UNSOLVED Oh - Pike County: 8 People From One Family Dead As Police Hunt For Killer(s) #33

[rsd1200]

It's also surprising that, in spite of written testimony from several witnesses, investigators said they couldn't arrest anyone. They said publicly that they had no witnesses.

You can't put pieces of paper on the witness stand.

This is why they all three died, (Shope, Curt, and Jenny) and most likely why the Rs and HHG, are deceased today, disagreements over drugs.

“Just as in the Shope murder, there was a disagreement between the victim and the Howes posse over the non-payment of drug money.”

Pike Co. cold case: 'Stuff's been covered up long enough'

 

[RAISINISBACK]

I agree with most of this, except IMO there weren’t any higher ups. I feel like CR & BW (GW3) were the higher ups or trying to be the higher ups.

The W’s, IMO had no plans to move to AK anytime soon, until months after the murders. The boys bought a house, the parents moved in, they built a barn (that they couldn’t pay for-but CR1 could put $30k down on a new home). That barn was being built at or around the time the R’s were killed as it was almost completed June 3 2016, per a post on Defiance Farms fb. It may have even been started just after the murders.

Why would they build a barn, then not be able to pay for it and then list a home for sale?

Building a new structure shows intent on staying. Heck, I just planted new bushes and I wouldn’t have done that if I was planning on moving anytime soon. That’s a waste of $$$$. Scared people also do not make long term plans or build permanent structures if their gonna leave the mainland out of fear.

Were they expecting a large sum of cash and that didn’t pan out? Maybe they were expecting SR’s inheritance to come their way (that’s a stretch, I know but I don’t rule anything out when it comes to $$) or MAYBE they thought with the R’s gone, the business dealings CR1 & GW3 had together would then all be theirs and that didn’t work out either, thus no $$$ to pay for the new barn. IMO, the W’s thought they were gonna have it all-the kids, the business dealings, even the exotic pigs (that no one wanted to buy) and their master plan started falling apart in the Summer of 2016.

Let's keep in mind that big new barn of CR1's. There was money coming in from somewhere, and a lot of it.

The only thing that generates that kind of big cash is usually drugs and the sales thereof.

JMO

 

[Betty P]

I agree with most of this, except IMO there weren’t any higher ups. I feel like CR & BW (GW3) were the higher ups or trying to be the higher ups.

The W’s, IMO had no plans to move to AK anytime soon, until months after the murders. The boys bought a house, the parents moved in, they built a barn (that they couldn’t pay for-but CR1 could put $30k down on a new home). That barn was being built at or around the time the R’s were killed as it was almost completed June 3 2016, per a post on Defiance Farms fb. It may have even been started just after the murders.

Why would they build a barn, then not be able to pay for it and then list a home for sale?

Building a new structure shows intent on staying. Heck, I just planted new bushes and I wouldn’t have done that if I was planning on moving anytime soon. That’s a waste of $$$$. Scared people also do not make long term plans or build permanent structures if their gonna leave the mainland out of fear.

Were they expecting a large sum of cash and that didn’t pan out? Maybe they were expecting SR’s inheritance to come their way (that’s a stretch, I know but I don’t rule anything out when it comes to $$) or MAYBE they thought with the R’s gone, the business dealings CR1 & GW3 had together would then all be theirs and that didn’t work out either, thus no $$$ to pay for the new barn. IMO, the W’s thought they were gonna have it all-the kids, the business dealings, even the exotic pigs (that no one wanted to buy) and their master plan started falling apart in the Summer of 2016.

Perhaps the local power brokers (local meaning anywhere from WV to KY to PA, etc, and from Dayton to Cincy, Columbus or Youngstown) decided to cut the W's out of the business after the murders. Maybe whomever told them things would go on as before after the murders changed their mind, especially once the public and news media began to focus on them and JW'S jealousy and custody battles with HMR. A year after the murders, maybe some felt it was time for the W's to get out, to AK.

 

[MittenScarpetta]

Perhaps the local power brokers (local meaning anywhere from WV to KY to PA, etc, and from Dayton to Cincy, Columbus or Youngstown) decided to cut the W's out of the business after the murders. Maybe whomever told them things would go on as before after the murders changed their mind, especially once the public and news media began to focus on them and JW'S jealousy and custody battles with HMR. A year after the murders, maybe some felt it was time for the W's to get out, to AK.

