In an Ohio courtroom, a diabolical tale of murder and mayhem has unfolded as a mother described how her family allegedly plotted and carried out the massacre of another.
Angela Walker has been a witness for three days now. She explains in detail how her husband and her sons plotted to murder eight Rhoden family members six year ago in a small rural area in the Appalachian region.
What is the alleged reason? Prosecutors say there was a custody dispute over the shared granddaughter. There were also allegations that the toddler had been sexually abused.
According to authorities, this is the most complex and costly murder investigation in Ohio history. The trial was set aside by the state legislature at least $1million. This cost would be enough to bankrupt Pike County where almost 20% of residents are living in poverty according to U.S. Census data.
Walker gave her testimony in exchange for eight counts of aggravated killing against her. The prosecutors also agreed not to seek death penalty. Wagner pleaded guilty in September 2021 to 14 other counts and said she would testify against her older son, George Wagner IV, and later against her husband, George “Billy”Wagner III. Prosecutors said she will serve 30 years in prison as part of the plea agreement.
George Wagner IV, 31, is currently on trial for eight counts of murder and a slew of other charges alleging he was part of his family’s criminal enterprise in the plotting, execution and covering up the shooting deaths of Christopher “Chris” Rhoden Sr., 40; Chris Rhoden’s former wife, Dana Manley Rhoden, 37; their children, Clarence “Frankie”Rhoden, 20 Hanna May Rhoden (19), and Christopher “Chris” Rhoden Jr., 16; Frankie’s fiancée, Hannah Hazel Gilley, 20; Christopher Sr.’s brother Kenneth Rhoden, 44; and their cousin Gary Rhoden, 38.
Initial statements by the Wagners denied any involvement in the murders. In 2018, the four Wagner relatives were taken into custody and a gag order was issued. Until last year, few details were available until the youngest defendant began talking.
Edward “Jake” Wagner, 29 — who is the father of the child at the center of the custody dispute — accepted a plea deal in April 2021. He agreed to testify against his relatives in exchange for not being sentenced to death. He testified that he had killed five victims, including the mother who was his child’s father. Prosecutors stated that he will be sentenced for eight consecutive life terms with no possibility of parole.
Jake Wagner, Jake’s brother, testified last month against him, saying that the plot to kill Rhodens was his father’s idea and that it was his way of regaining custody of his daughter.
George Wagner III, father, and George Wagner IV have pleaded guilty. The trials of the two men are not expected to start until next year, authorities announced. They are both charged with eight counts each of aggravated killing, aggravated burglary, and conspiracy to commit aggred murder. According to defense attorneys, they have not admitted shooting anyone.
The “execution-style murders”According to authorities, the shootings took place in April 2016, at four different homes in Pike County. Some victims were asleep when they were shot in the head, while others were killed. “sniper”Investigators claim that the attack was carried out from a truck.
Hanna May Rhoden and Jake Wagner were the parents of the child in the custody dispute. They had first met when she was thirteen and Jake was 18. Hanna fell pregnant with her son when she was just 15. Hanna was 15 when she fell in love with her child. The child is now eight years old and is currently being cared for by maternal relatives.
After Hanna claimed that Jake had physically abused her, her family told investigators. The couple parted in 2015. Authorities said that the two were involved in a dispute over custody. Jake claimed that their daughter was being sexually assaulted while she was in her mother’s care.
One of the homes contained two children who were present at the time of the massacre. Kylie, a days-old girl, was found in another home. She was still nursing at Hanna May Rhoden’s breast. They were not hurt. Jake Wagner calmly stated last month that he had shot his ex-girlfriend twice in her head that night.
Prosecutors said Jake had told investigators he had rearranged Hannah’s bloody body so the newborn could continue to nurse.
Jake’s mother, Jake, testified that she was involved in the plotting of the murders along with her family. She claimed it was to prevent her 2-year-old granddaughter being molested.
“Nobody’s heart was in it,”She said it on the stand. “Nobody wanted to do it.”
Angela Wagner was not present at the shootings but admitted on the stand that they were planned and she purchased shoes for the shoot.
She regretted that her sons were involved in the murder plot.