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The most notorious mass murder in Ohio’s history happened on the night of April 21, 2016 in rural Pike County. Four crime scenes, thirty-two gunshot wounds, eight members of the Rhoden family left dead in their homes. Two years later a local family of four, the Wagners, are arrested and charged with the crimes. As the Wagners await four back-to-back capital murder trials, the KT Studios team revisits Pike County to examine: crime-scene forensics, upcoming legal proceedings, and the ties that bind the victims and the accused. As events unfold and new crimes are uncovered, what will it mean for all involved? What will it mean for Pike County?

The Piketon Massacre

On the night of April 21, 2016 in rural Piketon, Ohio - eight members of the Rhoden family were viciously murdered execution style in their homes. Two years later in 2018, their neighbors, the Wagners, were arrested and charged with committing the largest massacre in Ohio’s history. Shocked by the arrests, this once close-knit and religious community remains divided and unable to cope. Was a respected and reputable Piketon family responsible for this unimaginable murder spree? Our team will examine the deep ties that connected both families. We’ll examine the evidence and possible motives for the crimes. For the first time we’ll speak with townspeople, psychological experts, respected investigators, friends and members of both families. Are the Wagners responsible for the murders, and if convicted, will they be executed? Or is it possible that there is still a murderer at large waiting to kill again?

 
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Introducing: The Piketon Massacre

On the night of April 21, 2016 eight members of the Rhoden family were murdered in their homes. Episode one explores the crime that decimated an entire family and left residents of the small town of Piketon, OH reeling. We examine what lead up to the crime, look into the details of Ohio’s largest murder investigation, and the potential motives that drove the alleged killers. 

 
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daddy's Playing Zombie

In April 2016, after eight members of the Rhoden family were murdered in their homes, Ohio authorities launched the largest homicide investigation in the state’s history. For over two years, residents of the small town of Piketon lived in fear, as rumors circulated about who the killers could be. 

Then, on November 13th, 2018, six members of a local family were arrested in connection with the brutal massacre. In episode two, we meet the family accused of being responsible for this unthinkable crime and talk to those who knew them the best. We’ll also examine the ties that bound the two families together and the driving motive authorities claim might lie at the heart of the tragedy.

 
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Wagners in Custody

Four members of the Wagner family are in prison, awaiting death penalty trials for allegedly murdering of eight members of the Rhoden family. Two other family members have been arrested for supposedly conspiring to pull off the crime.

In episode three, we talk to friends of the Rhodens who shed light on the victims’ lives in the months leading up to the murders. We’ll also explore the relationship between Hanna Rhoden and Jake Wagner, the custody battle that unfolded between the two in the months before the Rhoden family was murdered, and the tragic legacy left in its wake.

 
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Hanna and Jake

On November 13th, 2018, six members of the Wagner family were arrested in connection with the Rhoden family massacre, in Piketon, Ohio. While authorities claim that a custody dispute between Jake Wagner and Hanna Rhoden was the central motive, there are others that think that perhaps law enforcement officials may have the wrong people in custody.

Episode four explores some of the alternative theories surrounding the “Piketon Massacre.” We look into the Rhoden family’s violent altercations with other Piketon locals, a melee that ensued after a demolition derby race, and their potential involvement in the Ohio drug trade. 

 
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Alternate Theories

In the aftermath of the arrest of six members of the Wagner family in connection with the Rhoden murders, many people across the country were shocked by the brutality of the massacre. But, for the Piketon, Ohio area, this grisly crime wasn’t exactly an anomaly.

In episode five, we take a dive into the dark history of the Piketon, Ohio community. We investigate a wave of murders that were eerily similar to the Rhoden case, a spate of unsolved violent crimes and take a look into the underhanded tactics of one prominent, law enforcement official entrusted to bring the killers of the Rhoden family to justice.

 
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Air & Opportunity

Ohio law enforcement officials spent over two years investigating the Rhoden murders. During that time, they received over 1,100 tips, conducted over 500 interviews and served nearly 200 search warrants. 

Episode six explores this exhaustive investigation, how authorities honed in on the Wagners, and how they think the family allegedly pulled off the gruesome massacre. We’ll also look at the Wagner’s moves in the two years following the Rhoden murders, including a shocking decision the family made at the height of the investigation.

 
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Investigation

With the Wagner family attempting to start a new life in Alaska, the investigation into the Rhoden murders in Piketon, Ohio moves forward.

Episode seven tracks authorities’ moves as they narrow in on their suspects. We'll also explore another surprising move made by the Wagner family and the discovery of a key piece of evidence that leads to their arrests.

 
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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4,000 Miles Away

With Fredericka Wagner and Rita Jo Newcomb spared jail time in connection with the Rhoden murders, we turn our focus to the four other family members awaiting their days in court.

In episode eight, we look at what life in prison is like for Billy, Angela, George and Jake Wagner, the four accused “trigger pullers” in the Rhoden murders. George has requested solitary confinement and Angela’s phone and mail privileges have been revoked. How does this affect their upcoming trials and overall quality of life? We’ll also examine both the prosecution and defenses’ arguments, the turns the case has taken since their imprisonment and how the outcome will shape the legacy of Ohio’s largest mass murder. 

 
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Truth Be Revealed

With the Wagner family awaiting their day in court, the residents of Piketon are left to wonder how the largest criminal investigation in Ohio’s history will end.

In episode nine, we explore unheard topics such as how the community reacted to the newfound attention and how our team began producing the podcast. We’ll also answer questions submitted by listeners that pertain to the case.

 
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Daddy's Playing Zombie

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