OH - Pike Co - 8 in Rhoden Family Murdered Over Custody Issue - 4 Members Wagner Family Arrested #75

[Chelly]

Couldn't hear, but they were trying to stop AC from allowing this agent to testify about the FB messages of the victims.

Interesting. We heard a lot of FB messages yesterday. I wonder why this matter was not resolved before trial.

 

[SuziQ]

AC has put years of her life into investigating and prosecuting these eight overwhelming murders. She has been eating, drinking, breathing the Rhoden murders. It is almost like she has taken these murders personally. Maybe she has become too close to these murders to prosecute logically. Opinion only

I don't see that at all. In every complex trial I have watched, apparently disconnected evidence is tied up neatly with a bow during closing arguments. It is a beautiful thing to see. Imo.

 

[joe jones]

AC has put years of her life into investigating and prosecuting these eight overwhelming murders. She has been eating, drinking, breathing the Rhoden murders. It is almost like she has taken these murders personally. Maybe she has become too close to these murders to prosecute logically. Opinion only

I think the only independent evidence to any conspiracy is JW and AW, and all the other stuff about the cult of Wagners is to bolster their testimony, the jury by this point though must loathe AW and JW so we shall see how effective they are in testifying to GW being involved in the planning and carrying out of the murders,

I am a long-time trial watcher and as I have already posted I think AC won her conviction by showing the crime scene photos, and the judge allowing her to continue to show them over and over again even though the defense kept arguing there was no need to keep showing the pictures, there was no disagreement about cause and manner of death, just who did the actual killing

for now, I think even with all the charges deliberations may not last a day and GW will be convicted

 

[TenaciousTBacon]

I think she is a poor attorney; she has waisted days with testimony that never relates to GW, we get it, AC argument is one for all ad nauseum, I am sure the jury can recite it in their sleep, but even the jury must be saying but what about GW, yes, it is conspiracy, but we have had no evidence so far of any conspiring relating to the murders

she will not win this case by just banging on about they did everything together, she has to show some evidence of conspiracy to commit murder,

she has a need to get witnesses to repeat an answer and then goes back and asks it again, we have days of TC adding nothing, we do not need more information about HR and JW, the jury have a clear idea of the relationships, the dynamics and now we need to hear about GW not JW or AW or BW,

Come sit by me, Joe. I'm not too impressed at this point by the prosecution either. If there's evidence that wraps it all up, get on with it.

 

[Chelly]

Chris Graves

@chrisgraves
·
1h

Parker objected to most follow-up questions Canepa asked Jenkins. Both sides visibly frustrated. Jurors appear restless as well.

 

[justtrish]

I think we all have to remember that this case is said to be the biggest murder investigation in Ohio history. When has there ever even in other states been a case like this? It is complicated and there are 22 charges, 8 victims (well 8 victims that are dead, but the amount of victims in this case is likely uncountable.. just massive and stretches far), 4 accused accomplices and not just 4 people accused, but from the same family and now from that family 2 have confessed and 2 are standing firm. This is likely as complicated as it gets to lay a case out. It takes time and I understand thinking just get to the meat and potatoes, but if they don't lay ALL the foundation and then present it in order, the defense is all over it screaming objection after objection.

It would be simple if they had DNA, fingerprints on a weapon, video of the murder, etc. They planned this for months and took extreme precautions to not get caught. Not saying they were perfect, far from it, but they covered it up well.

I'd rather AC take every bit of time she feels she needs to explain any question a juror might have before they have it so when they deliberate they don't think, well we don't know if xyz for sure.. they have witness after witness explaining this family dynamic and then messages from some of the victims to show and other victims in similar situations to the ones murdered also showing this pattern. This family did not care about the law. They were controlling and manipulative. Any way they can show that is good.

I think they are showing George didn't plan it all out. I don't believe he did. He would not have did this without the others. He likely did get roped in and participated by default because everyone else was. I can believe that. I could even believe he didn't go that night (I actually believe he did go and I am leaning toward he did shoot someone, but I could be convinced he didn't go or that he simply waited in the truck).. but I don't think I can be convinced that he didn't know anything at all, that he bought items used in the murders but had no idea at all they were were going to use them in murders, that he had no idea that night what was going to happen and that he lived there, worked with his brother, lived with them after, went and took the truck used to gift it to a family member and just had no idea why, not one clue that his other 3 family members committed those horrific acts. That is what the jury has to believe in order to find him not guilty. I'll hear all the testimony about how this family was if it shows George was right up in there with the rest of them. Patterns of activity matter and George so far has a pattern of going along with his family, in the fire for insurance, in allowing his mom to dictate his marriage and parenting, and his own sex life with his wife. He didn't stand up to them, he doesn't put his foot down.

 

[Ann99]

MY OPINION ONLY
Let’s keep in mind, G4 is part of a criminal enterprise, ( being the Wagner Family) a conspiracy and a long planned plot to murder, and an extensive, years long cover up afterwards. ALL their lies, before and after must be revealed.
AC is not only concerned with the events of 4/22. The jury must know all.
They must come to learn who and what the entire Wagner Family is.
This trial is about more than “ Did G4 shoot anybody/nobody/a door frame, etc., is there a footprint…
The entire Wagner Family is on trial to show how family dynamics were able to lead up to The Wagner Family of JW, AW, BW, GW were all able to go on a murder rampage on 4/22
The trial is tedious. It has to be.

