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Judge denies bond for Pike County massacre suspect

WCPO_George_Wagner_IV.jpg
Posted at 9:45 AM, Sep 01, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-01 09:45:11-04

WAVERLY, Ohio — A judge denied bond for a suspect in the Pike County massacre case.

George Wagner IV, one of four suspects in the 2016 slayings of the Rhoden family, asked to be released on bond Monday afternoon.

While the judge denied that request, he did agree to give Wagner's defense team information from nearly 8,000 phone calls that were recorded for evidence. The defense will also get transcripts from wiretaps, text messages and ballistics tests.

Investigators say they monitored Wagner’s conversations for more than 100 days.

Wagner, his brother Jake Wagner, 26; mother Angela Wagner, 48 and father George "Billy" Wagner III, 47, each face eight charges of aggravated murder with death penalty specifications and other crimes.

The family is accused of planning and carrying out eight murders at three homes in Pike County.

Authorities found Dana Rhoden, Frankie Rhoden, Chris Rhoden, Hannah Gilley, Kenneth Rhoden, Hanna Rhoden, Gary Rhoden and Chris Rhoden dead on April 22, 2016.

Gov. Mike DeWine, who was attorney general at the time, said the murders were fueled by “obsession with custody.”

Jake Wagner and Hanna Rhoden, who was 19 when she was killed, had a child together.