That very well could be it. I still don’t believe that’s how the W’s planned for it to go. I believe if they had it their way-they were gonna have their cake and eat it too, right there on Peterson Road in Adams County except something went wrong after the cake was baked. JMO

 

[Betty P]

You can't put pieces of paper on the witness stand.

This is why they all three died, (Shope, Curt, and Jenny) and most likely why the Rs and HHG, are deceased today, disagreements over drugs.



Pike Co. cold case: 'Stuff's been covered up long enough'

I'm not so sure a case couldn't be built. DNA and fingerprints at the crime scene, etc. Sounds like no one even bothered to search the homes of the killers or their friends. There was enough probable cause to do so.

Witness testimony, particularly from people who were there in the killers home when the victims were present can be very powerful. Let's of prosecutors get convictions without having the actual weapons in evidence,

 

[Betty P]

That could it. I still don’t believe that’s how the W’s planned for it to go. I believe if they had it their way-they were gonna have their cake and eat it too, right there on Peterson Road in Adams County except something went wrong after the cake was baked. JMO

W's are darn lucky they're still alive. That's why I still wonder why they were allowed to take those little kids with them to AK.

A lot of things changed after the Rhoden murders, including a bill rushed through the legislature to legalize medical MJ.

 

[Dudly]

BBM

Rhoden family massacre: 2 years later, no arrests, no motives


Pike County Prosecutor Rob Junk will only say that investigators remain focused on a former Peebles family of four who had ties to the Rhoden family but moved last year to Alaska.

He said authorities are focused on the Wagners in the investigation of the April 22, 2016 slayings.

The Wagners have continued to deny involvement, saying they too were heartbroken by the deaths of their longtime friends. Angela Wagner said her husband and Christopher Rhoden, Sr., were longtime friends. Others have said the two were also business partners who had had a falling out before the homicides.

n the absence of public statement or facts related to the investigation or the case, rumors continue to swirl about the case fueling speculation about motive and finger-pointing. Message boards and several closed Facebook groups remain active.

Junk said authorities have heard all the rumors as well and have chased dozens and dozens down as part of the investigation.


"When this first came up, there were a lot of different theories to who did this and why and everything like that, and pretty much like all of them have gone by the wayside or been disproven,’’ he said. Junk said there is no evidence of Mexican cartels operating in Pike County.

I can not believe he made that comment about Mexican Cartels. They are active in nearly all the counties to the west according to LE when they make drug busts. Did they just decide they would stay out of Pike County?

 

[MittenScarpetta]

W's are darn lucky they're still alive. That's why I still wonder why they were allowed to take those little kids with them to AK.

A lot of things changed after the Rhoden murders, including a bill rushed through the legislature to legalize medical MJ.

I don’t believe they were legally allowed to take B-but no one has the $$ to fight them. Believe me, custody agreements look great on paper but getting anything done about missteps done by either parent with legal proceedings in the courthouse takes money. The non custodial parent of B doesn’t have that. I can’t even get started on that topic because it makes me livid that B hasn’t seen his mother in a year.

 

[Betty P]

I can not believe he made that comment about Mexican Cartels. They are active in nearly all the counties to the west according to LE when they make drug busts. Did they just decide they would stay out of Pike County?

Mexican cartels are active all over Ohio, KY, etc. It's in the 2017 DEA threat assessment report. They're in Dayton, Columbus, everywhere.

What if the Rhoden murders were the result of a conflict between the local crime organizations and the cartels? W's worked for Boss Hogg, CR1 started selling to the cartels. Who were the Eury selling to? The bust of their operation after the murders may mean they were working with the cartel, too. Anyone loyal to Boss Hogg got to shelter in place or move to AK.

 

[RAISINISBACK]

Further on my theory above, early interviews with some feds indicated, if CR1 was snitching, it would have to be someone in LE who revealed that info to the killers. JMO , the W's have close business relationships with people in the area, going back many years. That's why they've been allowed to move to AK. They've been a minor part of a big regional power structure that is still carrying on business as usual.

BBM

Or the W's were the power structure.

Please don't discount the elder W's just because they are older. They have the money to buy the drugs from a source (maybe Mexico) and transport them to SE Ohio. Their grandson was a long haul truck driver. They themselves were traveling all over the USA going to horse shows and delivering sold animals using a trailer to haul them. They had a large cash flow from the horse farm to launder any money they made from drug sales.

