Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #pikecountymassacre
Most recents (11)
Good morning. Back in Waverly, OH, covering #GeorgeWagnerIV’s murder trial. Day 41 has started - w/ a defense witness who’s an expert in blood stain pattern analysis. (Prosecution still has not rested).. #PikeCountyMassacre #WLWT 
Testifying right now is Jonathyn Priest. He's a defense witness, testifying on behalf of #GeorgeWagner. Prosecutor Andy Wilson just asked Mr. Priest if he has a degree. Mr. Priest: "No." Interesting..
Judge Randy Deering just told jurors the court recognizes Mr. Priest as a crime scene analysis and blood stain pattern analysis. Testimony continues.. Watch live on #WLWT's FB page.. facebook.com/wlwt5/videos/5…
A few reflections from today’s testimony in #GeorgeWagnerIV’s murder trial.. Wagner’s brother Jake was on the witness stand for a third day. Prosecutor Angela Canepa asked Jake more questions about his ex-wife, Elizabeth Armer (Freeman). 1/2
2/2 I gather the questions were asked to show jurors that Jake had a history of plotting and strategizing. At one pt., Jake said he & Elizabeth were planning a “fake divorce.” But Jake remained suspicious of Elizabeth so he planned to turn the “fake divorce” into a real one.
Jake testified that George was present when members of the Wagner family discussed custody documents that were falsified in a way designed to gain control of the daughter Jake had w/ murder victim Hanna Rhoden. #PikeCountyMassacre
As on Tuesday afternoon, Jake Wagner spent much of today reviewing earlier witness testimony in the #PikeCountyMassacre of his brother #GeorgeWagnerIV. But there were a few surprises of note. (Photo: @Brooke_LaValley @DispatchAlerts) 1/13
Special Prosecutor Angela Canepa reminded the jury that Jake Wagner cut a deal with the state to escape the death penalty in exchange for agreeing to testify. She read each of the charges against him and each name of his victims. He confirmed all. 2/13
Canepa also reminded the jury that Jake Wagner will serve eight consecutive life sentences for shooting five of the eight Rhodens to death in April 2016. She asked Wagner if he remembered that Judge Randy Deering earlier told him he would die in prison. "Yes," he said. 3/13
Lots of drama in the #PikeCountyMassacre trial of #GeorgeWagnerIV this morning as his brother Jake took the stand for the third consecutive day. After two days of responding to questions with spare, limited answers, Jake Wagner admitted regrets for the killings.
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On Monday, Jake Wagner told jurors he killed five of the eight Rhoden victims, shooting them in the head, sometimes multiple times. Today, he said he never talked to his mother or brother about the homicides. But he did talk to his father. "It was very brief,." he said. 2/9
"He was frustrated with me because of what he had, per se, been made to do because of me, and asked if I regretted doing the homicides," Jake Wagner said. 3/9
2/2 Jurors just went to lunch. Toward the end of the morning session, Jake said it was his maternal grandmother's decision to confess to her role in forged custody documents that prompted Jake to do the same. #WLWT
After Rita Necomb (Angela Wagner's mom & Jake's grandmother) came forward, Jake Wagner said, "To me, it felt like it was the answer I was looking for at the time.. an answer from God." #WLWT #PikeCountyMassacre
Jake shared the regret he felt about the #PikeCountyMassacre during a brief convo w/ his dad, co-defendant Billy Wagner. Jake said he told Billy he "did not" feel regret, which Jake said today was not true. He said he told his dad this b/c he worried about Billy being suicidal.
