George “Billy” Wagner III, who has pleaded not guilty in the
killings, is the last of four family members facing charges in
the 2016 fatal shootings of seven adults and a teenager from the
Rhoden family in southern Ohio.
Judge Jonathan Hein agreed to Wagner's request to move the
trial. “The small population of Pike County and the intense
media coverage leads the court to conclude that no jury could
truthfully answer that they have no prior knowledge of the
horrendous facts of this case,” he wrote.
Prosecutors have said the killings, which initially spurred
speculation about drug cartel involvement, stemmed from a
custody dispute. The killings at four different homes led to one
of the most extensive criminal investigations in state history.
Wagner is charged with aggravated murder and other charges. His
wife, Angela, already has pleaded guilty to helping to plan the
killings and will be sentenced Dec. 17.
Their youngest son, Edward “Jake” Wagner, pleaded guilty to
aggravated murder and agreed to testify against his brother and
their parents in a deal to help the family avoid potential death
sentences. He will also be sentenced Dec. 17.
The couple's other son, George Wagner IV, was found guilty in
2002 and sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences.
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