A brutal murder of eight members of the Ohio family was systematically executed, autopsies



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Autopsy reports released Wednesday in one of Ohio's most notorious mass murders revealed that the mysterious massacre had been systematically executed – and brutal.

The April 2016 murders of seven adults and one teenager, all members of the Rhoden family, in their Piketon homes have still not been resolved more than two years later.

The report revealed that Christopher Rhoden Sr., the teenager's father and two other people were killed that day. He was shot nine times and his body was more than everyone else. The right forearm and another bullet went through a door before hitting him, reported the Chillicothe Gazette. His body was found in the back room of a trailer.

Ohio Vicitms 2

Gary Rhoden, cousin of Christopher Rhoden Sr., was also found dead in the same caravan, according to the Chillicothe Gazette. According to the newspaper, the report indicated that a firearm had been pressed against his head.

Christopher Rhoden Sr.'s brother, Kenneth Rhoden, 44; his ex-wife Dana Manley Rhoden, 38; and their three children Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 20; Hanna Rhoden, 19; and Chris Rhoden, Jr., 16, were killed in the murders. Clarence Rhoden's fiancée Hannah Gilley, 20, was also murdered.

The heavily edited versions of the reports showed that all but one victim had been shot repeatedly in the head. Information on the types of bullets has not been published. Toxicology results have also been obscured.

Kenneth Rhoden was found dead in a camper three miles from where Christopher Rhoden Sr. was shot, according to the Chillicothe Gazette. He died of a single shot in his right eye.

Dana Manley Rhoden and her children Chris and Hanna were found dead in the same camper. She was shot four times on the right side of her head and once under her chin. Christopher Rhoden, Jr., was shot in the head several times and Hanna was shot twice in the head. According to the newspaper, she was found in bed with her five-day-old daughter.

In a separate trailer, Frankie Rhoden and Hannah Gilley were shot in bed. Their six-month-old son was found between them, unharmed. Gilley had a gunshot wound to his left eye. A second child in the trailer was also found unharmed.

Authorities suspect that there were several attackers in the killings and that they knew the area. Piketon is located 70 miles south of Columbus. Authorities reportedly said the killers had worked to cover their tracks.

"No one has seen anything like it," Pike County District Attorney Rob Junk said on Wednesday.

Christopher Rhoden Sr. had "a large-scale marijuana grow operation," according to Attorney General Mike DeWine, sparking speculation that the murders were drug-related.

The reports were published after the Ohio Supreme Court unanimously favored Cincinnati Enquirer.

If "a coroner submits an appropriate request for preliminary autopsy examination and notes and findings of investigation, suicide notes or photographs of the deceased, the coroner" shall "respond to the request".

Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ryan Gaydos is a publisher for Fox News. Follow him on Twitter @ RyanGaydos.

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