Despite a flurry of activity in the case against George “Billy” Wagner III in recent days, major questions remain about his trial in the 2016 Pike County massacre case just over six weeks away.
Still to be determined:
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When the trial will start, given the upcoming location change. The judge made it clear that he wants as little delay as possible. Wagner’s trial was scheduled to begin Jan. 6 in Pike County Common Pleas Court in Waverly.
George “Billy” Wagner III will be tried outside Pike County, the judge in his case ruled this week. Wagner’s attorneys are Mark Collins, left, and Thomas Hayes.
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Whether the death penalty is actually off the table for Wagner. Hein made that statement in court last week, but has not yet added it to the official file. On Monday, the special prosecutor in the case filed a strong memo opposing Hein’s plan. “The court goes too far and knowingly tips the balance unfairly in favor of a defendant accused of murdering eight people,” Angela Canepa’s memo said.
Special Prosecutor Angela Canepa looks at George “Billy” Wagner III and his attorneys during a hearing in the Pike County Common Pleas Courtroom on Oct. 7.
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Whether the upcoming conviction of Billy Wagner’s youngest son will remove his obligation to testify against his father. On Monday, Hein set sentencing for Edward “Jake” Wagner for December 17. The younger Wagner agreed to testify against other family members when he pleaded guilty in the Pike County case in 2021, with the prosecutor agreeing to eliminate the death penalty as a possible punishment. he followed through.
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What further twists in the case could emerge when Billy Wagner returns to Pike County for another hearing on December 16.
With one of Ohio’s largest and most gruesome murders back in the news, here’s a reminder of the facts in the case and who’s who.
According to prosecutors, the Rhodens were shot to death at four different homes in southern Ohio between April 21 and 22, 2016. Children’s toys lined the porch of the second crime scene, home of Frankie Rhoden and Hannah Hazel Gilley.
The crimes
Seven members of Pike County’s Rhoden family and one future member were shot to death in four different homes from April 21 to 22, 2016.
The Rhodens and Wagners were connected through Sophia Wagner, then 2 ½, whose father was Jake Wagner and whose mother was victim Hanna Rhoden. The Wagners wanted custody of the child, believing she was abused while in the Rhodens’ care.
Given the number of figures and procedures in the case, it has been frequently in the news. This timeline shows the most important events.
The Rhodens
The victims were Christopher Rhoden Sr.; his ex-wife, Dana Manley Rhoden; their children, Frankie, Hanna and Chris Jr.; Chris Rhoden’s brother, Kenneth Rhoden; Chris Rhoden’s cousin, Gary Rhoden; and Frankie Rhoden’s future wife, Hannah Hazel Gilley.
The Wagners
Billy Wagner, his sons and his wife were all charged with the murders. Billy Wagner’s mother and mother-in-law faced lesser charges.
Like Jake Wagner, Angela Wagner admitted her role in helping to plan and cover up the murders. Billy Wagner’s eldest son, George, went on trial in the fall of 2022 and was convicted on eight counts of aggravated murder and 14 related charges.
Billy Wagner faces the same charges as son George.
Geneva Rhoden, mother of victims Chris Rhoden Sr. and 2016 Kenneth Rhoden, enters the courtroom to hear testimony during the trial of George Wagner IV in Pike County Common Pleas Court in Waverly, Ohio, in October 2022.
The courtroom
Jonathan Hein is the third judge in the case.
Canepa remains special prosecutor, the role she filled in the trial of George Wagner IV. New to her team is Ron O’Brien, a former Franklin County prosecutor.
Mark Collins, Billy Wagner’s lead attorney, is assisted by Thomas Hayes, both of whom have been involved in the case since the beginning.
Members of the Rhoden family – including Chris and Kenneth Rhoden’s mother and several of their siblings – regularly attended the trial of George Wagner IV.
Jonathan Hein, a retired Darke County Common Pleas Court judge, took over the Pike County massacre cases in the spring of 2024.
This article originally appeared on the Cincinnati Enquirer: Who’s who in the Pike County shooting case
