The Pike County Massacre: How A Family Feud Led to Ohio's Largest Murder Investigation
The case gripped the nation as authorities uncovered a tangled web of family disputes, criminal cover-ups, and a deadly plot that left a small Ohio community shaken to its core.
Christopher Rhoden Sr., Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, Dana Lynn Rhoden, Gary Rhoden, Hanna May Rhoden, Hannah Gilley, Kenneth Rhoden, and Christopher Rhoden Jr. were all found murdered in four separate homes, shot execution-style as they slept. The brutality of the crime scene sent investigators into overdrive, while locals feared that a killer—or killers—was still at large. In the months that followed, theories swirled, ranging from cartel involvement to a drug-related massacre. But the truth was far more sinister and hit much closer to home.
The investigation stretched on for years, with little progress, until a major break came in 2018. Authorities charged four members of the Wagner family—George “Billy” Wagner III, Angela Wagner, and their sons, George Wagner IV and Edward “Jake” Wagner—with the murders. Prosecutors alleged that the Wagner family meticulously planned the killings in a desperate bid to gain custody of Hanna Rhoden’s young daughter, fathered by Jake Wagner. As details emerged, it became clear that the Wagners had gone to extreme lengths to orchestrate and cover up the crime, including tampering with evidence, forging documents, and misleading investigators.
With exclusive insights and expert analysis, Midwest Murder: True Crime Stories unpacks the shocking twists in this case. From the moment the Rhodens were found slain to the arrests of the Wagners and their eventual convictions, Jonah and Dawn examine how a once-trusted family turned into ruthless killers. Tune in as they reveal the tragic truth behind a murder spree that shattered a community and became one of the most infamous cases in Ohio’s history.
