PIKE COUNTY, Ohio — The father of a slain woman in Pike County has died.
Leonard Manley, 70, passed away over the weekend in Pike County. Manley was the father of Dana Rhoden, who was slain in 2016 with seven other members of her family; Manley had been in ailing health.
Manley was a fixture at court proceedings in the Pike County Courthouse while another family, the Wagners faced criminal proceedings for the murders.
Early on in the investigation of the slayings, Manley’s family faced criticism.
Bobby Jo Manley, Dana’s sister, was the one who called 911 after finding the bodies of four of the eight victims. She publicly voiced her belief she was being viewed as a suspect and denied any involvement.
Meanwhile, brother James Manley, who was the one to find sister Dana’s body, was eventually charged with tampering with evidence and vandalism after he allegedly destroyed a GPS tracker he found placed on his truck. Those charges were later dropped. Authorities have never called him a suspect in the case, but the tracker was being used by law enforcement.
Leonard would criticize the intense attention their family faced from law enforcement, insisting no one from the Manley family was involved with the murders.
In 2018, members of the Wagner family were charged in the killings. In recent months, two-of-the-four have taken plea deals in the cases, including Jake Wagner pleading guilty to eight counts of murder. A custody battle was the motive, investigators said.
Funeral arrangements for Manley have not been announced. His cause of death was not immediately released.
