OH - Pike County: 8 people from one family dead as police hunt for killer(s) - #25

[Betty P]

Any of that can be bought off the internet. For that matter you can buy any tactical equipment you want from a police supply store. It is not that expensive either. Just walk in and pick it up and pay, no questions asked. Kevlar vests also. You have to wait a while on those since they have to measure you for them and then make them to fit you.

I personally know people who would be able to get in and out of a home quickly. My nephew is a career Army Ranger. He has been to Iraq and Afghanistan six times. He was shot the last time he was there. He could do it. So could others with his training. Not that he would, but just saying. You would not know what he is by looking at him either. He looks like the boy next door.

Don't you watch the news? There are teenagers who could get into your house and take everything that is not nailed down while you are sleeping in your bed. That happens very frequently in cities. It is called home invasion. The first you know about it is when you wake up and try to turn on a TV that is no longer there.

Once again I don't see any special equipment that you can't buy from your local police supply store or any special skills that the average neighborhood burglar doesn't have. But I am done with this conversation. We will agree to disagree.

I know we've been over this dozens of times and we're all entitled to our opinions. Mine is based on the the totality of all the information known thus far and the probability of close family members committing such a large scale, professional massacre with no prior experience. It's not just based on where perps can buy things. It's also based on expert opinions, crime trends and history of unsolved drug related murders in this area. Lots of evidence and data have been analyzed on this type of crime in the US and it's always worth looking at the conclusions drawn by experts on the type of killers who do it.

Everyone is obviously frustrated at the lack of progress in this case and the unusual (and some would say questionable) manner in which LE has handled it. Anything is possible, I'm just basing my opinion on probabilities. We're just observers here, hoping this family finds justice, doing what we can to advocate on their behalf.

 

[rsd1200]

Not sure if the blankets are the same,but I had commented earlier on the odd selfies of the one friend~~and it appears Dana's set of selfies includes the same pearls and some bareness??
So are we making to much of this? I'm just wondering about a possibly "different" or experimental relationship in the year before the murders. DR and CRSr were apart awhile,she calls her relationship status "complicated" on FB...? Was there anything going on that would make anyone angry enough to KILL?

Just rambling here...I do,however,analyze photographs as part of my job. Forgive me if it's a huge stretch.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

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The date on both vids are Feb. 2016. That's just a couple months prior to the murders.

 

[rsd1200]

I agree with you. I think with those four separate crimes in four different places yet in a close radius, it is local talent maybe working for one guy who who doesn't have a lot of tolerance when it comes to his drug business. Too many things about those four murder scenes are too similar to be coincidence. I feel it is someone who has help with each but likes his killing done a certain way. A few bullets in the head while they are asleep in bed.

I think there is one big guy running the show who orders the killings when someone crosses him. The Rhodens were a message. That's why CR1's whole family had to go. To put the fear in others who might be thinking about crossing the boss.

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Wonder if the message was being sent across the river to the Ky. side? If it was a major drug player who organized this.

 

[RAISINISBACK]

I know we've been over this dozens of times and we're all entitled to our opinions. Mine is based on the the totality of all the information known thus far and the probability of close family members committing such a large scale, professional massacre with no prior experience. It's not just based on where perps can buy things. It's also based on expert opinions, crime trends and history of unsolved drug related murders in this area. Lots of evidence and data have been analyzed on this type of crime in the US and it's always worth looking at the conclusions drawn by experts on the type of killers who do it.

Everyone is obviously frustrated at the lack of progress in this case and the unusual (and some would say questionable) manner in which LE has handled it. Anything is possible, I'm just basing my opinion on probabilities. We're just observers here, hoping this family finds justice, doing what we can to advocate on their behalf.

BBM
How do you know that family members or close friends have no prior experience? I don't know this family and everyone in it. I don't know what kind of skills they have. There could be a couple of black ops guys in that family or circle of friends. Or a couple of Mafia hitmen. Close friends or family members could be the ones who killed the others (Newsomes and couple before them.) All I know is the Sheriff said everyone is a suspect. That I would assume includes family and close friends. The Sheriff says it is local. Since he is the one leading the investigation, I would think he has more inside knowledge and evidence than some retired LE and self proclaimed experts.

 

[RAISINISBACK]

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Wonder if the message was being sent across the river to the Ky. side? If it was a major drug player who organized this.

It could be. If so the Eapmons didn't heed the message. I am seriously beginning to think there was more than marijuana involved here. No evidence, but that story about Dollar Bill involves cocaine.

