local12.com
WAVERLY, Ohio (WKRC) - The defense began questioning its witnesses in the Pike County massacre murder trial of George Wagner IV a day early because of scheduling issues, but the prosecution still got in key points about the final months of the investigation into the Wagner family.
ADVERTISEMENT
</div><div data-xf-p="1" style="display:inline"class="GoogleActiveViewElement"data-google-av-cxn="
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pcs/activeview?xai=AKAOjstRgVnAR1sZRkmucPzi9hoH8X8uWD7FybWpajvsAM0vuJZvYj8CTWZVjh5isVjPzNqoqeQ1o1v45Bl6PIvgXgTmmbMMQ14KsKavWTcmgbT-SuCkxxQG&sig=Cg0ArKJSzIt8znf7mRZ_EAE"data-google-av-adk="3517232914"data-google-av-metadata="la=0&amp=1&"data-google-av-override="-1"data-google-av-dm="2"data-google-av-immediate data-google-av-aid="0"data-google-av-naid="1"data-google-av-slift=""data-google-av-cpmav=""data-google-av-btr="
https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/pcs/view?xai=AKAOjstb2ap2GHS5tta02WK6MQcrjlMRfM-6q3ml7FKaCycY31Vz_3wFcoTOIPymHeI-Qg4Ada7W6bkZIeeQb9_nsGWjM6rlqWHQECyfj5-0M-B_ha7oM0Y0fJ8XqUl-S-jv8MtJrq-l-8SXtaAAqNo1TPG6jpNyUEwiqNp8xznVp5keEXl1MqlIpIHXtq3pSlOxXw696vooHQlVf6fATdS13nCWKR-Af4ZBF569_Esfq-L7fljRrMawuahDLs6eHOgnVotDBakD2ti6MRnPrETCXDiuvhDBkR32tDxaPA_9DJjYy1UZ3qktfV7glZ5M0qgQL3cVBec&sai=AMfl-YSBN2yFN0u7zKCGud9fphjm72e6AtOg8IZd8sWdBDqDcZuti6uS0BJzQiDbOZAoMFQ7FmIqBhL7-xBL9ab2OA&sig=Cg0ArKJSzOiaUZzvxuEKEAE&uach_m=[UACH]&urlfix=1&adurl="data-google-av-itpl="19"data-google-av-rs="1"data-google-av-flags="["x'8440'9efotm(&753374+ejvf/'844>'9wuvb$&56533>!=|vqc)!273794&<qqvb/%<1735020!=nehu`/!364=5051!9abk{a($160210:3&<cbotf+*0150034:%2bejvf/%72;17613!=efdwa*'76463;21$?ebkpb$&0366717>*>bgipf+!3=712363%9aihwc)!7202<217'9efotm(&20061;48&>`dopb/%<1707200!=8(&2005575?&>`dopb/%<170642?!=|vqc)!7201;=50'9wuvb$&03641654*>bgipf+!3=731103%9aihwc)!7200?073'9efotm(&2004?51;&>`dopb/%<17>4006!=nehu`/!3640501<!9abk{a($160?17?3&<cbotfz"]"><div data-xf-p="1" id="taboola-slot" style="width:300px"></div> <script type="text/javascript"> window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({article:'auto', url : '
Defense puts witnesses on stand early in George Wagner trial, prosecution brings wiretaps'}); _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbs-ma-01-300x250', container: 'taboola-slot', placement: 'Mid Article Thumbnails AMP', target_type: 'mix' }); </script> <script src="//cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/sinclair-network/loader.js"></script></div><script id="googleActiveViewDisplayScript" src="
https://www.googletagservices.com/activeview/js/current/rx_lidar.js?cache=r20110914"></script><script type="text/javascript">osdlfm();</script></body></html>{"uid":0.9718600119830727,"hostPeerName":"https://local12-com.cdn.ampproject.org","initialGeometry":"{\"windowCoords_t\":0,\"windowCoords_r\":414,\"windowCoords_b\":698,\"windowCoords_l\":0,\"frameCoords_t\":1784,\"frameCoords_r\":357,\"frameCoords_b\":2035,\"frameCoords_l\":57,\"posCoords_t\":1230,\"posCoords_b\":1481,\"posCoords_r\":357,\"posCoords_l\":57,\"styleZIndex\":\"\",\"allowedExpansion_r\":114,\"allowedExpansion_b\":447,\"allowedExpansion_t\":0,\"allowedExpansion_l\":0,\"yInView\":0,\"xInView\":1}","permissions":"{\"expandByOverlay\":true,\"expandByPush\":true,\"readCookie\":false,\"writeCookie\":false}","metadata":"{\"shared\":{\"sf_ver\":\"1-0-40\",\"ck_on\":1,\"flash_ver\":\"26.0.0\",\"canonical_url\":\"
https://local12.com/news/local/wagner-jury-should-hear-wiretapped-conversations-after-weekend-review-by-judge-defense-cincinnati-ohio-pike-county-massacre-rhoden-gilley-george-angela-jake-billy-aaron-carson-pickup-truck-false-bed\",\"amp\":{\"canonical_url\":\"