 

[justtrish]

Chris Graves
@chrisgraves
·
1h

Parker objected to most follow-up questions Canepa asked Jenkins. Both sides visibly frustrated. Jurors appear restless as well.

If I were a juror, I'd be wondering why the defense is so firm on not allowing this and many other things. They are just drawing a lot of attention to certain things and it definitely would have me raising an eyebrow.

 

[Chelly]

I don't see that at all. In every complex trial I have watched, apparently disconnected evidence is tied up neatly with a bow during closing arguments. It is a beautiful thing to see. Imo.

Closing arguments are not evidence. A case is tied up with a bow by believable testimony. Closing arguments is the cherry on the top.

 

[SuziQ]

I think the only independent evidence to any conspiracy is JW and AW, and all the other stuff about the cult of Wagners is to bolster their testimony, the jury by this point though must loathe AW and JW so we shall see how effective they are in testifying to GW being involved in the planning and carrying out of the murders,

I am a long-time trial watcher and as I have already posted I think AC won her conviction by showing the crime scene photos, and the judge allowing her to continue to show them over and over again even though the defense kept arguing there was no need to keep showing the pictures, there was no disagreement about cause and manner of death, just who did the actual killing

for now, I think even with all the charges deliberations may not last a day and GW will be convicted

I don't think we have heard the wire taps yet. I bet they are damning. Imo.

 

[abeaman02]

Maybe the jury is beginning to disagree. The last thing the prosecutor should do is anger the jury. The prosecutor should be putting herself in the seat of the juror. What is the juror seeing and hearing? What is the juror thinking of this evidence? Am I making any sense to the juror? Are the witnesses confusing the juror? Who is on trial here?

If I were a juror, I would find all this information valuable. The defendents life is at stake here. When it is all said and done I would want as much information as possible, to make sure I make the right decision, and so that I could sleep at night once my decision is made

 

[SuziQ]

Closing arguments are not evidence. A case is tied up with a bow by believable testimony. Closing arguments is the cherry on the top.

Have we heard all the evidence?

 

[joe jones]

If I were a juror, I'd be wondering why the defense is so firm on not allowing this and many other things. They are just drawing a lot of attention to certain things and it definitely would have me raising an eyebrow.

they will be instructed that GW is on trial not his attorneys, and they are not to consider the behavior of any of the attorneys in deliberating, the defense has every right to object to anything they consider prejudicial not probative, and as to how much leading the judge has allowed the state, or how much hearsay they have elicited - if defense objected to everything I would have objected to we wouldn't be so far along

 

[Betty P]

AC has put years of her life into investigating and prosecuting these eight overwhelming murders. She has been eating, drinking, breathing the Rhoden murders. It is almost like she has taken these murders personally. Maybe she has become too close to these murders to prosecute logically. Opinion only

I don't think so. It's a team effort. There are others with much trial experience who probably observe their work and give advice.

 

[Betty P]

Have we heard all the evidence?

Not even close. There's still about 10 terabytes to go. JK, I don't know how many terabytes are left to present, but they started with a lot.

Just because the defense is calling objection left and right doesn't mean the prosecution is doing a bad job. Far from it. Usually, it means they're doing a good job and the defense is having to pull out all the stops to gain some kind of advantage.

 

[justtrish]

MY OPINION ONLY
Let’s keep in mind, G4 is part of a criminal enterprise, ( being the Wagner Family) a conspiracy and a long planned plot to murder, and an extensive, years long cover up afterwards. ALL their lies, before and after must be revealed.
AC is not only concerned with the events of 4/22. The jury must know all.
They must come to learn who and what the entire Wagner Family is.
This trial is about more than “ Did G4 shoot anybody/nobody/a door frame, etc., is there a footprint…
The entire Wagner Family is on trial to show how family dynamics were able to lead up to The Wagner Family of JW, AW, BW, GW were all able to go on a murder rampage on 4/22
The trial is tedious. It has to be.

Imagine back that first week when we all were like WHAT the heck? Imagine then we were told well this one family just planned this for months and took them all out over custody. Nobody would believe it. We've had 6 years to hear every rumor, news report, article, then arrests, hearings, etc. We have came to the conclusion that wow this really did happen. The jury is supposed to be fairly uninformed or educated on this case so it's like they are getting the 6 year version in a few weeks. I can be patient.

 

[Betty P]

Interesting. We heard a lot of FB messages yesterday. I wonder why this matter was not resolved before trial.

Because the defense is backed into a corner. They probably had to come up with a new strategy to stop or limit the amount of damaging evidence the state is presenting.

Expect them to do the same thing when Jake and Angela testify. They must be in a panic by now at the prospect of dealing with that. You have to wonder what ever convinced them to take this to court at all. They must be wondering why they didn't find a way to take a plea deal for LWOP.

 

[joe jones]

I don't think we have heard the wire taps yet. I bet they are damning. Imo.

I have my doubts otherwise we would be hearing them already, if they were strong evidence, we still wouldn't be rehashing the HR JW issues, if state has good solid evidence on the wiretaps, then that would be far more probative than what they were starting off with this afternoon

but I hope they do have GW making admissions of his involvement it will start the trial actually moving into the case against GW and the evidence they have against him

 

[sunshineray]

I am compelled to agree with @RAISINISBACK. AC is waisting too much of the jury's time pointing out the Wagners are a bad family. The jury gets that by now. AC needs to begin focusing on George's involvement.

I disagree. Hanna needs to speak for herself and explain her side. I pray they let her.

 

[ColMustard]

They are back!