Thread by @jamespilcher

Back in court for afternoon with George Wagner IV taking the stand in his own defense in the Pike Co murder trial. @Local12

@Local12 He says he never tricked Tabby into anything during divorce. Says Tabby wanted their son to stay with him because she couldn't take care of him properly @Local12

WATCH LIVE: bit.ly/3hO93Wr

George says his friends the Rhotens in Virginia - the father said George should get away from the way of life father Billy Wagner was living. Also said he gave up his partying ways when his son was born @Local12

Talking now about his deer hunting (calls himself a deer addict who lives breathes dreams about deer). Asked about how he hunted - and then a bench conference @Local12

George went out in woods as much as he could - and that led to fights with his mother when he would go out for 2 weeks with the Rhotens. Says he would hunt from 2 hours before sunup until 2 hours after sundown. Accused of leaving work for his brother to do @Local12

Says he stopped stealing etc. with his father in about 2014. He was hauling cattle at the time. "I was tired of looking over my shoulder" says other drivers were being hurt or losing jobs for being stolen from @Local12

George testifies his brother Jake and Hanna were like daylight and dark. Says Hanna missed out on her teenage years by getting with Jake, who he says is religious fanatic who got it from his mother @Local12

Says Angela once said he should sign over custody of his son to her because he was a bad influence on him. Says the family doesn't get along at all. @Local12

What do you know about the goosebox - George says me and my brother built it. Took 2-3 hours to build it as present for his grandfather's birthday as requested by father Billy. He hauled it out in his own truck.
@Local12

Describes how the family got the goose box (breeding house) into the lake - early Feb 2016 - which is months before the murders. Says it was anchored with two chunks of steel out of trailer at grandmothers. @Local12

Says he didn't know anything about the concrete buckets and didn't know the contents (they contained the cut up murder weapons. @Local12

Says he liked guns, got a different one weekly. Buy or trade. Getting into the gun list - which he called the gun wish list on the bugged conversations in the truck cab. @Local12

Says he didn't like the Cummins diesel tattoo he had - said the smoke looked like bubbles. Says father volunteered to pay for it being covered up. July 2016. Says artist very few things could cover it up - drew an 8 ball - says it was artist idea. He added skull and dice @Local12

Says artist called it a gambling themed tattoo - and why there was dice and cards. It was artist's idea George says. @Local12

Now getting into murders - asked about Billy's relationship with Chris Rhoden Sr. - close friends. Says dad was trying to help Chris growing marijuana @Local12

Says he was there for all of Chris Sr 4th of July parties and went hunting with Frankie in KY with Gary Rhoden. Says he considered Frankie one of his best friends even though they stopped hanging out as much after having kids @Local12

KEY STUFF: George denies being involved in the murders, planning for them, says he was asleep the night of murders. Says they moved to Alaska to get his niece away from things said about family on social media @Local12

Says he thought BCI was looking at family because Manleys were pointing at Jake because Jake had angered them at some point. Says hearing about murders "more heartbreaking more trauma than ever been through in my life" @Local12

Recalls being interrogated by BCI at Montana border. Says it was surprising because they said they would talk to them when they would get back. @Local12

He couldn't believe it when confronted with evidence including shell casing from his dad's gone. He was hyped up on caffeine as well including pills, Monster drinks etc. He had been driving 2-3 days when stopped in border. @Local12

Says BCI asked him to spy on his brother. Said he agreed. Then he asked his brother if he had anything to do with it once they got home. Jake denied having anything to do with it. @Local12

After 15 minute break, now talking about moving to Alaska. George says he bought a gun no problem once, but then after BCI and Ohio AG put out press release about Wagners he couldn't get a gun. Recalls meeting Beth Armer over dinner at his house. @Local12

George says he bought the Bucky Barnes Winter Soldier mask to wear when he rode motorcycles @Local12

George testifies the security system at the house was taken down and put over on his grandfather's (Angela's dad) house. Says Grandfather Carter would sell pills for a living illegally. He got robbed and Angela Wagner wanted to put the system there. @Local12

Says he gave money to his dad to go get a truck. The next day, he and Chris Rhoden Sr. showed up and Billy left with the different truck (the one supposedly used the night of murders). Says he never got in truck. Says he didn't see it again until fall 2016. @Local12

DId you have any idea truck was used? Not until brother's proffer. Says learned brother had pled guilty while he was in jail. Also still didn't believe Jake did it at the time only believed it after he heard proffer. @Local12

Once again George denies involvement. Says he never told mother about footprint at crime scene. Says never helped brother in any way. "I was heartbroken and betrayed" when he learned his brother and mother pleaded guilty @Local12

Says he doesn't believe that the Rhodens would have been capable of sexually abusing any of the kids including Jake's daughter. Also came home once when his father was naked when his wife was also there. @Local12

Says he never saw the shoes purchased at Walmart, never put them on. @Local12

Says he doesn't call Jake his brother anymore - ashamed his family has anything to do with this. Has same feeling about his mother.
@Local12

Now going through the gun list from Jake's phone ... saying he didn't own several under his name @Local12

Says he owned more SKS rifles than you can count. But he didn't own one at time of murders. The one found was his brother's - they had fought over it at some point and he let Jake have it. @Local12

Says the list is a wish list ... it's the way Jake kept track of what he wanted as well as what he had. Never seen half of what he had on that list. @Local12

George says he never knew about Jake building a supressor or silencer. A car alarm is going off in parking lot - turns out it's defense lawyer John Parker's car. @Local12

Done with testimony for the day. Jury going home. But two sides will continue entering and arguing prosecution evidence/exhibits here for a while this evenings. @Local12

The livestream will be back up in a few on @Local12 of the evidentiary hearing but we need to take it down for a bit.

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