https://local12.com/news/local/wagner-jury-should-hear-wiretapped-conversations-after-weekend-review-by-judge-defense-cincinnati-ohio-pike-county-massacre-rhoden-gilley-george-angela-jake-billy-aaron-carson-pickup-truck-false-bed\"}}}","reportCreativeGeometry":false,"isDifferentSourceWindow":false,"sentinel":"0-18229221642046059000","width":300,"height":251,"_context":{"ampcontextVersion":"2211042305000","ampcontextFilepath":"
https://3p.ampproject.net/2211042305000/ampcontext-v0.js","sourceUrl":"https://local12.com/amp/news/local/wagner-jury-should-hear-wiretapped-conversations-after-weekend-review-by-judge-defense-cincinnati-ohio-pike-county-massacre-rhoden-gilley-george-angela-jake-billy-aaron-carson-pickup-truck-false-bed#origin=https://www.google.com/&cap=swipe,education&webview=1&dialog=1&viewport=natural&visibilityState=prerender&prerenderSize=1&viewerUrl=https://www.google.com/amp/s/local12-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/local12.com/amp/news/local/wagner-jury-should-hear-wiretapped-conversations-after-weekend-review-by-judge-defense-cincinnati-ohio-pike-county-massacre-rhoden-gilley-george-angela-jake-billy-aaron-carson-pickup-truck-false-bed","referrer":"https://www.google.com/","canonicalUrl":"https://local12.com/news/local/wagner-jury-should-hear-wiretapped-conversations-after-weekend-review-by-judge-defense-cincinnati-ohio-pike-county-massacre-rhoden-gilley-george-angela-jake-billy-aaron-carson-pickup-truck-false-bed","pageViewId":"6913","location":{"href":"
Defense puts witnesses on stand early in George Wagner trial, prosecution brings wiretaps},"startTime":1669600449086,"tagName":"AMP-AD","mode":{"localDev":false,"development":false,"esm":true,"test":false,"rtvVersion":"012211042305000"},"canary":false,"hidden":false,"initialLayoutRect":{"left":57,"top":1230,"width":300,"height":251},"domFingerprint":"3360017961","experimentToggles":{"canary":false,"a4aProfilingRate":false,"doubleclickSraExp":false,"doubleclickSraReportExcludedBlock":false,"flexAdSlots":false,"flexible-bitrate":false,"ios-fixed-no-transfer":false,"story-ad-placements":false,"story-disable-animations-first-page":true,"story-load-inactive-outside-viewport":true,"amp-sticky-ad-to-amp-ad-v4":false,"story-video-cache-apply-audio":false,"amp-story-subscriptions":true,"esm":true,"amp-story-first-page-max-bitrate":true,"story-load-first-page-only":true,"story-ad-page-outlink":false,"amp-geo-ssr":true,"story-remote-localization":true},"sentinel":"0-18229221642046059000"},"initialIntersection":{"time":19016,"rootBounds":{"left":0,"top":0,"width":414,"height":698,"bottom":698,"right":414,"x":0,"y":0},"boundingClientRect":{"left":57,"top":676,"width":300,"height":251,"bottom":927,"right":357,"x":57,"y":676},"intersectionRect":{"left":57,"top":676,"width":300,"height":22,"bottom":698,"right":357,"x":57,"y":676},"intersectionRatio":0.08764940239043825}}" height="251" width="300" title="3rd party ad content" role="region" aria-label="Advertisement" tabindex="0" data-amp-3p-sentinel="0-18229221642046059000" allow="sync-xhr 'none';" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" allowtransparency="" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" sandbox="allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-forms allow-modals allow-pointer-lock allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts" class="i-amphtml-fill-content" id="google_ads_iframe_1" style="position: absolute; margin: auto; display: block; height: 251px; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; width: 300px; inset: 0px; border-width: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;">
WKRC
Wagner’s defense lawyers introduced five witnesses, including three who flew in to testify on his behalf from Alaska. That’s where the Wagner family moved in 2017, a year after eight members of the Rhoden and Gilley families were shot to death.
