and stuff on the floor, etc.

 

[rsd1200]

Maybe. It could also just be insurance to make sure no one survives long enough to call 911 or grab a weapon and return fire. JMO, these killings happened pretty fast. Killers were probably very twitchy and kept shooting anyone who was still moving. With the exception of CR1's wounds, I've never thought the number of wounds, 2 or 3 or 5, was significant considering they may have been semi-automatic weapons. It probably took just as much time to fire 5 shots as it did 1.

Also important was the ability to get into these homes in total darkness and ambush the victims in their sleep, shooting them with deadly accuracy, without giving them much time to react and without hitting the babies.

Possible, but, they shot three of them, in the eye. That is up close and personal. KR was in a contained space and they only got him once, and in the eye. Did they sit around and watch him to make sure he was dead? FR was shot in the eye, as was DR (who was also shot in the head and neck). Have links but it's too early to dig. Not all these folks were asleep though so some may have, and seemed to have, fought back.

Maybe the killers aren't so experienced either. My .38 special, with 130 grain ammo, has one-shot stopping power. Then again, if meth was involved, maybe it was releasing those inhibitions, which allowed them to take the halter off, and unleash a buncha hate. Just a thought.

 

[rsd1200]

Robert Campbell was the uncle of Russell Porter, but so was Tony Friend. Phillip Friend and Dusty Hicks were his first cousins.

What struck me RSD is the similarity to the R murders.

The security cameras being destroyed and the computer taken that the cameras fed into. We know that the cameras in the R case were taken. I have always felt that family or close friends would be the only ones who knew where those cameras were at both CR1 and KR's place.

Knowing when they would be home and in bed. Again family or close friend.

Knowing how to enter the house without waking them up. Again family or close friend.

The giving of family property to the newlyweds and the buying of DR's house from a family member.

What also struck me is the steps they took to conceal who they were i.e. taking a shower to get rid of loose hairs, taping their ankles and wrists so they did not leave DNA, using bleach. DeWine said the R killers did everything they could to cover their tracks.

What is amazing is that some ordinary thieves/meth users out of rural Missouri knew how to do that to conceal their involvement in the crime.

I still lean heavily toward the W's but reading this about the Porter murders kind of makes me wonder about the R family and what part DR's new house might have played in this all.

JMO

Maybe they'd been watching the murder shows, like 48 hours, too... They'd gotten pretty good at going in and taking stuff from folks, too. So they were already brave about going onto places, and these folks lived right there! They talked about it for a bit, after the ole man pulled them in, and then the meth session was what turned the tide.

I've always thought that it could be familial, with the Rs, it moves in, around, and out of my top three. Drugs, familial issues, drugs and familial issues, greed... those seven deadly sins are called deadly for a reason. I do believe that at least one of the assailants knew those properties. Almost had to, to get around all the stuff on CR1's and FR's place, (No offense, to the deceased, but it was pretty darn cluttered).

 

[Chelly]

A while back, there was a link posted to an article about a teenager who became a hit man for drug bosses in Detroit . He said that receiving all or a portion of the money/drugs they confiscate is a standard part of the hit man's agreement. IIRC, they can usually keep whatever they find. Searching a victim's home for drugs or cash is risky business, though. They have to work fast and stay very alert. Alarms may have been triggered, neighbors or witnesses may have heard gunshots and sent others in to catch them, etc.

Davontae Sanford’s road to freedom: An interactive study

Hit man Smothers describes killing drug dealer in ’04

Another hit man interview

JMO, it may have been JW who did surveillance beforehand and handled the dogs the night of the killings. The killers (probably 2 or more teams) went in to do the dirty work. Had to be at least 2 teams to be able to kill CR1 & GR and FR and HHG next door without one of them waking up.

Good theory

 

[Chelly]

Cold blooded killers who spared the lives of the children, and whom the dogs did not attack.

Those two facts made me think “family” from the first time I saw this on local breaking news.

Most cold blooded killers wouldn’t think twice about killing kids, and Mexican drug cartels kill children frequently.

