OH - Pike County: 8 people from one family dead as police hunt for killer(s) - #31

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tlcya

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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.

[...]

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.

Audio 911 Calls

PRESSER: APRIL 27, 2016

Video Interview with Attorney General DeWine Published 8-13-16


Minors: You may discuss what is covered in the main stream media regarding the custody of minor children. If posting snips from articles regarding the children please redact their names. These babes are innocents. One day they will google their names or those of their parents. And plenty will come up. Let's be respectful of them and the catastrophic loss they have suffered at such tender ages. Thanks.

DO NOT SLEUTH STILL LIVING FAMILY MEMBERS' FACEBOOK PAGES AND POST ABOUT IT HERE. Just don't mention it. Period.

Leave the politics, both national and local, at the door. There is no room for them here.

Try to keep your speculation broad as LE has named no suspect(s).

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Previous Thread #30

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http://fox45now.com/news/local/inves...sacre-evidence

Investigators search Adams Co. farm for Pike Co. massacre evidence

ADAMS COUNTY, Ohio (WKRC) - Law enforcement officers are searching a farm in Adams County for evidence in the Pike County massacre. That farm is off of SR 32 near Peebles.

The case of the Pike County murders became more complex this week with investigators asking the public to focus attention on one family

DeWine hasn’t named suspects in the case. He has, however, asked the public to focus attention on four members of the Wagner family.

Investigators want more information about Edward “Jake” Wagner, 24, George Wagner IV, 25, George “Billy” Wagner III, 46, and Angela Wagner, 45. All are uncharged.
 
Two year anniversary will be 'round soon.
 
I found a link to the $500,000 amount:

"The marijuana grow operations found were not simply a few random plants in a field somewhere, the Columbus Dispatch reported from an interview with Pike County Prosecutor Rob Junk. He told Dispatch reporters at least one was indoors and there appeared to be several hundreds of plants.

“It wasn’t just somebody sitting pots in the window,” Junk told the Dispatch.

CBS This Morning reported the street value of the marijuana found is nearly $500,000."

https://www.wcpo.com/news/crime/4-possible-motives-in-pike-county-ohio-murders

Maybe the article is referring the earlier drug finds related to the Mexican cartel. It's worded weirdly. Could be interpreted either way in my opinion.

"PIKETON, Ohio -- No arrests have been made in the Ohio shooting investigation of eight execution-style killings of members of the Rhoden family in Pike County, Ohio.

Large-scale marijuana grow operations were discovered at three of the four murder scenes."

Even with that amount, I too find it hard to blame these murders on the marijuana. Maybe it was part of the reason? I just don't know...
 
I found a link to the $500,000 amount:

"The marijuana grow operations found were not simply a few random plants in a field somewhere, the Columbus Dispatch reported from an interview with Pike County Prosecutor Rob Junk. He told Dispatch reporters at least one was indoors and there appeared to be several hundreds of plants.

“It wasn’t just somebody sitting pots in the window,” Junk told the Dispatch.

CBS This Morning reported the street value of the marijuana found is nearly $500,000."

https://www.wcpo.com/news/crime/4-possible-motives-in-pike-county-ohio-murders

Maybe the article is referring the earlier drug finds related to the Mexican cartel. It's worded weirdly. Could be interpreted either way in my opinion.

"PIKETON, Ohio -- No arrests have been made in the Ohio shooting investigation of eight execution-style killings of members of the Rhoden family in Pike County, Ohio.

Large-scale marijuana grow operations were discovered at three of the four murder scenes."

Even with that amount, I too find it hard to blame these murders on the marijuana. Maybe it was part of the reason? I just don't know...

Interesting that if there was that much going on there, it seems like at least one picture of the plants getting taken out or moved would be seen. Or a picture of grow equipment being moved out. How did they get that all done with not one person getting a picture of something being moved?
I
 
Interesting that if there was that much going on there, it seems like at least one picture of the plants getting taken out or moved would be seen. Or a picture of grow equipment being moved out. How did they get that all done with not one person getting a picture of something being moved?
I

So true! They are usually pretty proud when they get a big bust and there are always pictures. Of course, it wasn't a bust, it was a massacre! It's just very fishy!
 
Pike County has yet another officer involved shooting. Sheriff Reader made a brief statement, case handed over to BCI and someone else, sketchy details at this point.
 
I still can’t wrap my head around no forced entry. Someone let them in those trailers or gave them keys to get in. But who? I rarely post but I have followed these threads from day one. This case is on my mind all the time. I just wish we knew more.


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So true! They are usually pretty proud when they get a big bust and there are always pictures. Of course, it wasn't a bust, it was a massacre! It's just very fishy!

The other thing about that report, if there was such a big grow operation, why couldn't they afford to fix the roof on on the trailer house? It has tarps to keep leaks out. They couldn't afford a roof but was making a huge income from a grow operation?
 
I still can’t wrap my head around no forced entry. Someone let them in those trailers or gave them keys to get in. But who? I rarely post but I have followed these threads from day one. This case is on my mind all the time. I just wish we knew more.


