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Marijuana plants, shoe impressions, cell phone records and security footage played a role in the largest murder investigation in Ohio history.On Wednesday, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent who led the investigation into the killings of eight members of the Rhoden family in 2016 was called to the stand in Pike County.”This was a very chaotic day. This was a big incident,” said special agent Ryan Scheiderer. The day was April 22, 2016. Eight members of the Rhoden family were found murdered at four crime scenes.”When you got to the scenes themselves, there was no sign of forced entry, that was unusual,” Scheiderer said. “You had the scene at Chris’ house where you had two individuals that were drugged to the back bedroom, but at the other three scenes, it appeared everybody was killed in their sleep in bed.” Scheiderer said there were many questions at the start of the investigation.”We all were kind of like, ‘How did three people in three different rooms get shot and killed in their sleep and nobody wake up to defend themselves?'” Scheiderer said. He said investigators put a rush on ballistic evidence and shoe impressions analysis collected at the scenes.”Because at the time, we just did not have any leads. We need this information. This was a whodunnit murder,” Scheiderer said. Scheiderer said they took note of the marijuana grow operations at two of the crime scenes, but it never led the investigation.”If it was over the marijuana, the marijuana would have been missing. It was not missing,” Scheiderer said. Scheiderer testified about surveillance videos BCI obtained that were helpful. The videos where played for the jury. They showed two vehicles traveling down roads near the crime scenes in the early morning hours of April 22, 2016.Eventually, detectives did had phone records to work with.Julia Eveslage specializes in phone records for BCI. She said three phones belonging to three victims, Frankie Rhoden, Hannah Gilley and Kenneth Rhoden were recovered from the crime scenes. Eveslage said she was able to get records for all of the victims’ phones except Gary Rhoden’s because he didn’t have one.Eveslage said records show the final two calls from victim Chris Rhoden Senior’s phone were to Billy Wagner, a codefendant in this case and father of George Wagner, the suspect currently on trial.By the time the four Wagners were arrested — Billy Wagner, Angela Wagner, George Wagner and Jake Wagner — Scheiderer said they had received 1,143 tips. He said every single tip was investigated.Before Scheiderer took the stand, prosecutors called Suzanne Elliott to testify. She is a shoe impression expert from BCI.She testified that an Athletic Works brand sneaker left impressions on the floor where Chris Rhoden Sr. and Gary Rhoden were killed and also on the floor of the home where Dana Rhoden, Chris Rhoden Jr. and Hanna Rhoden were found dead.Elliott also said they found that type of shoe 27 days after the murders in the trash at Leonard Manley’s home. He’s Dana Rhoden’s father. But, Elliott testified that those specific sneakers found during the trash pull could not have created the impressions at the crime scenes because they were worn out and the shoes that created the marks on the crime scene floors were from new shoes.Under cross-examination, she admitted she could not say who wore the shoes during the murders. She also said she didn’t know if the outsole of the Athletic Wear shoe could be found on any other brand of shoe.The trial will resume at 9 a.m. Thursday.
Marijuana plants, shoe impressions, cell phone records and security footage played a role in the largest murder investigation in Ohio history.
On Wednesday, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent who led the investigation into the killings of eight members of the Rhoden family in 2016 was called to the stand in Pike County.
“This was a very chaotic day. This was a big incident,” said special agent Ryan Scheiderer.
The day was April 22, 2016. Eight members of the Rhoden family were found murdered at four crime scenes.
“When you got to the scenes themselves, there was no sign of forced entry, that was unusual,” Scheiderer said. “You had the scene at Chris’ house where you had two individuals that were drugged to the back bedroom, but at the other three scenes, it appeared everybody was killed in their sleep in bed.”
Scheiderer said there were many questions at the start of the investigation.
“We all were kind of like, ‘How did three people in three different rooms get shot and killed in their sleep and nobody wake up to defend themselves?'” Scheiderer said.
He said investigators put a rush on ballistic evidence and shoe impressions analysis collected at the scenes.
“Because at the time, we just did not have any leads. We need this information. This was a whodunnit murder,” Scheiderer said.
Scheiderer said they took note of the marijuana grow operations at two of the crime scenes, but it never led the investigation.
“If it was over the marijuana, the marijuana would have been missing. It was not missing,” Scheiderer said.
Scheiderer testified about surveillance videos BCI obtained that were helpful. The videos where played for the jury. They showed two vehicles traveling down roads near the crime scenes in the early morning hours of April 22, 2016.
Eventually, detectives did had phone records to work with.
Julia Eveslage specializes in phone records for BCI. She said three phones belonging to three victims, Frankie Rhoden, Hannah Gilley and Kenneth Rhoden were recovered from the crime scenes. Eveslage said she was able to get records for all of the victims’ phones except Gary Rhoden’s because he didn’t have one.
Eveslage said records show the final two calls from victim Chris Rhoden Senior’s phone were to Billy Wagner, a codefendant in this case and father of George Wagner, the suspect currently on trial.
By the time the four Wagners were arrested — Billy Wagner, Angela Wagner, George Wagner and Jake Wagner — Scheiderer said they had received 1,143 tips. He said every single tip was investigated.
Before Scheiderer took the stand, prosecutors called Suzanne Elliott to testify. She is a shoe impression expert from BCI.
She testified that an Athletic Works brand sneaker left impressions on the floor where Chris Rhoden Sr. and Gary Rhoden were killed and also on the floor of the home where Dana Rhoden, Chris Rhoden Jr. and Hanna Rhoden were found dead.
Elliott also said they found that type of shoe 27 days after the murders in the trash at Leonard Manley’s home. He’s Dana Rhoden’s father. But, Elliott testified that those specific sneakers found during the trash pull could not have created the impressions at the crime scenes because they were worn out and the shoes that created the marks on the crime scene floors were from new shoes.
Under cross-examination, she admitted she could not say who wore the shoes during the murders. She also said she didn’t know if the outsole of the Athletic Wear shoe could be found on any other brand of shoe.
The trial will resume at 9 a.m. Thursday.
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