George Wagner IV

George Wagner IV was born in 1991 and grew up in Pike County, Ohio, as the eldest son of George "Billy" Wagner III and Angela Wagner. He was raised alongside his younger brother, Edward "Jake" Wagner, in a close family that operated farms and other businesses in southern Ohio. Family members lived and worked together, maintaining close personal and financial relationships.

Before the murders, Wagner had no significant public criminal history. Prosecutors later argued that his loyalty to his family became central to his participation in the conspiracy to eliminate members of the Rhoden family during an escalating custody dispute involving his brother's daughter.

During the early morning hours of April 22, 2016, eight members of the Rhoden family were murdered at four separate residences in Pike County. The victims were Christopher Rhoden Sr., Dana Rhoden, Christopher Rhoden Jr., Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, Hanna May Rhoden, Gary Rhoden, Kenneth Rhoden and Hannah Hazel Gilley.

According to prosecutors, the Wagner family spent months planning the coordinated attacks. George Wagner IV participated alongside his parents and brother as the family travelled between multiple homes, killing victims while many were asleep. Several young children present inside the residences were intentionally left unharmed.

The state argued that the murders were intended to secure permanent custody of Jake Wagner's young daughter with Hanna Rhoden by eliminating members of the Rhoden family who were expected to challenge custody arrangements.

The murders were carefully planned and executed during a single overnight operation. Prosecutors established that firearms equipped with homemade suppressors were used to reduce noise while victims were shot, primarily in the head, inside their homes.

Investigators presented evidence that the Wagner family conducted surveillance of the victims, prepared weapons and silencers, disabled security systems and coordinated their movements between four separate crime scenes. Following the murders, members of the family attempted to conceal evidence, altered vehicles and later relocated to Alaska before eventually returning to Ohio.

The planning, execution and concealment efforts demonstrated a prolonged criminal conspiracy rather than spontaneous acts of violence.

The Pike County massacre prompted one of the largest homicide investigations in Ohio history. Investigators from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the FBI, Pike County Sheriff's Office and numerous other agencies spent more than two years examining forensic evidence, electronic records and witness statements.

In November 2018, George Wagner IV, George "Billy" Wagner III, Angela Wagner and Edward "Jake" Wagner were arrested and charged with the murders.

A major turning point occurred in 2021 when Jake Wagner pleaded guilty to eight murders and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. During George Wagner IV's trial, Jake testified in detail about the planning and execution of the murders, describing his brother's participation in the conspiracy.

George Wagner IV's trial began in August 2022 after the proceedings were moved from Pike County because of the extraordinary publicity surrounding the case. Prosecutors presented testimony from Jake Wagner, Angela Wagner, investigators, forensic experts and numerous civilian witnesses during one of Ohio's longest criminal trials.

The prosecution argued that Wagner actively participated in planning the murders and was present during the coordinated attacks. Jurors heard extensive evidence concerning the family's preparations, communications, firearms, vehicles, financial activity and efforts to destroy evidence after the killings. The defense maintained that Jake and Angela Wagner falsely implicated George to obtain favorable plea agreements and argued that the physical evidence did not establish his direct participation.

On December 1, 2022, the jury found George Wagner IV guilty of eight counts of aggravated murder, along with conspiracy, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, forgery, unlawful possession of dangerous ordnance and numerous additional felony offences.

Judge Randy Deering sentenced Wagner to eight consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, together with additional prison terms on the remaining convictions. His convictions remain subject to the normal appellate process.

The Pike County massacre remains one of the largest family homicide investigations in American history. Investigators executed more than one hundred search warrants, interviewed hundreds of witnesses and collected thousands of pieces of evidence over several years before filing charges against the Wagner family.

Unlike his younger brother Jake Wagner and mother Angela Wagner, George Wagner IV chose to stand trial rather than enter a plea agreement. Throughout the proceedings he maintained his innocence. Prosecutors relied heavily on testimony from cooperating family members together with extensive forensic, digital and circumstantial evidence linking the Wagner family to the conspiracy.

George Wagner IV was the first member of the Wagner family to stand trial. His conviction was later followed by the separate conviction of his father, George "Billy" Wagner III, while Jake Wagner and Angela Wagner had already pleaded guilty under negotiated agreements.

• Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation
• Ohio Attorney General's Office
• Pike County Sheriff's Office
• Ohio court records
• Associated Press
• CBS News
• NBC News
• Court TV
• WCPO 9 Cincinnati