They have the local connections going back many years in that area, they are a prominent family employing many people, they own land and rental properties that they "lease" out to locals.

I listed Oxycontin as one drug but another is on the table. Meth.

We know that some of the people "leasing" rental properties from the elder W's have been busted for meth labs since the murders.

So lets go back to hypothetical.

Hypothetically, lets say the elder W's were "leasing" out rental properties to people who was making meth on those properties. The W's were giving them free rent and paying them, in money or meth, to make these drugs. Let's say this was a years long enterprise.

The W's then took the drugs and gave them to BW. who gave them to his good buddy CR1, who along with GR, KR. JM and maybe FR to sell or even transport further down the line via those car buys and sales at auctions to let's say Detroit or Columbus. This worked for a number of years allowing CR1 to build a big new barn and the W's to by Defiance farms and the various trucks, animals ect.

Everything ran smooth and everybody was happy, until HR broke up with JW.

The W's feeling superior may have taken it for granted that the R's would just give up SW. But when they balked an argument ensued and the W's threatened to go to court using HR's bad living conditions. CR1 takes the 30k from the latest sales and pays down on DR's house. The W's realize why he did it and that not only did he thwart their plan to use living conditions against HR but also adding insult to injury, he stole and used their own money to do it.

You don't think this would be an excellent motive to kill them all? Even KR who probably was involved in the sales or at the very least knew all about it.

JMO

 

[Dudly]

BBM
Lets try that hypothetical thing.

Hypothetically lets say that the R's and W's were in the business of selling , let's say Oxycontin or something harder, for the sake of example and the W's fronted CR1 a large amount to sell. Let's say that CR1 was able to sell that supply and collect a large amount of money, let's say 30,000.00 dollars. He and BW gets into an argument because BW is trying to force HR to sign away her parental rights to SW and threatens to take her to court to get custody. BW knows that CR1 is not going to use their "business" against him in court and vice versa. So BW tells CR1 he will use HR's living conditions I. E. living in a small trailer with not only CR1, DR and CR2 but also FR, HG, and BrandonR. So let's say that CR1. being the kind of man he is, takes the 30k he got from selling the supply and instead of giving it to BW for his supply he fronted to CR1 and he pays down on a better house for DR so the W's cannot use her living conditions as a reason to get custody of SW.

I would say that would be adding insult to injury for the W's and could generate enough hatred and sense of betrayal on their part to kill everyone involved and everyone who knows, including KR.

And before someone jumps me for victim bashing I would like to say this is just a theory of mine.

But please keep in mind that these 8 people were killed for a reason, and that reason involves something they were doing or someone they brought into their lives.

JMO

If that money owed to BW was supposed to go to a higher person or group, there may have been retaliation and a way to show what happens if you don't follow the rules. CRsr may have thought he was just ripping off BW but bigger, more radical, forces were involved.... The W's may not have been directly involved but could very well know who and why in a scenario like this. They may have been told git while the gittin' is good and were allowed to survive because there was evidence that BW was not the one that ripped them off...

 

[MittenScarpetta]

You can't put pieces of paper on the witness stand.

This is why they all three died, (Shope, Curt, and Jenny) and most likely why the Rs and HHG, are deceased today, disagreements over drugs.



Pike Co. cold case: 'Stuff's been covered up long enough'

Have you checked out Mr. Kerns yet? His record in Pike County is extensive including drugs, kidnapping, and then being sent to the GJ as a suspect in the Hayslip murder.

IMO, he may be a common denominator amongst all of these cases and I’m curious if he is linked to the W’s somehow. Just some thoughts.

ETA-his deceased wife was a Newsome. Obituary for Penny Jo Kerns at Thompson Funeral Home

 

[RAISINISBACK]

If that money owed to BW was supposed to go to a higher person or group, there may have been retaliation and a way to show what happens if you don't follow the rules. CRsr may have thought he was just ripping off BW but bigger, more radical, forces were involved.... The W's may not have been directly involved but could very well know who and why in a scenario like this. They may have been told git while the gittin' is good and were allowed to survive because there was evidence that BW was not the one that ripped them off...

A couple of things we should keep in mind.

All those cars that LE towed to do forensics on. 150 or so. Did LE know early on from interviews with family and friends or neighbors that those cars were used to transport drugs between Pike county and the bigger cities?

When they did the searches on W's property, they searched trailers, including what looked like a horse trailer.

