PIKE COUNTY, Ohio – A court appearance scheduled for George “Billy” Wagner on Nov. 6, 2024, was delayed and will be rescheduled for a later date, according to the Pike County Common Pleas Court.
Wagner, alongside his wife and two sons, was charged in connection with the April 2016 murders of seven members of the Rhoden family and Hannah Gilley, an incident that shook the Pike County community. Wagner’s defense has argued that extensive local media coverage has compromised the possibility of a fair trial. In June 2023, his attorneys filed an Amended Motion for a Change of Venue, contending that the level of media attention would make it impossible to seat an impartial jury in Pike County. Defense attorney Kaitlyn Stephens argued last October that the case falls into “rare, limited circumstances” warranting presumed prejudice, as supported by a Supreme Court ruling.
Despite these arguments, Judge Corbin denied the motion on Nov. 20, 2023, determining that the trial would remain in Pike County.
Wagner’s trial, now one of Ohio’s most closely watched criminal cases, is slated to begin on Jan. 6, 2025.