PIKETON, Ohio — Today marks the 8th anniversary of an event that would forever change Pike County. Eight members of the Rhoden family lost their lives in a series of brutal shootings that occurred in four homes.
The Night of Horror
In the quiet rural landscape, six adults and a 16-year-old boy were found shot execution-style in three adjacent houses. Another adult was discovered dead in a camper in Piketon. Three young children, including two infants, were spared from the violence.
A crime scene photo from 2016 shows the front of Christopher Rhoden Sr.’s trailer and the trajectory of bullets that went into the wall by the front door. BCI crime scene investigators used a special camera to determine the trajectory and distance of the projectiles. George Wagner IV, 30, is on trial in Pike County Common Pleas Court. He is charged with 22 counts, eight of them are aggravated murder.
Monday, Sept. 19, 2022
Investigation and Arrests
The case became Ohio’s largest investigation. In November 2018, four members of the Wagner family, connected to the Rhodens, were arrested and charged.
Jake Wagner, 29, enters Pike County Common Pleas Court in Waverly, Ohio, Tuesday Oct. 25, 2022 for his second day of testimony in his brother’s trial. George Wagner IV, 31, is on trial, charged with 22 counts tied to eight members of the Rhoden family shot to death at four different locations on April 21-22, 2016. Jake and his mom, Angela Wagner, have already pleaded guilty. George’s dad, George “Billy” Wagner III will go on trial in 2023. Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022 POOL PHOTO | LIZ DUFOUR
Edward “Jake” Wagner, the ex-boyfriend of victim Hanna Rhoden, eventually pleaded guilty to all eight murders but admitted to shooting five victims.
Other Defendants
Rita Newcomb and Fredericka Wagner, also connected to the Rhoden family, faced charges related to obstructing official business. Newcomb pleaded guilty, while Fredericka’s charges were dropped. In April 2021, Jake Wagner received eight consecutive life sentences. Angela Wagner, another family member, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated murder in the same year.
George “Billy” Wagner IV, 30, is on trial in Pike County Common Pleas Court in Waverly, Ohio, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. He is charged with 22 counts, eight of them are aggravated murder, in connection with the shooting deaths of eight members of the Rhoden family.
George W. Wagner IV’s Trial
The legal proceedings continued in September 2022 when George W. Wagner IV stood trial. He was found guilty on all counts related to the murders. Meanwhile, the trial for Billy Wagner is scheduled for next year.
George “Billy” Wagner III is led into the Pike County Common Pleas Courthouse by officers of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for his first pre-trial hearing in nearly a year. He has been held at the Butler County Jail since he was arrested with other Wagner family members in November 2018.
Impact on the Community
The tragedy left an indelible mark on the small town of Piketon and the broader Pike County community.
Geneva Rhoden shares a hug with a family member during an emotional first day of witnesses in the George Wagner IV trial in Pike County Common Pleas Court in Waverly, Ohio, Tuesday, September 13, 2022. Wagner is charged with 22 counts, eight of them are aggravated murder, in connection with the shooting deaths of eight members of the Rhoden family on April 21-22, 2016 in Pike County. Photos of the crime scene, including the bodies, were shown to jurors.