 

[pearl]

I admit there is a lot of similarities among the Rhoden, Newsome, and Eapmen murders. However, there is one glaring difference to me. The Rhoden murders was the only one where more than one part of a nuclear family was killed. The Rhoden murders were multigenerational in nature. Depending on which theory a person holds about this crime, it is difficult to say who was the primary target. The Newsome and Eapmen murders only involved the primary targets. Collateral damage, for lack of a better description, to other relatives did not occur with the other two murders. If all three murders are connected, what made the Rhodens lose 8 family members at 4 different locations and the Newsomes and Eapmen's with a much more limited scenario?

 

[rsd1200]

It could be. If so the Eapmons didn't heed the message. I am seriously beginning to think there was more than marijuana involved here. No evidence, but that story about Dollar Bill involves cocaine.

It could have been a message sent to the Ky. kin. I am tending to agree w/you that they got into harder stuff and it may have backfired. I do not mean this in a disparaging way, but, it is well known that the Rhoden family fought, they grew pot, flaunted the law, had inner-family "issues", (for lack of a better word), on both sides of the family, and did not back down from anyone. They may have run upon someone who they'd been in business with for a few months or so, and something went haywire. The Rhodens underestimated the situation, not realizing the danger, in which they'd placed their family. I'm not ruling out family, and I'm not ruling out getting killed over something deeper than pot (coke, Heroin, meth, etc...). Either way, I think they knew the folks who did this, and never saw it coming.

 

[rsd1200]

I admit there is a lot of similarities among the Rhoden, Newsome, and Eapmen murders. However, there is one glaring difference to me. The Rhoden murders was the only one where more than one part of a nuclear family was killed. The Rhoden murders were multigenerational in nature. Depending on which theory a person holds about this crime, it is difficult to say who was the primary target. The Newsome and Eapmen murders only involved the primary targets. Collateral damage, for lack of a better description, to other relatives did not occur with the other two murders. If all three murders are connected, what made the Rhodens lose 8 family members at 4 different locations and the Newsomes and Eapmen's with a much more limited scenario?

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That's what hangs me up with the drug theory and the connection to the other murders too. For the most part, to get their point across, they'd have maybe threatened to murder CR1's mother, or would have burned her house down. That would have gotten them into line, really quickly. I just see a lot of anger with this. I've said it before, but when this case first came out, two family members I talked to, said the same thing; They've done something to someone that's unforgivable and it's mountain justice. Revenge killings. Someone who knew those properties like the backs of their hands could get in and get out and hairs, and dna, would be common to those homes.

 

[Betty P]

BBM
How do you know that family members or close friends have no prior experience? I don't know this family and everyone in it. I don't know what kind of skills they have. There could be a couple of black ops guys in that family or circle of friends. Or a couple of Mafia hitmen. Close friends or family members could be the ones who killed the others (Newsomes and couple before them.) All I know is the Sheriff said everyone is a suspect. That I would assume includes family and close friends. The Sheriff says it is local. Since he is the one leading the investigation, I would think he has more inside knowledge and evidence than some retired LE and self proclaimed experts.

Why don't we just agree to disagree and try to keep things civil here.

 

[USAFCOP]

Hopefully, next month we will get the autopsy reports.

 

[Dudly]

One other thing that I was thinking about. There was an open window at CR1's and at FR's. We don't know about DR's windows. We know that it has been said that KR didn't have a working interior lock, and used an outside padlock for when he wasn't home. What if the open windows were "dressing" and the interior broken lock at KR's was "dressing". The assailant(s) broke the interior lock before leaving. These would be attempts to make it look like the assailant(s) had went in through window(s) and an unlocked door. When, in reality, they may have had keys, or were actually let inside, at some of the homes. They've said that there was no indication of forced entry at any of the homes and the assailants had made an effort at concealment. Just a couple thoughts.

The whole thing about KR having a broken inside lock has been pure speculation from what I recall. I think it came about because he had the hasp and padlock on the outside. That said, the frame around the door was likely aluminum and you could break in with a good screwdriver for a prybar unless he installed a separate inside lock.I got around a chain safety lock with fishing line one time when we were locked out of my dad's house after he was in a car accident.

 

[RAISINISBACK]

I admit there is a lot of similarities among the Rhoden, Newsome, and Eapmen murders. However, there is one glaring difference to me. The Rhoden murders was the only one where more than one part of a nuclear family was killed. The Rhoden murders were multigenerational in nature. Depending on which theory a person holds about this crime, it is difficult to say who was the primary target. The Newsome and Eapmen murders only involved the primary targets. Collateral damage, for lack of a better description, to other relatives did not occur with the other two murders. If all three murders are connected, what made the Rhodens lose 8 family members at 4 different locations and the Newsomes and Eapmen's with a much more limited scenario?

