WAVERLY, Ohio — George “Billy” Wagner III, the patriarch of the notorious Wagner family, is scheduled to appear in a Pike County courtroom on October 7 for a pretrial conference related to the mass murder of the Rhoden family. This appearance comes amid ongoing legal maneuvers, including recent motions filed by his attorney to relocate the trial out of Pike County. On September 3, Wagner’s legal team submitted a change of venue motion, but on September 6, a notice was issued indicating an intent to dismiss the motion, signaling that the trial may proceed in Pike County as planned.
Billy Wagner, along with his wife, Angela, and their two sons, Jake and George, is accused of participating in the brutal “execution-style” murders of eight members of the Rhoden and Gilley families on April 22, 2016. The shocking nature of this crime has captivated the state of Ohio and beyond. Wagner faces eight counts of aggravated murder, as well as charges of evidence tampering, conspiracy, and forgery.
The tragic victims of this heinous act include Christopher Rhoden Sr., Dana Rhoden, Hannah “Hazel” Gilley, Christopher Rhoden Jr., Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, Gary Rhoden, Hanna May Rhoden, and Kenneth Rhoden. Since his arrest in November 2018, Billy Wagner has remained in custody.