George is on trial for aggravated murder for his alleged role in the killings, which occurred in April 2016.
The prosecution has not yet rested its case, and Monday, prosecutors introduced evidence about how agents with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation recreated the hidden compartment in the pickup truck allegedly used the night of the killings.
In October, George Wagner's younger brother, Jake, testified the brothers built it so they could hide on the way to the Rhoden homes.
Earlier, George's defense lawyers suggested they couldn't have fit inside that space.
But BCI special agent Ryan Scheiderer, who led the overall investigation, got two volunteers from law enforcement much larger than Jake and George to test it. One was 6'4" and 254 pounds, and the other was 6'7" and 330 pounds.
George was 6'0" and 252 pounds, and Jake was 6'1" and 170 pounds close to the time of their arrest.
"They were able to enter and exit the bed without any issues whatsoever," Scheiderer said.
Scheiderer also testified about text messages sent to George in June 2018 showing pictures of Jake holding what is believed to be one of the murder weapons. BCI agents had extracted the picture from a backup of Jake’s iPhone, found on a laptop seized at the Montana border in 2017.
Other items included pictures of items used to make a silencer. Scheiderer testified he asked for George’s cooperation.
Scheiderer also testified he logged on to the social media site Topix under false names, putting out false information about the investigation, including when and where BCI agents might be searching. He said he did that because agents knew George’s mother, Angela, frequented those sites, looking for information.
And Scheiderer testified Monday about how the BCI got warrants to wiretap the semi-truck George and Jake drove across country in 2018 for R&L Carriers.
The day ended with Scheiderer testifying about the movies “Boondock Saints” and “Boondock Saint 2,” which prosecutors allege may have provided inspiration to the Wagner men for the killings.
Ryan Scheiderer, lead investigator with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations, testified at George Wagner IV’s trial about the Boondocks Saints movies. Jake previously testified he watched a clip prior to the night of the homicides to get ‘psyched up.’ Eight members of the Rhoden family were found shot to death at four different locations on April 21-22, 2016. George Wagner IV is on trial in Pike County Common Pleas Court in Waverly, Ohio, Monday Nov. 7, 2022. Jake Wagner and mom, Angela Wagner, have already pleaded guilty. George’s dad, George “Billy” Wagner III will go on trial in 2023.
Earlier Monday, the defense put on five witnesses, including the Wagners' pastor from Alaska, Rev. Caleb Cinereski, who met the Wagner sons when he was also young in Ohio. He said he was shocked to hear Jake and Angela had pleaded guilty to the crimes.
Shawn Fisher testified off camera, telling jurors he inked tattoos for all three Wagner men after the murders. Those tattoos have been shown previously in court and were shown again late Monday. Father Billy Wagner got a scorpion on his hand, which prosecutors and Scheiderer testified may allude to the final scene in “Boondock Saints 2,” when the father character kills his best friend, citing a fable involving a scorpion, and says the line, “It’s in my nature."
Jake got one featuring flaming pistons on his upper arm.
Fisher said he covered up a previous tattoo for George with a skull and an eight ball and three ace playing cards.
Shawn Fisher, a tattoo artist who used to work in Portsmouth, Ohio, testified for the defense in the trial of George Wagner IV, Monday Nov. 7, 2022 in Pike County Common Pleas Court in Waverly, Ohio. Fisher testified he did this tattoo for Wagner. He said it was to cover a previous tattoo and the design was his own, but approved by Wagner. He said skulls and eight balls are very common. Eight members of the Rhoden family were found shot to death at four different locations on April 21-22, 2016. Wagner’s brother Jake Wagner and mom, Angela Wagner, have already pleaded guilty. George’s dad, George “Billy” Wagner III will go on trial in 2023.
Ohio BCI agents have testified in pretrial hearings that it could be commemorating the murders, but Fisher said he and George came up with the design on the fly.
Later, Caleb took the stand, following his father, Kelly Cinereski – a native of Ohio who moved to Alaska to become a pastor there.
Caleb recalled how he learned Jake had implicated the entire family, and how he felt about anyone who might have been involved with the murders.
“At what point did you know that?" special prosecutor Angela Canepa asked.
“That they were all four involved? I did not learn that until watching YouTube of this trial,” Caleb said.
“So, fair to say that you're equally disgusted with anyone who is involved?” Canepa asked.
“100 percent,” he said.
Scheiderer did not finish his testimony Monday and will be cross-examined