Multiple primary targets? If CR1, KR and FR were all primary targets and they went to DR's first to look for CR1 then it does fit in with the other three.

Escalation on behalf of the killers? Whoever sent the message may not have felt it was getting through to people with the killing of the Newsomes and decided to send a message they couldn't overlook.

Just a couple of reasons.

This is just a theory. I don't have any special inside knowledge of this crime. I am just speculating like most everyone else here. We are all trying to find a theory that fits and so far there have been some holes in all of them. That doesn't mean that one of us here hasn't hit on the truth. With all murders there are sometimes odd things that don't fit at first but when it all comes out it makes perfect sense. To the killer anyway.

 

[Canaille]

The R family does have relatives who have military listed as former places of work on their FB page.

I agree with rsd1200 that all equipment that could have been used is available for purchase. However, it is my understanding from someone with an FFL, that a silencer is a little tougher to get. I THINK there is more involved in background checks in order for someone to be able to purchase one. At least legally.

Our biggest "problem" here, imo, is that it seems that it could be ANYONE who did this. And whoever it was, was VERY angry and wanted these people gone.

 

[RAISINISBACK]

It could have been a message sent to the Ky. kin. I am tending to agree w/you that they got into harder stuff and it may have backfired. I do not mean this in a disparaging way, but, it is well known that the Rhoden family fought, they grew pot, flaunted the law, had inner-family "issues", (for lack of a better word), on both sides of the family, and did not back down from anyone. They may have run upon someone who they'd been in business with for a few months or so, and something went haywire. The Rhodens underestimated the situation, not realizing the danger, in which they'd placed their family. I'm not ruling out family, and I'm not ruling out getting killed over something deeper than pot (coke, Heroin, meth, etc...). Either way, I think they knew the folks who did this, and never saw it coming.

BBM

It could have been a message sent to the Ky. kin.
Gary may have been more involved also. He may have been there at CR1's because he is the one who hooked them up with whoever was supplying the harder stuff that came out of KY (it is known that GR was into the harder drugs like Oxycontin.) We have no way of knowing if the KY kin is involved with some major players and dealing harder drugs. We do know the 3 biggest reasons for murder is money, sex and revenge.

I think they knew the folks who did this, and never saw it coming.

I absolutely think they knew who their killers were and let them in the house that night. Black ops ninja guys working professionally would have alerted the dogs and maybe got bitten when they forced their way in. Besides there was no forced entry. That is what Sheriff Reader said. The Rhodens were not babes in the woods so they were not going to invite strangers dressed in tactical gear with assault rifles into their house that late at night. Pros would have had to kick in the door to get in. There is no evidence of that happening.

I do not believe the Rhodens saw this coming. If they had perceived a threat from someone I feel they would have acted very aggressively in dealing with it and the entire family (Rhodens and Manleys) would have known about it. In other words these "good ole country boys" would have been armed to the teeth 24/7 and so would their extended families. Since all the family members claim to be mystified as to why they were killed we can only assume they weren't running around with guns slung over their shoulders and strapped to their hips prior to their murders.

 

[RAISINISBACK]

Why don't we just agree to disagree and try to keep things civil here.

That I can agree with. You are entitled to your opinion just like everyone else on here. We could all be right. On the other hand we could all be wrong. After all if any of us on here knew for certain who killed these people we would be sitting in Sheriff Readers office right now telling him everything we knew.

 

[Canaille]

What if

They were not murdered over drugs? We would have so very little to discuss if drugs were never brought up.

I lean heavily towards family involvement. More specifically, relative involvement.

When two people have a child together, they are bonded "until death do us part" even if there has never been a marriage.

Now, suppose these two are from different "classes" of people, so to speak. One family thinks they are better people than the R family (i.e. no drugs, no fights, no cockfighting or derby racing, etc). They know they are forever connected to the R family and that the children are being raised and exposed to that life. But, there isn't enough to involve CPS and/or enough grounds to have full custody of child(ren).

It's my gut feeling that LM had a Freudian slip in one interview when he said it could have been over child custody.

 

[Betty P]

Hopefully, next month we will get the autopsy reports.

It sure might help. What possible new information does everyone think could help move this case forward? IMO, it would be interesting to see details about the times of death. What do you all think?

