Ohio Family Charged In Execution-Style Murder Of Eight People

Wagner Family

Police in Ohio have charged a family of four in the 2016 massacre that left eight members of the same family dead.  George "Billy" Wagner III, 47; his wife, 48-year-old Angela Wagner; and George's sons, George Wagner, 27, and Edward "Jake" Wagner, 26, were all charged with aggravated murder and could face the death penalty if convicted.

The victims were identified as 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden; his ex-wife, 37-year-old Dana Rhoden; their three children, 20-year-old Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 16-year-old Christopher Jr., and 19-year-old Hanna; Frankie Rhoden's fiancée, 20-year-old Hannah Gilley; Christopher Rhoden Sr.'s brother, 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden; and a cousin, 38-year-old Gary Rhoden. Hanna Rhoden's newborn child, another baby, and a young child were left unharmed. 

Police did not explain the motive for the mass murder but thought it may have stemmed from a child custody dispute

Authorities originally believed the Wagner family was involved in the gruesome murder but the family maintained their innocence. To escape scrutiny, the family moved to Alaska in 2017, living in a double-wide trailer that was converted into a home in Kenai, which is about three hours southwest from Anchorage.

While the Wagners were living in Alaska, investigators continued to look into the family, even traveling to Alaska as part of the murder probe. After spending about a year in Kenai and keeping a low profile, the Wagners returned to Ohio in the spring of 2018. 

Ohio Attorney General and Governor-elect Mike DeWine said that the family "meticulously planned" the murder, using "countersurveillance devices" to determine the Rhoden family's routines. They knew where they all slept and used the information they gathered to sneak into their home and kill them while they slept.

"I just might tell you this is just the most bizarre story I've ever seen in being involved in law enforcement," DeWine said.


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content