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George Wagner IV on trial in Pike Co massacre case. Attorneys arguing before jurors arrive this morning. They’re deciding which wire tap recordings will be played today.
Judge now instructing jurors that the recordings they will hear are clips of conversations. He says the written transcripts are listening aids only. They are not evidence. They do not replace your understanding of what you hear on the audio recordings.
Julia Eveslage on the witness stand. She works for Ohio BCI and was part of the team that listened to wire tap recordings of the Wagner family conversations.
She says the wire taps were placed in the sleeper cabin and driver/passenger area of the semi truck Jake and George drove. They were also placed on cell phones of the family.
George takes notes as attorneys discuss something with the judge on sidebar
The first recording jurors are hearing is a phone call between Jake and his new wife, Beth. She is telling him it's difficult to live with someone who thinks she is worse than a murderer.
Beth tells Jake over the phone, "I am constantly on edge." She is discussing Angela's false accusation that she abused Jake's daughter.
Jake tells her, "I could try talking to mom about how you feel about it and what not, but when it comes back down to it, it would be better if you talk to mom about how this is concerning you..." Beth relies, "She doesn't care diddly squat about how something affects me.”
Jake sighs, "I'll talk to her." Beth says, "There's pretty much no way of disproving that suspicion either.”
"I feel like I'm living in nazi Germany," Beth told Jake.
Recording 2: Jake and Angela talk about Beth
Angela: Beth is at the library again. What is she doing at the library every day for hours? Jake: using internet, applying for jobs
Angela: I thought it was a big deal. I thought saving our butts and keeping us safe and the kids safe was important. Jake: What's the big deal about her getting a job? You are delusional. Angela: "You've done enough damage, enough, around here.”
Angela reprimands Jake for telling his daughter that Angela is just her grandmother. She says now George's son is asking questions about her being a grandmother. Remember, prosecutors claim Angela told George's son she was his mother. Angela denied that on the witness stand.
Recording 3: Jake and Angela talk about the kids and Beth
Jake: I told her one time in Alaska that you were her grandmother. Angela: No, she said you told her this the other day. "I don't know how I'm going to fix this problem.”
George is writing notes to his attorney throughout the recordings, and his attorney, John Parker, shakes his head in acknowledgement.
Angela: Do you think it's right to put George's son in the middle of this and ruin his life?
Angela expressed anger that Beth was allowed to go to the library because she said she "thought everybody was supposed to hide”
Recording 4: George and Jake talk about Beth and the kids
The recording device that captured this conversation was hidden in the sleeper cabin of the semi the brothers drove around the country. They are arguing, shouting about the kids and Beth.
George tells Jake he does not trust him completely since Jake married Beth.
Lunch break until 1:00
The last recording was hard to hear. So, press asked for the transcripts. They are not evidence but listening aids. So, the judge denied the request.
Recording 6: George talks about Jake's daughter. This was captured by the recording device hidden in the sleeper cabin of the truck.
George and Jake are arguing about whether Jake would "rat" him out. George said "...first thing you would do is rat me out." It's hard for me to give you context on this because the road noise in the background overpowers parts of it.
Next recording: George and Angela talk about relationships with kids and Beth.
Angela tells George when he and his brother get home, they're going to have a family meeting.
Next: Outgoing call from George to Angela in which they talk about law enforcement
George tells his mom they should get on the news and expose the investigators for corruption. He suggests taking it to lawmakers. "You take the head off the snake, the body dies. You have to take the head off the snake.”
Next recording: George and Angela talk about Tabitha, his ex-wife.
Next: George and Jake talk about Special Agent Ryan Scheiderer
Now, Jake and his mom are discussing what she read in Beth's diary. She wrote that she could turn in Angela for the murders, but it wouldn't be true.
Jurors just heard George, Jake and Angela discussing punishments they would prefer if "they frame us".
Angela said she would prefer the electric chair because she would never want to spend a life living in prison. Jake said he would prefer a life sentence because he is certain he could get out at some point before he dies.
George said he understands, but he would prefer death but would hope to take down officers with him.
Edited to include additional tweets.
