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

[Dudly]

Evan Millward
@EvanMillward
PIKE COUNTY TRIAL: BCI agents to testify today in Waverly - @CFranciscoWCPO
@paulweedenWCPO
are there.

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BCI agent Jonathan Jenkins is on the stand to start the day.

Was assigned to special investigations in the southeast corner of Ohio - which includes Pike Co.

"I was involved in that investigation from Day One."

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Jenkins was assigned to Scene 2 - Frankie Rhoden and Hannah Hazel Gilley's trailer.

Responded to Pike Co. "for several months" - first HQ was Piketon PD, then Hatzel Chemical.

Jenkins says eventually he wanted to interview Billy Wagner because he is Sophia's grandpa.

"Being a family member, that's somebody we needed to talk to."

Says it was hard to track him down by phone, at home (Peterson Rd), or at his mom's at the Flying W

Jenkins says he wanted to talk to Billy not only because of family relationship, but because BCI was getting tips and leads about a custody issue re: Sophia his granddaughter.

Jenkins and SA Trout met Billy in a Kroger parking lot - they interviewed him in Trout's Ford Taurus.

Billy sat in front passenger seat, Jenkins sat in rear passenger.

Interview was recorded - is being played for the jury

On recording of first Billy interview - Billy says "Chris was my best friend ... he wasn't no saint, but Chris never hurt nobody."

Says he and Chris were opposites - Chris grew up 'hard,' and Billy didn't.

Billy says "it took ya long enough to come talk to me."

Says rumor that a Rhoden family member did it is "."

"What do you want to know? I'll tell ya."

On the recorded interview, Billy says "this is the crookedest f---in county in the state of Ohio"

Says he worried about his safety by talking.

Billy says he heard that Chris may have been involved with a big drug dealer in Cincinnati.

"It goes against my grain to tell you anything, but I hate that sonofabitch ... I hate f---in' dopeheads."

He's explain a convoluted system of drug trafficking in the area.

Agents ask for who - push for more, Billy says "you don't live around here."

Billy says "I loved Chris. He was my best friend."

Says they always joked about buying a bar, "get drunk on the beach and play with strippers."

Talks about taking care of his dad - "he's worked his *advertiser censored* off his whole life, every bone in his body is broken."

Billy notes all of this because he says his parents have a large trust fund for him.

"That ain't a bunch of f---in' hillbillies do something like that, you'll never convince me. That's some Seal Team 6 ."

Billy again says the rumors that a Rhoden family member did it is BS. He keeps coming back to rumor Chris Sr owed drug money.

I think we've found who Billy said he hated - one of the Latham boys.

"He's an ."

Billy laughs and calls Hanna Rhoden "a brat" - says Chris Sr spoiled her.

But says Jake was "in a f---in daze" when she left. Says it's like he's waiting on her to come back around.

Billy also says "You're looking in the wrong damn direction" in the investigation.

Unclear what direction he wants them to look, though.

Agents aren't getting many words in during this.

Billy drops a Cornbread Mafia reference - he's talking about pill mills in Kentucky and rumors of Chris Sr's involvement.

Billy "Let me tell you something, I ain't no f---in snitch"

Tells the agents not to cause him any aggravation down here.

Billy rails on the fact that the surviving kids are in foster care - notes that Jake thought Hanna's newborn was his but it wasn't.

Billy says "Chris took care of everybody."

Calls Dana "wild" and says their relationship wasn't bad even thought they separated.

Agents ask about Chris saying something about "the storm is coming" and being depressed.

Billy: "He never said that to me." Says Chris had been drinking, something was getting to him.

That first interview with Billy was 1 hour, 43 minutes long.

Court is taking a 15 minute break before proceeding with BCI agent Jenkins.

Defense moved for mistrial because of the BillY Wagner recording. Claiming it wasn't relevant.

Prosecutors say it shows why BCI started looking more at Wagners.

Judge instructs jury to only use the recording to show how investigation continued.



link: https://twitter.com/evanmillward

I have wondered if the Seal Team 6 reference was braging about how good they did the murders and not get caught…

 

[CIA Team Member]

Agree. If Tabitha had been a different kind of witness, more willing to connect dots on her own, it might have been easier (and more effective) for TC to get on the table herself all the stuff the defense would see as weapons.

Unfortunately, her testimony shows she hasn't received any mental health services. If she had, she wouldn't have made some of the negative statements she said about herself. If you still love someone who not just George treated her badly but allowed his entire family to abuse her. This country sucks with mental health treatment. To them this is normal behavavior and most likely history repeating itself. JMO

 

[ohioexpat63]

I have wondered if the Seal Team 6 reference was braging about how good they did the murders and not get caught…

When I heard him say it that's exactly what I thought. Boasting! I hope the other's are as boastful on tape

 

[CIA Team Member]

I believe the mastermind was AW. I do not understand why the State would make a deal with her at all.

