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
New: When the Wagners left Alaska, they were headed to Missouri, where they planned to buy a farm. That did not work out, Jake Wagner said, because a loan application in his and Wagner IV's name was denied. 4/11
New: One of the family's concerns about returning to Ohio -- and the South Webster home that had been their grandpa's -- was media. "We didn't want reporters invading our privacy," Jake Wagner said. 5/11
New: Allegations that Jake Wagner's ex-wife, Elizabeth Armer, inappropriately touched his daughter, then about 5, turned out to be false. Jake Wagner explained: "Sophia said that Beth Anne was stealing her daddy from her and she wanted her to leave." 6/11
Side note: Armer went by Beth in 2018, when married to Jake Wagner. In a TikTok post last week -- after her Friday testimony in the trial -- she noted that she no longer uses that name. 7/11
New: Jake Wagner acknowledged threatening Armer in an incident that made her flee the Wagner home and marriage in July 2018. His version: If he ever confirmed molestation of his daughter, "I would physically beat to death the persons with my own hands." 8/11
Jake Wagner was on the stand for about 3:20 on Tuesday, out of the 5:30 typically available each day in this trial. The balance of the time was devoted to meetings between lawyers and Judge Randy Deering, behind a closed door. 9/11
One topic of those conversations was a Tuesday order from the 4th District Ohio Court of Appeals stating that, "effective immediately," the Pike County court may not restrict public or media access without a hearing on such restrictions. 10/11
From the trial's start, media have been concerned that key witnesses would exercise their right to "opt out" of being filmed, recorded or photographed. Jake Wagner picked the option when he took the stand Monday morning & admitted to killing five of the eight 2016 victims. 11/11
+ 1 ^ Deering scheduled a hearing on the opt out/media access matter for 8:30 am Wednesday. The trial will resume, w/Jake Wagner still on the stand, after that. The jury has been asked to report at 10 am. Reminder: Deering earlier canceled court for Thursday, w/o explanation.
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