Jake Wagner spent much of the afternoon reviewing ground covered by other witnesses so far in the #PikeCountyMassacre trial of his brother #GeorgeWagnerIV. Under questioning from Special Prosecutor Angela Canepa, he offered a few new details about his family and the case. 1/11
New: The Wagner family had settled on an alibi as investigators were growing more interested in their involvement, Jake Wagner said. They were going to say they were all home together, watching a movie. He could not remember the movie's title. 2/11
New: Jake and George Wagner both worked as mechanics from mid-2017 to mid-2018, the year the family spent in Alaska. They first worked at Buddy's Garage, then Kenai Marine & Diesel. After that, Jake Wagner worked for L&R Construction Services. 3/11
As Jake Wagner continues his testimony in the #PikeCountyMassacre of his brother, #GeorgeWagnerIV today, he's offering facts in opposition to what Wagner IV's lawyers put in front of the jury in their opening statement in the trial. 1/7
Jake Wagner testified that Wagner IV joined him & their dad, George "Billy" Wagner III, on the night of the murders. In his opening for the defense, attorney Richard M. Nash Jr. said Wagner IV was at home that night and learned the Rhoden family had been killed the next day. 2/7
Jake Wagner testified that he spoke w/a friend about the killings the next day while alone in the family's yard. In his opening, Nash said Jake took that call while in the car with Wagner IV and "put on an act worthy of an Academy Award" pretending he'd just learned the news. 3/7
Jake Wagner is walking jurors through what happened after he killed five members of the Rhoden family in #PikeCountyMassacre trial of his brother, #JakeWagnerIV. 1/7
Jake Wagner, his father and brother removed the clothing they wore that night then entered their Adams County home to put on new clothes. Jake Wagner said his mother was in the kitchen when they returned around 4:30 a.m. on April 22, 2016, but he did not talk to her then. 2/7
Jake Wagner said he and Wagner IV dug a hole in a barn on their property. They buried weapons there, in a duffle bag, after he had cut them up with a grinder and attempted to melt them with a torch. 3/7
Stay w/ #WLWT for complete coverage of #GeorgeWagner's murder trial in connex. to the 2016 #PikeCountyMassacre. I'm heading into the courtroom to notate what Jake Wagner has to say during his second day of testimony. Jake has opted out of being filmed.... I'll update when I can.
Jurors in #GeorgeWagner's murder trial are on their first break of the day. Jake Wagner will resume testifying shortly. So far, he's given more testimony linking his brother George to the 2016 #PikeCountyMassacre. #WLWT
Jake said that on the morning after he helped kill 8 members of the Rhoden family, his (Jake's) demeanor was: "shockful, mournful-ish".. (Jake's words in court, under oath). #WLWT
Here's the action in #PikeCountyMassacre trial of #GeorgeWagnerIV through noon. At this hour, the prosecution is continuing to walk the defendant's brother through the April 2016 night the Rhoden family was killed in Pike County. 1/4
Edward "Jake" Wagner said he fired, with his eyes closed, at victim Christopher Rhoden Sr. He later went inside Rhoden Sr.'s trailer home and found the bodies of Rhoden Sr. and cousin Gary Rhoden on the bedroom floor. He took a cover from Rhoden Sr.'s bed and covered the two. 2/4
George Wagner IV, positioned under a truck outside the home, did not fire. "I told him to shoot but he didn't," Jake Wagner said. "I took his SKS (gun) from him." Their father returned to the truck and asked what happened. Jake told his father: "He (George) wouldn't shoot." 3/4
GUNS AND BULLETS - Jury in #GeorgeWagnerIV getting a ballistics/firearms lesson. Guns/bullets are similar to those used in the killings.
Colt 1911 semi-automatc handgun, .22 caliber.
(Per Jake, he had this gun. .22 caliber killed Dana, Hanna May, Chris Jr., Frankie, Hazel) 1/4
Colt 1911 semi-automatc handgun, .22 caliber.
(Per Jake, he had this gun. .22 caliber killed Dana, Hanna May, Chris Jr., Frankie, Hazel) 1/4
GUNS AND BULLETS - Jury in #GeorgeWagnerIV getting a ballistics/firearms lesson. Firearms/bullets are similar to those used in the killings.
Glock .40 caliber. (per Jake, Billy (father) had this gun. .40 used to kill Chris Sr., Gary and Kenneth. 2/4
Glock .40 caliber. (per Jake, Billy (father) had this gun. .40 used to kill Chris Sr., Gary and Kenneth. 2/4
GUNS AND BULLETS - Firearms/bullets are similar to those used in the killings.
SKS rifle .30 caliber. (Per Jake, George IV was supposed to use this to shoot Chris Sr. from a distance but he didn't so Jake took it, shot Chris Sr through door hitting arm) 3/4
SKS rifle .30 caliber. (Per Jake, George IV was supposed to use this to shoot Chris Sr. from a distance but he didn't so Jake took it, shot Chris Sr through door hitting arm) 3/4
