The Pike County Shootings, also known as the Pike County Massacre, occurred on the night of April 21–22, 2016, when eight people all belonging to the Rhoden family were shot and killed in four homes in Sunfish Township in Pike County, Ohio, from Columbus and from Cincinnati. Their bodies were found later on April 22. Seven of the victims six adults and a 16-year-old boywere discovered to have been shot execution-style in three adjacent houses, while the eighth victim, an adult male, was found shot to death in his camper in nearby Piketon. Three young children, including two infants, were physically unharmed. At least two shooters were initially believed to be responsible.
Investigators believe the murders were premeditated, and that the perpetrators were known to the Rhoden family. On April 25, the Ohio Attorney General's office confirmed the presence of marijuana cultivation and cockfighting operations at some of the crime scenes, but did not confirm a direct connection to the killings. The ensuing investigation soon became the largest in Ohio's history.
In November 2018, four members of the Wagner family, who were known to the Rhodens, were arrested in Ohio and Kentucky, and charged in the eight murders. Edward "Jake" Wagner, an ex-boyfriend of victim Hanna Rhoden, and father of her three-year-old daughter pleaded guilty to all eight murders; he later testified that he shot five of the eight victims.
Events The bodies were first discovered on April 22, 2016, after Bobby Jo Manley, a sister of victim Dana Rhoden, came to feed pets at the homes. Police were first alerted after receiving a 9-1-1 call about two bodies inside a home on Union Hill Road, at 7:51 a.m. EDT. Before the police arrived, Manley discovered two more bodies in a second trailer on the property. Her brother, James Manley, went to check on their sister Dana, and discovered a third crime scene, where the police found three more victims when they arrived. At 1:26 p.m., a 9-1-1 call reported an eighth body, an adult male, at a fourth residence in the nearby village of Piketon.
Three young children—ages three years, six months, and four days—were unharmed during the shootings, with the four-day-old being found in bed with her mother's body. Seven adults and a 16-year-old were among those slain. The four-day-old and the six-month-old were placed under protective services, and the three-year-old was put under the guardianship of his mother, who was not involved in the shootings.
Three weapons were used in the shootings: a 7.62×39mm SKS semi-automatic rifle, a .40-caliber Glock 22 Gen 2 semi-automatic pistol, and a Walther Colt 1911 .22-caliber pistol.
Victims The eight victims were identified as:
NameAgeRelationshipCause of deathChristopher Rhoden Jr. 16 Youngest son of Dana and Christopher Rhoden Sr. Gunshot wounds to the headChristopher Rhoden Sr. 40 Ex-husband of Dana Rhoden Gunshot wounds to the head, torso, and limbsClarence "Frankie" Rhoden 20 Eldest son of Dana and Christopher Rhoden Sr. Father of the surviving 6-month-old and 3-year-old Gunshot wounds to the headDana Lynn (née Manley) Rhoden 37 Ex-wife of Christopher Rhoden Sr. Gunshot wounds to the head and neckGary Rhoden 38 Cousin of Christopher Sr. and Kenneth Rhoden Gunshot wounds to the headHanna May Rhoden 19 Daughter of Dana and Christopher Rhoden Sr.; mother of the surviving 3-day-old infant (and of another, 2.5-year-old-child, who was with a relative elsewhere on the night.) Gunshot wounds to the headHannah Hazel Gilley 20 Fiancée of Clarence Rhoden; mother of the surviving 6-month-old child Gunshot wounds to the headKenneth Rhoden 44 Brother of Christopher Rhoden Sr. Single gunshot wound to the head
Autopsies The bodies of the victims were taken to the Hamilton County Coroner's Office in Cincinnati, where autopsies found that all but one of the victims were shot multiple times. Four of the victims were shot once, twice, or three times; one was shot four times; two were shot five times; and the eighth suffered a total of nine gunshot wounds. Death certificates released on May 28 clarified that six of the eight victims were shot in the head only; Christopher Rhoden Sr. suffered gunshot wounds to the head, torso and limbs, and Dana was shot in the head and neck. Bruising was also found on some of the bodies, indicating some of the victims were beaten as well. Some of the victims were found shot in their beds. From the number of gunshot wounds on the victims' bodies, an estimated total of 32 shots were fired during the killings.
Autopsy report released The offices of the county coroner and the Ohio Attorney General announced that the full final autopsy reports would not be released to the public, citing security concerns. On July 22, 2016, The Cincinnati Enquirer filed a lawsuit against the Pike County Coroner's Office, asking for the full autopsy records of the victims. On August 12, 2016, a similar lawsuit was filed by The Columbus Dispatch. In both cases, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine called for mediation, which attracted criticism and accusations that it was merely a delay tactic. A lawyer representing both newspapers said there was no legal basis for law enforcement's withholding of information from the public.