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They may not have been people who lock doors when they are home. They may not have felt it was necessary to lock them if they were there. The last place I lived I seldom locked my door in eighteen years living there. I usually only locked the doors if I would be gone overnight. Times are different now, though...
 
The other thing about that report, if there was such a big grow operation, why couldn't they afford to fix the roof on on the trailer house? It has tarps to keep leaks out. They couldn't afford a roof but was making a huge income from a grow operation?

True! But, could it have been part of a disguise to make them less conspicuous and keep them under the radar to have a trailer used for a grow operation covered with a tarp? The minute you start improving your property, the tax man cometh, or that has been my experience. The longer this case goes unsolved, the stranger it seems to become. I feel like LE would rather this case be forgotten than solved.
 
Interesting that if there was that much going on there, it seems like at least one picture of the plants getting taken out or moved would be seen. Or a picture of grow equipment being moved out. How did they get that all done with not one person getting a picture of something being moved?
I

I think they embellished... If they can't show me a photo of a sophisticated pot grow op worth that amount of cash, then I say, it didn't exist. Not to say there wasn't a grow op but the size, number of ops, and amount of plants, have changed over time.
 
The other thing about that report, if there was such a big grow operation, why couldn't they afford to fix the roof on on the trailer house? It has tarps to keep leaks out. They couldn't afford a roof but was making a huge income from a grow operation?

Exactly. Even a new(er) trailer. That one was as old as the hills.
 
They may not have been people who lock doors when they are home. They may not have felt it was necessary to lock them if they were there. The last place I lived I seldom locked my door in eighteen years living there. I usually only locked the doors if I would be gone overnight. Times are different now, though...

Good point. I had not considered that.

But wasn’t there a rumor going around that the Rhodens were “on alert”?


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True! But, could it have been part of a disguise to make them less conspicuous and keep them under the radar to have a trailer used for a grow operation covered with a tarp? The minute you start improving your property, the tax man cometh, or that has been my experience. The longer this case goes unsolved, the stranger it seems to become. I feel like LE would rather this case be forgotten than solved.

That trailer with the tarps is where FR and HG lived. It isn't where a grow operation was located unless it was hidden in a bedroom...
 
I think they embellished... If they can't show me a photo of a sophisticated pot grow op worth that amount of cash, then I say, it didn't exist. Not to say there wasn't a grow op but the size, number of ops, and amount of plants, have changed over time.

I have to agree with you. The grow operation info changed several times. Rather than show they were correct on there being grow operations, they went the opposite way and gave no proof that any existed....
 
Good point. I had not considered that.

But wasn’t there a rumor going around that the Rhodens were “on alert”?


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I guess it would depend on what they were "on alert" about. Also, they may have thought they had things under control...
 
That trailer with the tarps is where FR and HG lived. It isn't where a grow operation was located unless it was hidden in a bedroom...

I don't think that FR had a grow, but iirc, LM, said that CR1's trailer was basically a shell. However, he had a bedroom there, and GR was living there. Some folks just want a roof though. They don't care much about aesthetics. Especially if it was just a place to cultivate some plants, and sleep. The only home that was kinda gussied up, inside and out, was DR's, from what I've been able to ascertain from photos.
 
I guess it would depend on what they were "on alert" about. Also, they may have thought they had things under control...

Iirc, they were on alert when those fellas drove out there with the potential intent to start something. The Rs were prepared. This is why I think that they'd let their guard down. Thought all was well. If they'd caught wind those folks were on the way, or, were just patrolling the road, and sent them packing, they'd not have just stopped that a few weeks/days, before the murders. If they thought they were under threat, these were some pretty tough ole boys. Not afraid of a fight. I think they'd have rotated guard, and/or had something set up, that would have alerted them (other than the dogs).
 
Pike County has yet another officer involved shooting. Sheriff Reader made a brief statement, case handed over to BCI and someone else, sketchy details at this point.

Thanks for the alert! Here are some news reports. The man killed was named James Burks. He was killed by the deputy about 4 am on Thursday.

http://nbc4i.com/2018/02/01/investigation-underway-after-deputy-involved-shooting-in-pike-co/

According to the Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader, at about 4am, Thursday, three people ran from a vehicle after a deputy attempted to make a traffic stop in the 13000 block of S.R. 124 in Piketon.

Reader says a physical altercation took place between the deputy and one of the subjects after the deputy chased the subjects on foot.

During the altercation, the deputy fired his weapon killing the suspect, according to Reader.

Reader identified the suspect as James Burks.

No mention of whether the dead man had a weapon of any kind, so I assume he didn't.


This article states they apprehended the other people in the car. Why would PIke County bring in sheriff's deputies from Franklin County? That's a long way away. Hinky. Recall they helped out in the raids on the Wagner properties, too. They must know how to follow rules. Or something.

http://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/deputy-opens-fire-on-suspect-in-pike-county

Sheriff's deputies surrounded a residence where the other persons in the vehicle were located along with BCI and Franklin County Sheriff's deputies.

The sheriff's department took in two men and three women for questioning from BCI agents.
 
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