OH - Pike Co - 8 in Rhoden Family Murdered Over Custody Issue - 4 Members Wagner Family Arrested #74

[arielilane]

When you got nothing... beat up the victim(s). Geesh.

 

[Chelly]

James Pilcher
@jamespilcher
·
2m

Tabitha says she and her sisters were sexually abused by her stepfather Dave, who remained married to her mother until he died 5 years ago.
@local12

James Pilcher
@jamespilcher
·
4m

Another family meeting later about Dave when it was discussed to turn him in - George was there. But her mother asked them not to, she would have gotten into trouble. George didn't want his son around them because perpetrator and enabler - Tabitha agrees.
@local12

James Pilcher

@jamespilcher
·
2m

Later said George found her in bathroom when she was cutting her wrists. He was going to take her away but Angela came home and so they returned to the house.
@local12

 

[Niner]

Evan Millward
@EvanMillward
PIKE COUNTY TRIAL: In the run up to the murders, Hanna told Tabitha that Jake wanted custody of her then-unborn child. They agree that's a bad plan.

Days before, Tabitha tells Hanna she tried to meet up with her son and Angela at a swap meet but they didn't show.

The day of the murders, Tabitha and Hanna messaged. Tabitha said George told her he wanted her back and was willing to wait (she was married). She says she had some feelings but would only do it if George moved out and she could build a home as she liked.

Tabitha reads Hanna's response, in which she says Jake had said he wanted a DNA test on the newborn.

Tabitha recalls the night she left the Wagners in a message to Hanna.

She says if they had just given her 5 minutes outside to cry, she thinks she and George would still be married.

Hanna says "yeah, that night was crazy."

Tabitha says if there was a problem, George would always take his mom Angela's side.

Done with direct on Tabitha. Richard Nash will cross-examine her now.

Nash is questioning how long Tabitha lived with the Wagners - technically lived there the first time she dated George - slept in his bed at age 11.

Remember, they broke up - then dated again several years later.

That's when she considers she "moved in."

George proposed to Tabitha on a trip to Florida in 2011. They didn't get married until July 2012 - she graduated that year.

Nash is driving at a point that Tabitha was free to leave - she visited friends, etc.

Large sidebar now - after Nash questions Tabitha about the affair she had.

It was with her best friend's dad, Jay. Nash hints that that's why she went to her best friend's house so often when she lived with Wagners.

Nash asks if she gave George her cellphone and passwords to her social media as a way to ease his mind about her faithfulness after the affair.

She says yes. Says she made a new FB account after she left George - she testified earlier she gave no one access.

Nash asks if she gave George her cellphone and passwords to her social media as a way to ease his mind about her faithfulness after the affair.

She says yes. Says she made a new FB account after she left George - she testified earlier she gave no one access.


link: https://twitter.com/evanmillward

 

[Betty P]

When you got nothing... beat up the victim(s). Geesh.

Just as in a rape trial.

 

[Tiff23fr]

@Tiff23fr - Thanks for commenting. I can't get out of my mind that this sexual abuse among children was allowed and encouraged by their parents.

The problem isn’t always that the parents are allowing it. The problem can be a cycle that perpetuates itself over generations. For some families, looking the other way was eradicated long ago. For others, heads continue to look the other way IMO.
When young children are molested, in my POV innocence is lost. As young kids and teens it may not even be clear to the individual that that innocence has been lost. When this occurs, other behaviors are triggered earlier in life as part of the brain creating patterns based on prior experiences.
HTH and makes sense as best it can be summed up

 

[Betty P]

Looks like he's still cross-examining her, but they've turned off the audio.

ETA: It's back on

 

[CIA Team Member]

There aren't limited resources in Ohio, though. Agree about resistance to involving government in your personal affairs, but that wouldn't necessarily apply if its just the government giving low income women financial access to the court system to keep custody of their children when lack of money is a barrier.

She didn't know how to drive. One needs to wonder: How would she/others be able to without a car not knowing how to drive? Would she have to take off work? What about child care for the other children? If she had to take the other children with her, how would she feed them having so little money?

There are a lot of nuisances to just GETTING there once, let alone multiple times.

So many questions, no quick fixes for young/poor mothers.

 

[Niner]

I will grab the rest of the tweets in the morning. Good night all!

 

[Tiff23fr]

Err- this is driving the blood pressure.
Who cares about her Zoloft, etc. The woman probably has/had PTSD from childhood trauma. I am PROUD she stood up for herself to him and them.

 

[Skully67]

She didn't know how to drive. One needs to wonder: How would she/others be able to without a car not knowing how to drive? Would she have to take off work? What about child care for the other children? If she had to take the other children with her, how would she feed them having so little money?

There are a lot of nuisances to just GETTING there once, let alone multiple times.

So many questions, no quick fixes for young/poor mothers.

Like I said...limited resources in Southern Ohio. No public transportation. Limited free legal help. There's cash assistance for people with children, but the children have to be in your physical custody to get it. A catch 22.

 

[arielilane]

Audio is poor on my end...may caught this later. Get him Tabitha, he is reaching...stay strong.

 

[Betty P]

She didn't know how to drive. One needs to wonder: How would she/others be able to without a car not knowing how to drive? Would she have to take off work? What about child care for the other children? If she had to take the other children with her, how would she feed them having so little money?

There are a lot of nuisances to just GETTING there once, let alone multiple times.

So many questions, no quick fixes for young/poor mothers.

Exactly. Agree wholeheartedly. In those areas (and other rural areas in the US) the cost of having a car and buying gas is greater than someone would earn driving to a minimum wage job in town. Without a car, its impossible.

 

[HistoryNut]

OMG! Tabitha just played into the defence’s hands and admitted that she has bipolar depression. Guarantee they will use this to discredit her. MOO

 

[Ann99]

Today during the lunch break, I listened on I HEART Radio to NBC Radio News.
NBC News made mention of the trial and yesterday’s testimony. Specifically T.
I wonder if they will continue to cover it.

 

[SuziQ]

Err- this is driving the blood pressure.
Who cares about her Zoloft, etc. The woman probably has/had PTSD from childhood trauma. I am PROUD she stood up for herself to him and them.

He is trying to paint her as a crazy unstable person. Grrrrrr.

 

[Tiff23fr]

OMG! Tabitha just played into the defence’s hands and admitted that she has bipolar depression. Guarantee they will use this to discredit her. MOO

I think they have laid a solid foundation where a jury could connect any mental illness to her life experience. She knew she had to stand up for herself and she had to save her life. IMO

 

[rsd1200]

Sounds like AW tried to collect children way back when TC was 11

I've an oddball theory, but I'm not ready to voice it b/c it's just over the top.

 

[Betty P]

OMG! Tabitha just played into the defence’s hands and admitted that she has bipolar depression. Guarantee they will use this to discredit her. MOO

I'm wondering how much of these same incidents Angela Wagner will have to honestly validate in order to keep her plea deal? Will she have to admit that she engaged in abusive behavior towards these girls, that GW4 and Jake did the same?

 

[Chelly]

OMG! Tabitha just played into the defence’s hands and admitted that she has bipolar depression. Guarantee they will use this to discredit her. MOO

Yes, defense atty asked if she is still on her meds. I weep listening to what Tabitha is going through on the witness stand. It's almost like she is being abused all over again. But she is trying to be strong, poor thing.

 

[Tiff23fr]

Asking her if she was trying to paint herself as a victim:
“I’m not trying to be a cry baby, but yeah.”

Quote of the day!!! She was a victim too