PIKE COUNTY, OH (Court TV) — Three members of the Wagner family are facing sentencing for their roles in the 2016 massacre that left eight members of the Rhoden family dead. The killings, all tied to a custody battle over a toddler, shocked the nation and forever changed this tight-knit Ohio community.
In one courtroom, Jake Wagner , the admitted gunman, will learn his fate alongside his mother, Angela Wagner , and grandmother, Rita Newcomb. Meanwhile, family patriarch George “Billy” Wagner III is set for a separate hearing to determine what evidence will be used against him when he stands trial.
Here’s What We Know About Friday’s Hearings
Jake Wagner, who admitted to shooting several of the Rhoden and Gilley families “execution-style,” agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors say Jake’s testimony during his brother’s trial in 2022 was key to convicting George Wagner IV , who’s now serving multiple life sentences for his role in the murders. Jake also testified that his father, Billy, killed at least two people and that his brother didn’t fire a single shot.