TESTIMONY OF FAMILY FRIEND BRETT HATFIELD:
Brett said he knew there was a grow operation between Kenneth and Chris, and he said that there was a big drug deal going down “out west” that was supposed to happen but got canceled. The deal was with Billy Wagner and Chris Sr., who ran drugs together. According to Brett, it was for
several hundred thousand dollars and involved pounds of marijuana. Billy and Chris started the trek out west in a truck but Chris got cold feet in Cincinnatti and bailed, Brett said. Chris called someone to pick him up and he assumes that Billy continued on, but did not know. Brett testified that after the murders, Billy said to people that a local man, Skid Montgomery was running drugs with Chris and Billy and that the two latter were cutting out Skid, so Skid had the Rhodens killed. The state said this was never found to be true.
Brett testified that Chris Sr., always had a lot of cash on him and that Brett saw Chris Sr. have $400,000 in a black bag on him at home one day. Another time, Brett said he knew Chris was into cockfighting and won $30,000 in a battle.
On cross, Brett said he saw cocaine in Chris Sr.’s safe and that it was likely for Gary Rhoden to use because Gary was a cocaine abuser, according to the testimony. Again, he was asked about the pot grow operation and he said that it would take 2-3 weeks for Chris to sell out of the pot he harvested every three months. Brett spoke of an unknown “business partner” Chris had in Cincinnati, but did not know the person’s name. The defense alluded it was a drug business partner.
WAVERLY, Ohio — The fourth day in the death penalty trial of George W. Wagner IV in Pike County started to progress a little on Thursday. The previous days were filled with testimony mostly f…
sciotovalleyguardian.com
People have asked what made the Wagner's think they could get away with it? Part of their planning was to make it look drug related. The Wagner's knew that the commercial grows would lead the investigation that way, and away from them. They probably all sat around and as todays testimony revealed came up with a story where "Billy said to people that a local man, Skid Montgomery was running drugs with Chris and Billy and that the two latter were cutting out Skid, so Skid had the Rhodens killed."
And without the confessions, it could be a viable defense. George is pushing the defense that he and his family came up with.
The relevancy of the marijuana is it created an opportunity for the Wagner's to float the drug theory, and believe they could get away with the crime(s).
imo...of course.