If the Boss Hogg is the elder W's (who's farm was also searched) it would make sense that instead of killing BW (their son) they would just tell him to get the heck out of Dodge. Who knows whether BW may have paid that 30k back to his parents when they sold Defiance farms?

In my opinion the elder W's are the connection to all these people.

JMO

 

[rsd1200]

Perhaps the local power brokers (local meaning anywhere from WV to KY to PA, etc, and from Dayton to Cincy, Columbus or Youngstown) decided to cut the W's out of the business after the murders. Maybe whomever told them things would go on as before after the murders changed their mind, especially once the public and news media began to focus on them and JW'S jealousy and custody battles with HMR. A year after the murders, maybe some felt it was time for the W's to get out, to AK.

If, speaking only in theory, the Ws were into dealing dope for some bigger dudes, and the bigger dudes decided to cut the Ws out, we'd have more murders to discuss.

 

[rsd1200]

Have you checked out Mr. Kerns yet? His record in Pike County is extensive including drugs, kidnapping, and then being sent to the GJ as a suspect in the Hayslip murder.

IMO, he may be a common denominator amongst all of these cases and I’m curious if he is linked to the W’s somehow. Just some thoughts.

ETA-his deceased wife was a Newsome. Obituary for Penny Jo Kerns at Thompson Funeral Home

I have. That's why Horn was afraid for his family.

 

[rsd1200]

I'm not so sure a case couldn't be built. DNA and fingerprints at the crime scene, etc. Sounds like no one even bothered to search the homes of the killers or their friends. There was enough probable cause to do so.

Witness testimony, particularly from people who were there in the killers home when the victims were present can be very powerful. Let's of prosecutors get convictions without having the actual weapons in evidence,

BBM
If they won't testify they are useless. I'm not even talking about the murder weapon.

 

[MittenScarpetta]

I have. That's why Horn was afraid for his family.

And now another Rhoden is dead.

 

[Betty P]

BBM

Or the W's were the power structure.

Please don't discount the elder W's just because they are older. They have the money to buy the drugs from a source (maybe Mexico) and transport them to SE Ohio. Their grandson was a long haul truck driver. They themselves were traveling all over the USA going to horse shows and delivering sold animals using a trailer to haul them. They had a large cash flow from the horse farm to launder any money they made from drug sales.

They have the local connections going back many years in that area, they are a prominent family employing many people, they own land and rental properties that they "lease" out to locals.

I listed Oxycontin as one drug but another is on the table. Meth.

We know that some of the people "leasing" rental properties from the elder W's have been busted for meth labs since the murders.

So lets go back to hypothetical.

Hypothetically, lets say the elder W's were "leasing" out rental properties to people who was making meth on those properties. The W's were giving them free rent and paying them, in money or meth, to make these drugs. Let's say this was a years long enterprise.

The W's then took the drugs and gave them to BW. who gave them to his good buddy CR1, who along with GR, KR. JM and maybe FR to sell or even transport further down the line via those car buys and sales at auctions to let's say Detroit or Columbus. This worked for a number of years allowing CR1 to build a big new barn and the W's to by Defiance farms and the various trucks, animals ect.

Everything ran smooth and everybody was happy, until HR broke up with JW.

The W's feeling superior may have taken it for granted that the R's would just give up SW. But when they balked an argument ensued and the W's threatened to go to court using HR's bad living conditions. CR1 takes the 30k from the latest sales and pays down on DR's house. The W's realize why he did it and that not only did he thwart their plan to use living conditions against HR but also adding insult to injury, he stole and used their own money to do it.

You don't think this would be an excellent motive to kill them all? Even KR who probably was involved in the sales or at the very least knew all about it.

JMO

With elder Wags this is plausible. They've been around there as big, old money landowners for a long time. Plenty of time to have influence with powerful people.

 

[Betty P]

BBM
If they won't testify they are useless. I'm not even talking about the murder weapon.

According to Jody Barr ' s article they were willing to testify. They signed and submitted proffers to PCSO.

 

[Betty P]

If, speaking only in theory, the Ws were into dealing dope for some bigger dudes, and the bigger dudes decided to cut the Ws out, we'd have more murders to discuss.

W's might have been spared due to their connections in the local power structure. If some in local LE were involved, making them move to AK may have been a way to avoid more murders. Keep in mind local LE could be any in the area. Remember, W's didn't live in Pike County. They and the elders lived in different counties. They probably still aren't safe, though.