AW is the worst of the worst of human beings alive. jmo

For many reasons, many cases are concluded by making a deal with the devil, unfortunately.

 

[ohioexpat63]

Thru my biased lens I felt T looked traumatized. She certainly didnt appear to have any self esteem. Jmo

 

[Dudly]

I will never understand why anybody needs as many guns as the Wagners or Rhodens have

My neighbor had 200 guns when his house was searched…

 

[joe jones]

I am expecting state to start with GW evidence, yesterday it began to lead that way, so we may not be too far away from AW and JW testimony, wonder who the state will select to go first, I would go AW to explain the planning then JW to the murders

 

[joe jones]

She wouldn’t hold the position she has if she is a ‘poor’ attorney. IMO

I have seen useless lawyers on both sides in many trials,

 

[twall]

BCI Agent Brian White who processed DR and FR homes, Wilson is doing the direct, White also went along to 260 Peterson Rd search warrant May 10, 2017.

 

[ColMustard]

Have to wonder what other crimes may be uncovered if they hit that property with a LIDAR scan and other high tech search tools.

Not so great at carpentry, were they?

 

[pittsburghgirl]

Thru my biased lens I felt T looked traumatized. She certainly didnt appear to have any self esteem. Jmo

It's helpful, I think, to realize that questioning her about so many sensitive subjects had to be very difficult. We see how bad the defense looked when they attacked her.

For many reasons, many cases are concluded by making a deal with the devil, unfortunately.

Once Jake's proffer took the death penalty off the table, it made sense to make a deal with Angela so two of the Wagners were pleading guilty and testifying to who did what. Her grandkids will be adults when she gets out. I'm satisfied that she has to think of Tabitha raising her son and Hanna's family raising Sophia. She won't see her sons again. She has to live knowing she set all of this mess in motion and will essentially put her husband and older son in prison for life. Thirty years is a long time when you've got nothing. She'll be, what, 78 when she gets out, if she lives that long? 30 years of prison time is like 50 regular years. So while life without parole would be more just, I think that's what she got in practical terms. And the state got her testimony against the other two.

 

[Ann99]

Is the big grey/blue barn where the silencer was finally discovered?
if so, he should mention that to give it more meaning and context, importance.

 

[ohioexpat63]

I thought this guy said hebwas outside and other agents were inside. It feels like im missing something

 

[Betty P]

I thought this guy said hebwas outside and other agents were inside. It feels like im missing something

Maybe he started outside, then went inside?

Now showing the .22 cal rimfire cartridges found on the Peterson Rd property, same as used in the murders

This was visual examination, not in depth. Just to see what they could find on the surface of the area. Appeared the shell casings had been on the ground for a while. Observed it at the time.

Then acquired another SW for May 12, planned a much different search.

 

[Betty P]

James Pilcher
@jamespilcher
·
9m

Now introducing a 9 mm casings - another objection from defense. But before sidebar, prosecutor says they will show the initial plan was to bring a 9 mm on the night of the killing. Yet another long sidebar.
@local12

Took a break after this.

Wonder why they planned to bring a 9 mm, but changed their mind? This must be information from Jake's proffer.

I'll let those of you who know guns and ammo explain why they debated this. Every time I try to search about guns online, I get the videos of someone waving a gun around. I reflexively duck and hide when they do that.

 

[dgfred]

The 9mm is more potent than the .22 but maybe they couldn't fit a brass catcher (9mm eject casings) or get a silencer to fit/work with that certain gun.

 

[dgfred]

All those shells show for one thing that GW would have massive experience with using a silencer on the rifle. Why would he have the rifle and the plan be for him to fire first at CR in the first place if that was so? I don't believe that crap for a minute. I do believe that the silencer did throw off the rifle fire- by either aim, or accuracy, or both. Or a shot or two would likely be all that was needed. Not spraying the front door area.

Mentioned earlier but I see JW and GW doing all the dragging at CR's... not brokeback Billy.

 

[sunshineray]

GWIV looked a bit rattled when he came in, JMO

 

[Betty P]

After White is finished, the prosecution will recall BCI Special Agent Todd Fortner - he previously testified about processing Scene 2 where Frankie Rhoden and Hannah Gilley were killed.
@local12

My question: from the list of weapons found on Jake's phone yesterday, did Billy own a 9mm?

Also, someone bought a new Apple I phone about 1 yr after the murders

 

[dgfred]

I am sure GW was wincing along with us- listening to daddy rambling on and digging a giant hole for the family to jump in. Bet he got a large headache.