Not only were they not intentionally harmed, the killers were carefonot to accidentally hit them when shots were fired around them.

^
Agree. This is why I don't think the shooters were high on meth.

 

[MittenScarpetta]

Possible, but, they shot three of them, in the eye. That is up close and personal. KR was in a contained space and they only got him once, and in the eye. Did they sit around and watch him to make sure he was dead? FR was shot in the eye, as was DR (who was also shot in the head and neck). Have links but it's too early to dig. Not all these folks were asleep though so some may have, and seemed to have, fought back.

Maybe the killers aren't so experienced either. My .38 special, with 130 grain ammo, has one-shot stopping power. Then again, if meth was involved, maybe it was releasing those inhibitions, which allowed them to take the halter off, and unleash a buncha hate. Just a thought.

Is there any type of symbolism with shooting someone in the eye? I admit I am guilty of overthinking things, but I find it odd that 3/8 were shot in the eye. I also don’t understand why HHG would’ve been shot in the face 5x. It’s almost like these killers not only wanted to kill, but also wanted to disfigure as well.

 

[rsd1200]

Is there any type of symbolism with shooting someone in the eye? I admit I am guilty of overthinking things, but I find it odd that 3/8 were shot in the eye. I also don’t understand why HHG would’ve been shot in the face 5x. It’s almost like these killers not only wanted to kill, but also wanted to disfigure as well.

I have wondered about that a lot, too, and, I almost think that there may be more victims who were shot in the eye, or possibly all of them were, but we just know about three, from slip ups.

I think it could have two meanings; 1) It was done to throw LE, and everyone else, off track and toward some type of big gang hit and the eye shots were to be taken as symbolism. (2) It could actually be symbolic, gang or not, such as, An eye for an eye.

That's the thoughts that keep coming to the top, for me.

 

[Charliegizmo49]

What was done with the clothes and weapons?

At best if the killers were completely covered they had blood on themselves. And the weapons and silencers had to be disposed of. My guess is they had placed visqueen on the seats of their vehicles if they were local.

There were three of them that night. All dressed in dark clothes.

It all started hours before when just after dark they had slowly driven down union hill road. Just enough to attract the dogs attention, feeding them hamburger balls. Each one had enough to put them to sleep for hours but not to kill.

They were ready, the plan had been started, the waiting had begun.

After the three had done the unthinkable they met up to rid themselves of blood stained jeans, masks and t shirts. They had worn old shoes already destined for the trash. All of it went into black garbage bags, then tossed into the bed of a truck. The clothes would face the same fire as the master plan written on school notebook paper.

Once the decision had been made to kill, the killers met a few times to carefully plan. They had thought of everything and shied away from the tasks that had gotten other hills murderers caught. They all thought they’d either get caught right after the killings or standvto be free forever.

The law would be chasing motive for years. Never having enough to arrest anyone let alone the three that did the actual killing. The Rhodens and kin had a history of pudding people off. There would be to many to investigate. To many reasons to want them outta the way.


The plan went well, the dogs passed out and no kids harmed. That was the hard part, not shooting the babies. The three would go straight to hell for that, but not for killin uppity white trash who had crossed the line way to many times.Bad was bad and the Rhodens was the worst. They had done something bad enough they couldn’t come back from. And when the order came down the three who did the trigger pulling were glad for the money to do it. No harder than killing a deer they had agreed. But no babies and not the dogs.

The guns went into separate bags just before being hidden. When the bodies were found, probably later that day one of the killers would pick them up for the last time. Smashing them into bits and pieces with a heavy sledge or cut up with a special saw from the shed. The saw would go too. Tenant pieces of the killers guns were sprinkled into the cricks and rivers in the area. It would be the last thing before destroying the well thought out written list. That was burned just down the road from where the Rhoden family had been massacred. The guns would be destroyed and disposed of just after the bodies were discovered while the sheriff was most confused, and before the State boys were called in.

 

[Charliegizmo49]

What was done with the clothes and weapons?

At best if the killers were completely covered they had blood on themselves. And the weapons and silencers had to be disposed of. My guess is they had placed visqueen on the seats of their vehicles if they were local.