George Wagner IV on trial in Pike Co massacre case. Attorneys arguing before jurors arrive this morning. They’re deciding which wire tap recordings will be played today.
Judge now instructing jurors that the recordings they will hear are clips of conversations. He says the written transcripts are listening aids only. They are not evidence. They do not replace your understanding of what you hear on the audio recordings.
Julia Eveslage on the witness stand. She works for Ohio BCI and was part of the team that listened to wire tap recordings of the Wagner family conversations.
She says the wire taps were placed in the sleeper cabin and driver/passenger area of the semi truck Jake and George drove. They were also placed on cell phones of the family.
George takes notes as attorneys discuss something with the judge on sidebar
The first recording jurors are hearing is a phone call between Jake and his new wife, Beth. She is telling him it's difficult to live with someone who thinks she is worse than a murderer.
Beth tells Jake over the phone, "I am constantly on edge." She is discussing Angela's false accusation that she abused Jake's daughter.
Jake tells her, "I could try talking to mom about how you feel about it and what not, but when it comes back down to it, it would be better if you talk to mom about how this is concerning you..." Beth relies, "She doesn't care diddly squat about how something affects me.”
Jake sighs, "I'll talk to her." Beth says, "There's pretty much no way of disproving that suspicion either.”
"I feel like I'm living in nazi Germany," Beth told Jake.
Recording 2: Jake and Angela talk about Beth
Angela: Beth is at the library again. What is she doing at the library every day for hours? Jake: using internet, applying for jobs
Angela: I thought it was a big deal. I thought saving our butts and keeping us safe and the kids safe was important. Jake: What's the big deal about her getting a job? You are delusional. Angela: "You've done enough damage, enough, around here.”
Angela reprimands Jake for telling his daughter that Angela is just her grandmother. She says now George's son is asking questions about her being a grandmother. Remember, prosecutors claim Angela told George's son she was his mother. Angela denied that on the witness stand.
Recording 3: Jake and Angela talk about the kids and Beth
Jake: I told her one time in Alaska that you were her grandmother. Angela: No, she said you told her this the other day. "I don't know how I'm going to fix this problem.”
George is writing notes to his attorney throughout the recordings, and his attorney, John Parker, shakes his head in acknowledgement.
Angela: Do you think it's right to put George's son in the middle of this and ruin his life?
Angela expressed anger that Beth was allowed to go to the library because she said she "thought everybody was supposed to hide”
Recording 4: George and Jake talk about Beth and the kids
The recording device that captured this conversation was hidden in the sleeper cabin of the semi the brothers drove around the country. They are arguing, shouting about the kids and Beth.
George tells Jake he does not trust him completely since Jake married Beth.
Lunch break until 1:00
The last recording was hard to hear. So, press asked for the transcripts. They are not evidence but listening aids. So, the judge denied the request.
Recording 6: George talks about Jake's daughter. This was captured by the recording device hidden in the sleeper cabin of the truck.
George and Jake are arguing about whether Jake would "rat" him out. George said "...first thing you would do is rat me out." It's hard for me to give you context on this because the road noise in the background overpowers parts of it.
Next recording: George and Angela talk about relationships with kids and Beth.
Angela tells George when he and his brother get home, they're going to have a family meeting.
Next: Outgoing call from George to Angela in which they talk about law enforcement
George tells his mom they should get on the news and expose the investigators for corruption. He suggests taking it to lawmakers. "You take the head off the snake, the body dies. You have to take the head off the snake.”
Next recording: George and Angela talk about Tabitha, his ex-wife.
Next: George and Jake talk about Special Agent Ryan Scheiderer
Now, Jake and his mom are discussing what she read in Beth's diary. She wrote that she could turn in Angela for the murders, but it wouldn't be true.
Jurors just heard George, Jake and Angela discussing punishments they would prefer if "they frame us".
Angela said she would prefer the electric chair because she would never want to spend a life living in prison. Jake said he would prefer a life sentence because he is certain he could get out at some point before he dies.
George said he understands, but he would prefer death but would hope to take down officers with him.
Edited to include additional tweets.
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