| Part of mass shootings in the United States | |
 Location of Pike County within the U.S. state of Ohio | |
| Date | April 21–22, 2016[1] |
|---|---|
| Location | Pike County, Ohio, U.S. |
| Type | Spree shooting, mass murder, familicide, mass shooting |
| Deaths | 8 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 0 |
| Accused | George "Billy" Wagner III |
| Convicted | Rita Newcomb Edward "Jake" Wagner Angela Wagner George Wagner IV |
| Convictions | Rita Newcomb: Obstructing official business Edward "Jake" Wagner: Eight counts of aggravated murder, felony conspiracy, aggravated burglary, unlawful possession of a dangerous ordnance, tampering with evidence, forgery, unauthorized use of property, interception of wire and oral communications, obstruction of justice, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor Angela Wagner: conspiracy to commit aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, possession of firearms, forgery, obstructing justice, and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity[2] George Wagner IV: Eight counts of aggravated murder, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy |
| Sentence | Edward "Jake" Wagner: Life imprisonment (eight consecutive terms) Angela Wagner: 30 years imprisonment George Wagner IV: Life imprisonment (eight consecutive terms + 121 years) |
The Pike County Shootings, also known as the Pike County Massacre, occurred on the night of April 21–22, 2016, when eight people – all belonging to the Rhoden family – were shot and killed in four homes in Pike County, Ohio, near the village of Peebles, 50 miles (80 km) from Columbus and 60 miles (97 km) from Cincinnati. Their bodies were found later on April 22. Seven of the victims – six adults and a 16-year-old boy – were discovered to have been shot execution-style in three adjacent houses, while the eighth victim, an adult, was found shot to death in his camper in nearby Piketon. Three young children, including two infants, were unharmed. At least two shooters were initially believed to be responsible.
Investigators believe the murders were premeditated, and that the perpetrators were known to the Rhoden family. On April 25, the Ohio Attorney General's office confirmed the presence of marijuana cultivation and cockfighting operations at some of the crime scenes, but did not confirm a direct connection to the killings. The ensuing investigation soon became the largest in Ohio's history.[3]
In November 2018, four members of the Wagner family, who were known to the Rhodens, were arrested in Ohio and Kentucky, and charged with the eight murders. Edward "Jake" Wagner, an ex-boyfriend of victim Hanna Rhoden and father of her three-year-old daughter, Sophia, pleaded guilty to all eight murders but admitted to shooting only five of the eight victims.
- ^ Barr, Jody (October 27, 2016). "Was a drug cartel behind the Pike Co. massacre? Rhoden family talks". KFVS. Archived from the original on October 28, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
The shooting happened sometime overnight April 21, 2016 and into the dark morning hours of April 22.
- ^ "Angela Wagner pleads guilty in Rhoden murders". September 10, 2021.
- ^ Graves, Chris (November 23, 2016). "Months later, surviving Rhodens to get vehicles back". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
Authorities have declined to discuss how many vehicles were towed or how they factored into the largest investigation in the state's history.