An Ohio man was convicted of plotting with his family to murder eight members of another family in cold blood in 2016.
George Wagner IV, 31, was found guilty Wednesday on all 22 counts he faced in the execution-style killings of the Rhoden family in Pike County.
Wagner’s mother, Angela, and older brother, Jake, pleaded guilty to the crimes last year. They admitted to killing the eight Rhoden family members over a custody dispute involving Jake’s child.
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Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40, his ex-wife Dana Rhoden, 37, their three children Clarence, 20, Hanna, 19, and Christopher Jr., 16, Christopher Sr.’s brother Kenneth, 44, Clarence’s fiancée Hannah Gilley, 20, and 38-year-old cousin Gary Rhoden were killed in the attack.
Jake Wagner and Hanna Rhoden shared a child. According to police, the Wagners planned to kill everyone who could jeopardize their custody of the kid.
At trial, George Wagner IV claimed he had no knowledge of the plot and would’ve stopped it if he did. However, Jake and Angela Wagner testified against him. They said that George IV knew all about the plan, which was executed to devastating success on April 21 in Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati.
While George IV didn’t pull the trigger, he was convicted on eight counts of aggravated murder and 14 related lesser counts.
George “Billy” Wagner III, the father of George IV and Jake, was the fourth and final member of the Wagner family charged in the killings. He pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.
No Wagners will face the death penalty, a condition of Angela’s and Jake’s plea deals.
With News Wire Services