In a filing on September 6, 2016, DeWine responded to The Columbus Dispatchs lawsuit against the coroner's office, saying:
Amid lawsuits by media outlets, the coroner's office released heavily redacted versions of the final reports on September 23, 2016. The Fourth District Court of Appeals denied the Enquirers request for an unredacted copy of the autopsy report on March 17, 2017. On September 19, 2018, the Ohio Supreme Court overturned a lower court's refusal to release the autopsy reports and the full autopsy reports were then publicly released.
Funeral services On April 28, Gary Rhoden was the first of the victims to be buried, with his funeral proceedings being held in South Shore, Kentucky. Hannah Hazel Gilley was the next to be buried, on May 1, at Otway, Ohio. Funerals for the remaining victims took place on May 3 at West Portsmouth, where there was a high level of security. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine approved more than $20,000 to help pay for the funerals.
Reactions Ohio Governor and 2016 U.S. presidential candidate John Kasich, who was briefed on the killings, described them as "tragic beyond comprehension".
Cincinnati-area businessman Jeff Ruby offered a reward of $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the shootings. On April 28, 2016, Ruby withdrew his reward, citing "recent complex criminal developments" in a post on Twitter. A reward of $10,000 from the Southern Ohio Crime Stoppers fund was authorized on May 10, but not announced by authorities until ten weeks later on July 21 due to a "miscommunication and a misunderstanding" about public notification.
Investigation
Early stages Police believed that more than one shooter was responsible for the killings, since two of the crime scenes were within walking distance, a third located about a mile away, and the fourth about eight miles away. Investigators briefly considered the possibility of a murder–suicide, but it was discredited as none of the victims' deaths appeared to be suicides. Attorney General DeWine stated that the killings were planned, premeditated, and "a sophisticated operation," citing the efforts taken by the shooter or shooters to cover up their tracks and remove any incriminating forensic evidence.
All of the victims were members of the Rhoden family. Surviving family members were urged by police to take precautions, and all residents of Peebles were advised to stay inside their homes the following night. An investigative task force of at least 100 members, led by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI), was assembled. More than 251 law enforcement officials were involved in the investigation overall, and sheriffs from 25 offices across Ohio offered to provide resources to Pike County. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration provided technical expertise to DeWine's office.
At least five search warrants were executed, and more than 50 people were interviewed in connection with the killings. Seventy-nine pieces of evidence were examined, including a Facebook threat aimed at Christopher Rhoden Jr., which was posted before the shootings.
Discovery of cannabis and cockfighting operations On April 25, a spokesperson for DeWine's office also confirmed that cannabis was discovered at the three crime scenes on Union Hill Road, including an indoor grow house in which hundreds of cannabis plants were being grown, as well as chickens and equipment consistent with breeding chickens for cockfighting. An estimated total of 200 cannabis plants were recovered from the crime scenes and are believed to have been grown for sale and not for personal use. It was not known whether the cannabis was connected to the shootings, though investigators confirmed the possibility of the involvement of a Mexican drug cartel.
Cannabis cultivation is a common occurrence in Pike County: in 2010, 22,000 cannabis plants were seized by authorities in Latham, west of Piketon; and a major cannabis growth site was discovered by police in August 2012, with about 1,200 cannabis plants being destroyed by investigators. In both cases, police suspected connections to Mexican drug cartels.
On April 26, Dana Rhoden's father, Leonard Manley, stated that the victims knew their killer(s), citing the presence of Dana's two protective dogs. There was no indication that the dogs tried to attack anyone during the shootings, and there were no signs of forced entry at any of the crime scenes. Manley, who was not involved in the shootings, also said his daughter had no involvement in the exposed cannabis operations, saying that "they are trying to drag my daughter through the mud, and I don't appreciate that."
Some family members have acknowledged brothers Kenneth and Christopher Rhoden Sr. growing cannabis, but added that they were unaware of any high-volume cultivation occurring.
Seizure of victims' properties On May 3, following the funerals of the last six victims, authorities towed away at least three vehicles from property belonging to the Rhoden family; a spokeswoman for Mike DeWine said they were towed "as part of the investigation". Additional vehicles were towed the next day as well. They were all dropped off at the base of operations set up by the investigative task force. As of May 12, more than 500 tips had been submitted and 128 interviews were conducted.
On May 12, DeWine and Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader announced the state's intention to relocate the mobile homes where the killings occurred to a secure location, in order to preserve evidence and protect the personal effects of the Rhoden family. Three of the homes were taken to a property in Waverly, where the investigative task force set up their command center, while the fourth would arrive later due to complications in removing it.
As of October 6, the homes were being stored in a warehouse that was once part of a chemical processing company. On November 24, dozens of family vehicles and farming equipment, which were seized and investigated earlier in May, were returned to the victims' relatives.
August 2016–January 2017 developments On August 4, during a court hearing relating to the custody of the 6-month-old and 4-day-old children left alive, Sheriff Charles Reader confirmed investigators' early suspicions that more than one shooter was involved in the killings. He also said that the two children remained in "grave danger" because of the investigation, and that the investigation was possibly the largest in the BCI's history.