DeWine complains in 2016 for the murder of Rhoden

WAVERLY –

Six members of the Wagner family were arrested Tuesday for the murder of eight members of the Rhoden family in Pike County in 2016, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said at a conference today. Press.

LISTEN to Mike DeWine at 6:50 pm Wednesday in the Morning News of the Miami Valley at 12:20 pm and 95.7

• 6 members of the Wagner family were arrested today
• George "Billy" Wagner III, 47 years old; Edward "Jake" Wagner, 26; Angela Wagner, 48 years old; and George Wagner IV, 27 years old, charged with murder
• Rita Newcomb, 65, and Fredericka Wagner, 76, are charged with obstruction of justice and perjury

There is no evidence that anyone else has been involved in the killings, said DeWine.

"The people who did it are in detention," he said.

The six were indicted in the death of Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; Dana Manley Rhoden, 37; Hanna May Rhoden, 19; Christopher Rhoden Jr., age 16; Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, age 20; Hannah "Hazel" Gilley, 20; Kenneth Rhoden, 44; and Gary Rhoden, 38 years old.

"The eight victims were murdered in cold blood," said Governor-elect DeWine. "Fortunately, in their only show of mercy, they spared the three children on the scene."

George "Billy" Wagner III, 47 years old; his wife, Angela Wagner, 48; and their sons, George Wagner IV and Edward "Jake" Wagner, aged 27 and 26, were charged on Tuesday on multiple charges, including eight counts of murder.

Each charge – for each victim – includes a specification of the death penalty.

Fredericka Wagner, Billy Wagner's mother, and Rita Newcomb, mother of Angela Wagner, have been charged with perjury and obstruction of justice. Newcomb has also been charged with forgery, according to court documents.

>> 6 people arrested and 4 more at risk of death after the death of the Rhoden family

The four Wagners accused of murder are also accused of conspiracy, corruption, falsification of evidence, illegal possession of dangerous war material, forgery, unauthorized use of property, interception of wire, oral or electronic communications, obstruction of justice and aggravated burglary.

Jake Wagner is also accused of illegal sexual behavior with a minor. The charge is blamed for having sexual contact with Hanna Rhoden at the age of 15. The two children share a child, Sophia, who was 2 years old when her mother was killed.

The two-year investigation into the Pike County murders is the longest and most complex investigation in the history of the Ohio Attorney General's office, DeWine said.

"We have never stopped working for justice for the victims," ​​he said.

The Attorney General's office received more than 1,100 tips and 550 interviews related to the case. The investigators visited 10 states and served 200 summonses and search warrants.

"This is not the end, but rather a new day in this business," said DeWine.

DeWine refused to discuss the motive in depth, but said the child between Jake Wagner and Hanna Rhoden played a role in the homicides.

>> Who are the Wagners? Murder investigators in Pike County want to know

He also stated that there was an "undercurrent of drugs" in the murders.

Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader said, "No matter what we found … nobody deserved in the dark of the night that cowards come in … and execute them."

The suspects, he said, "acted quickly, coldly and calmly".

He said the victims "deserve respect because they are real victims of a heinous crime".

The case should be long, said Pike County Attorney Robert Junk. He predicts that it will be years before cases are settled.

DeWine also pointed out that the Wagners are suspects and presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

RELATED LINKS:

Timeline: The shocking events of the shooting in Pike County

Assassinations in Pike County: "Active and Continuous" Continues

Murders in Pike County: 3 big questions, 2 years later

The death of a member of the Rhoden family in Pike County occurred from a chest shot.

Murders in Pike County: Police in Alaska and Ohio "flooded" with tips