THE final suspect awaiting trial in the Pike County massacre claims he is being kept in the dark about his case and has asked the judge for a hearing.

The April 2016 murders of the Rhoden family sent shockwaves through the rural community in Ohio, after eight members of the same family were found dead across four separate homes.

George ‘Billy’ Wagner III is the final suspect in the Pike County killings of 2016

George “Billy” Wagner sent a letter to the judge

Each victim had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head.

The victims were identified as Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; Gary Rhoden, 38; Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, 20; Hannah Gilley, 20; Dana Rhoden, 37; Hanna Rhoden, 19; Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16; and Kenneth Rhoden, 44.

In November 2018, Edward “Jake” Wagner, his brother George Wagner IV, and their parents, Angela Wagner and George “Billy” Wagner III, were arrested and charged with eight counts of aggravated murder, along with several other offenses.

However, George “Billy” Wagner III made the request in a letter to Pike County Common Pleas Court Visiting Judge Jonathan Hein.

Another inmate wrote the letter on Wagner’s behalf because he is legally deaf in his left ear and says he has difficulty reading and writing.

“The only thing anybody tells me is a bunch of lies,” Wagner wrote. “No one explains anything to me.”

Wagner remains jailed without bond at the Pickaway County Jail.

He has pleaded not guilty to all 22 charges against him, including eight counts of aggravated murder.

His trial has been delayed repeatedly because of legal challenges. Hein recently scheduled jury selection to begin Jan. 11.

Wagner also accused prosecutors, officials and others of violating a gag order that he says he followed for years.

“For the last eight years, I have kept my mouth shut,” Wagner wrote, saying he was instructed to communicate through his attorneys. “I have complied fully with that but no more.”

The letter was entered into the court docket Monday after being mailed to the judge.

The letter comes as prosecutors and victims’ family members continue to fight over where Wagner’s trial will take place.

Edward Wagner took part in a sickening killing spree which saw eight people from the same family murdered

Angela Wagner was charged with eight counts of aggravated murder

Special prosecutors Angela Canepa and Ron O’Brien filed a motion asking Hein to reconsider his November 2024 decision partially granting the defense’s request for a change of venue.

The judge has not yet disclosed the county where the trial will be held.

Prosecutors are asking Hein to make a “good faith” effort to seat a jury in Pike County first, arguing that moving the proceedings far away could interfere with victims’ rights under Ohio’s Marsy’s Law.

The state specifically objected to the idea that victims and relatives could attend remotely.

Hanna Rhoden shared a child with Edward Wagner and was killed along with seven members of her family

Investigators hug members of the Rhoden family after George Wagner IV’s guilty verdicts were delivered in 2022

“The constitutional and statutory rights to be present involve the right to be personally present, not just through watching a live stream,” prosecutors wrote.

A separate motion filed on behalf of a surviving family member, identified as T.R., also demands that Hein immediately disclose the trial location.

The family says the uncertainty prevents relatives from arranging travel and time off work and makes it difficult to determine whether they can appeal the venue decision before the trial begins.

They also argued that virtual attendance is not an adequate replacement for being inside the courtroom.

The latest developments come after a major appellate ruling involving two other members of the Wagner family.

Edward “Jake” Wagner and his mother, Angela Wagner, previously pleaded guilty in connection with the murders and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Jake pleaded guilty to eight aggravated murder counts and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 32 years.

Angela pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated murder and received a 30-year sentence.

An Ohio appellate court has now ordered both to be resentenced, finding that their sentences violated the terms of their plea agreements.

Jake was supposed to receive life without parole under the agreement.

The ruling adds another layer of uncertainty because both Jake and Angela were also expected to testify at Billy Wagner’s trial. They previously testified against Billy’s son, George Wagner IV.

George Wagner IV was convicted in 2022 on all 22 charges.

He received eight consecutive life sentences without parole, plus an additional 121 years in prison, and is appealing his conviction.

The timing of Jake and Angela Wagner’s resentencings has not been announced.

The Pike County massacre remains one of Ohio’s largest and most expensive homicide investigations.

On April 21-22, 2016, eight members of the Rhoden family and their extended family were found shot to death at four properties near Piketon.

Seven of the eight victims were found shot in the head, many while they were sleeping.

Three young children were found alive at the crime scenes, including a newborn and a 6-month-old baby.

After a more than two-year investigation, authorities arrested Billy Wagner, Angela Wagner, Jake Wagner and George Wagner IV in 2018.

Prosecutors ultimately alleged that the killings were carefully planned and stemmed from a bitter custody dispute between Jake Wagner and Hanna Rhoden, who shared a young daughter.

Jake and Angela later cooperated with prosecutors, while George Wagner IV was convicted after trial.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/16876566/pike-county-george-billy-wagner-murders/