WAVERLY, Ohio — The man who has been proclaimed as the mastermind behind the slaughter of eight people in Pike County, Ohio took the stand Monday morning against his brother.
As the trial of George Wagner IV, 31, enters the 29th day, his brother has turned the state’s evidence against him.
Jake Wagner, who was the ex-boyfriend of victim Hannah Rhoden was brought into court with heavily armed guards at around 8:30 a.m. on Monday. He was in holding and taken to the witness stand as the court took session just after 9 a.m.
Jake Wagner copped a plea deal last year to testify against his entire family in exchange for life in prison and to avoid the death penalty. Wagner, his brother George, his mother Angela, and his father Billy all face more than two dozen charges related to the 2016 murders of the Rhoden family; Angela Wagner also took a plea deal to testify against George and her husband, Billy, in exchange for 30 years behind bars. So far, George is the first Wagner to go to trial, whereas, Billy is expected to go to trial early next year. George’s defense team argues that he did not personally kill anyone and that Jake will back that testimony up. So far this morning, Jake has not mentioned his brother much.
Monday morning, Jake Wagner “opted out” of being filmed by news media, which means his testimony could not be heard unless you were sitting physically in the courtroom. Members of the media were in the front row taking notes to report back to the public.
The first half of the day was spent with Jake Wagner being asked by the prosecution whose idea it was to kill the eight members of the Rhoden family; he said it was initially his father, Billy’s idea and that Jake “bucked” the plot because he still loved Hannah and she was the mother of his child. In early 2016, his father was able to convince him that the young girl at the center of the custody dispute — Sophia — was being abused by the Rhodens; Jake said that was the “tipping point” for him and the planning commenced to carry out the killings.
The court broke for lunch at 11:30 a.m. and before lunch, Jake had barely mentioned his brother, George, who is on trial. Jake said his own personal role in the plot was to procure the guns used in the killings and to obtain a “murder vehicle” to drive the night of the slaughter. The only mention of George by Jake before lunch was that George was allegedly present when Jake bought the pickup truck that would be used in the killings.
Jake told the jury that he loved his brother and that he believed his brother loved him. Reporters present in the gallery noted that Jake Wagner looked at George Wagner many times during the testimony, but that George Wagner did not look back, not even once. It is the first time the two have seen one another or heard each other’s voice since they were arrested in November 2018.
When court resumed after lunch, Jake told the jury that George helped build a false truck bed bottom that the two would hide under while their father, Billy, drove the truck to the murders.
For the first murders, Jake said that George “tagged along” in a ski mask, gloves, and the Walmart shoes that Angela bought. Jake also said he was the other person wearing the shoes, which the Guardian has previously reported were purchased for the purpose of the murders by Angela and two bloody shoe prints were found at the scenes in different sizes.
Jake described, in vivid detail how he personally shot and killed Chris Rhoden Sr., who was the first of eight victims killed. Jake said his brother, George was supposed to kill Chris but that “George basically froze,” so Jake said he pulled the trigger, himself.
The jury broke took a break at 2:30 p.m. and will resume at 2:45 p.m.