There were three of them that night. All dressed in dark clothes.

It all started hours before when just after dark they had slowly driven down union hill road. Just enough to attract the dogs attention, feeding them hamburger balls. Each one had enough to put them to sleep for hours but not to kill.

They were ready, the plan had been started, the waiting had begun.

After the three had done the unthinkable they met up to rid themselves of blood stained jeans, masks and t shirts. They had worn old shoes already destined for the trash. All of it went into black garbage bags, then tossed into the bed of a truck. The clothes would face the same fire as the master plan written on school notebook paper.

Once the decision had been made to kill, the killers met a few times to carefully plan. They had thought of everything an

The guns went into separate bags just before being hidden. When the bodies were found, probably later that day one of the killers would pick them up for the last time. Smashing them into bits and pieces with a heavy sledge or cut up with a special saw from the shed. The saw would go too. Tenant pieces of the killers guns were sprinkled into the cricks and rivers in the area. It would be the last thing before destroying the well thought out written list. That was burned just down the road from where the Rhoden family had been massacred. The guns would be destroyed and disposed of just after the bodies were discovered while the sheriff was most confused, and before the State bits were called in.

 

[Betty P]

Maybe they'd been watching the murder shows, like 48 hours, too... They'd gotten pretty good at going in and taking stuff from folks, too. So they were already brave about going onto places, and these folks lived right there! They talked about it for a bit, after the ole man pulled them in, and then the meth session was what turned the tide.

I've always thought that it could be familial, with the Rs, it moves in, around, and out of my top three. Drugs, familial issues, drugs and familial issues, greed... those seven deadly sins are called deadly for a reason. I do believe that at least one of the assailants knew those properties. Almost had to, to get around all the stuff on CR1's and FR's place, (No offense, to the deceased, but it was pretty darn cluttered).

The problem with the familial theory is that there's no past history of intra-familial violence or even major disagreements. There's no real motive. No history of big disagreements over money, land, etc. No arrests, no court battles. The Rhodens were and are a pretty tight knit family. They take care of each other. Even looking back today, there's nothing in their past that reveals any issue they would be fighting about.

OTOH, there was a very big ongoing battle over custody of HR's children. JMO, LE is looking in the right direction when they have the W's in their laser focus. It's pretty obvious who had major conflicts with them - court battle, war of words, etc.

 

[Betty P]

Is there any type of symbolism with shooting someone in the eye? I admit I am guilty of overthinking things, but I find it odd that 3/8 were shot in the eye. I also don’t understand why HHG would’ve been shot in the face 5x. It’s almost like these killers not only wanted to kill, but also wanted to disfigure as well.

The human face has relatively small surface area, compared to other parts of the body. I'm no expert, but I assume people trained to kill aim for the area of the eyes or forehead. When quickly attacking someone with a gun, it seems the odds are high the victim will be shot in the eyes if you're aiming for the forehead.

JMO, this has always made me think the shooters had some sort of military, LE or similar formal training. The entire process of entering consecutive darkened homes late at night and shooting people in their beds has always indicated the killers had some kind of military or advanced LE training, similar to training in urban warfare.

 

[rsd1200]

The problem with the familial theory is that there's no past history of intra-familial violence or even major disagreements. There's no real motive. No history of big disagreements over money, land, etc. No arrests, no court battles. The Rhodens were and are a pretty tight knit family. They take care of each other. Even looking back today, there's nothing in their past that reveals any issue they would be fighting about.

OTOH, there was a very big ongoing battle over custody of HR's children. JMO, LE is looking in the right direction when they have the W's in their laser focus. It's pretty obvious who had major conflicts with them - court battle, war of words, etc.

I think you misunderstand me. I don't necessarily mean the immediate Piketon family, who seems pretty tight, and, fwiw, fairly oblivious as to why this happened. Not sure I'm 100% believing that no one knows anything, but, maybe they don't. We don't, however, know all the family dynamics from across the state line. When I say familial, I'm including blood kin, and those who married into the family, and, like GR, who have had some sketchy connections.