As information, here's a link to the most recent DEA National Drug Threat Assessment Report

https://www.dea.gov/resource-center/2016 NDTA Summary.pdf

Gangs:
Federal, state, and local law enforcement reporting indicates that gangs continue to
grow in numbers throughout the United States and expand their criminal activities. All gangs,
whether street gangs, prison gangs, or outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs), pursue the same
objectives of widening their networks, acquiring money from illicit activities, and increasing
influence. To meet these ends, gangs continue to engage in a wide array of criminal endeavors,
including drug trafficking and other violent crime. Law enforcement reporting across the country
connects local gangs to Mexican TCO drug sources of supply, based primarily on geography
and familial ties and sharing the primary goal of generating income/wealth. Gangs’ increasing
use of technology for recruitment and communication will continue to present challenges for law
enforcement.

Marijuana:
Marijuana is the most widely available and commonly used illicit drug in the United
States. While marijuana remains illegal under federal law, many states have passed laws
allowing the cultivation, possession, and use of marijuana within their respective states. Due
to these varying state laws, as well as an abundance of media attention surrounding claims of
possible medical benefits, the general public has been introduced to contradictory and often
inaccurate information regarding the legality and benefits of marijuana use.
This has made
enforcement and prosecution for marijuana-related offenses more difficult, especially in states
that have approved marijuana legalization. State-legalization measures have had several
observable effects, including increases in marijuana use, increases in domestically-produced
marijuana, shifts in demand for higher-quality marijuana, increases in seizures of marijuana
concentrates, increases in the number of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) extraction
laboratories, and declines in the overall amount of Mexico-sourced marijuana seized at the
SWB

BBM. I read this in a recent news article - the legalization of marijuana in some states has actually led to an increase in demand in the US. US growers (mostly still illegal) are increasing production here as is the competition and growth of gangs.

Illicit Finance:

The implementation and enforcement of enhanced anti-money laundering (AML) regulations and the promotion of international standards make it more challenging for TCOs to launder proceeds derived from criminal activities. The federal government and
law enforcement agencies continue to identify TCOs’ money laundering methods and take necessary actions to dismantle the TCOs’ financial infrastructure. Identifying criminals who circumvent the financial system to launder their illicit proceeds and cutting off their money supply is integral to protecting the integrity and stability of financial systems.

The primary methods for laundering illicit proceeds have remained the same over the past several years and include: bulk cash smuggling, trade based money laundering, informal value transfer systems, and exploitation of the formal banking sector.

States are struggling with new changes in marijuana laws. Within a few weeks of the Rhoden family massacre, the Ohio General Assembly passed a law to legalize use of medical marijuana. The rules are still being written and first public review will be sometime this spring. The deadline for final implementation of the rules is sometime in September. This will continue to increase demand for product in Ohio and, hopefully, the state will develop a system whereby these Ohio growers can pursue production in a legal and regulated fashion.

The financial aspect of marijuana production and sales is something states are still struggling with. Not sure how it's going to be handled in Ohio, but in Colorado, proceeds from sale of MJ cannot go through the legal banking system.

Lot of good information in this report. Interesting section on US gangs. While not all of it is relevant to the Rhoden case, it provides a lot of context to the drug related criminal activities in the area. It's changing.

 

[Flatbush]

I haven't kept up with this in and wondering if they ever determined who the father of hannahs newborn was? also were the children ever relatives?
I cant imagine losing so many at once and in such a way

Well, they probably do know who the father is by now, but just like everything else, let's not tell the public....which IS sad. If possible, they need to be with family. BUT the sheriff said they are in danger....

 

[rsd1200]

The whole thing about KR having a broken inside lock has been pure speculation from what I recall. I think it came about because he had the hasp and padlock on the outside. That said, the frame around the door was likely aluminum and you could break in with a good screwdriver for a prybar unless he installed a separate inside lock.I got around a chain safety lock with fishing line one time when we were locked out of my dad's house after he was in a car accident.

I realize that it is speculation but it was said by 1ofthefew, that it was broken, and there were no signs of forced entry at any of the locations. Also, if someone is trying to jimmy open the door, that dog would have heard, heck, KR would have heard that in that tiny little camper. I think that the person(s) who got KR was already in the camper with him or he just told them to come on in. I don't think the interior lock was already broken. I think it was broken after the fact, as stage dressing, like the two windows left up at FR and CR1 trailers was stage dressing. Like, oh, look, that's how they got in to the homes... To make it look like it wasn't someone who could walk right in the door.

 

[crystal72]

Well, they probably do know who the father is by now, but just like everything else, let's not tell the public....which IS sad. If possible, they need to be with family. BUT the sheriff said they are in danger....

Yea probably so and it's wrong. If they were in danger they would have been killed that night. It's funny the ones who can talk & 1who was there aren't in danger yet those who can't talk or remember are?????