April 12, 2023 • 62 mins
As the trial draws to a close, George Wagner IV awaits the verdict that will determine his fate. The tight-knit community of Pike County braces itself for the inevitable fallout, as the outcome of the trial will undoubtedly have far-reaching consequences. Can the juror's decision help surviving Rhodens heal and eventually rise again?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
All the State of Ohio has to show is that
George was involved in the case at the beginning, and
I think the evidence, in my opinion, showed that he was.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
You know, one thing that Kinnepa did strongly was to
show a slideshow of each of the victims in the
prime of their life and then show him dead in bed.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
But made no mistake about it.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Those two children in that picture were never going to
be raised anything other than Blacker.
Speaker 5 (00:34):
That moment, you know, when you walk for the jury
and you talk to them and you try to remind
them what is at stake that these people have died.
We're talking about eight people that were slaughtered.
Speaker 6 (00:53):
This is the Pithon massacre. Returned to Pike County season four,
episode The Verdict is in. I'm Courtney Armstrong, a television
producer at Katie Studios. With Stephanie Leidacer and Jeff Shane,
we're at the closing arguments of George Wagner, the fourth's trial.
(01:14):
It's important to note that George Wagner has pleaded not
guilty and has maintained he did not kill anyone. His father,
Billy Wagner, whose trial is upcoming, has also pleaded not
guilty to all charges. We're n piked in for the
final days of trial. We've heard testimony from Jake, Angela
and George Wagner. But before we can hear closing arguments,
(01:35):
Judge Deering has some news for the jury.
Speaker 7 (01:38):
The jury lard the death penalty against George Wagner. The
fourth has been taken off the table. That is the
plea deal the prosecution struck with George's brother Jake and
his mother Angela in exchange for their testimony.
Speaker 6 (01:50):
After the announcement, the judge addresses the court, Good morning
the jury.
Speaker 8 (01:55):
We have reached the point of which council for each
side will begining arguments.
Speaker 6 (02:01):
Prosecutor Angiekineppa begins their closing arguments.
Speaker 9 (02:04):
I just want to first of all, start by thinking
each and every one of you. You guys have probably
served at least as far as I know, in the
longest of any criminal jury, and each of you have
paid strict attention. We are here because eight innocent victims
were slaughtered, most of them in their sleep, all of
them unarmed. These murders should never have happened.
Speaker 6 (02:29):
Forensic expert Joseph Scott Morgan speaks to the significance of
these closing arguments.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
I think they do matter. I think that it's like
going to a beautiful concert where there's going to be
this grand crescendo, that thing.
Speaker 10 (02:41):
That moves people.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
You better bring it, and it needs to be that
thing that is going to resonate with those people. And
it's taken all this time, thousands of miles can you
imagine that have been traveled all over the place, all
the way up to Alaska and back through Canada. All
of that culminates in this moment. That moment, you know,
when you walk forward the jury and you talk to
(03:04):
them and you try to remind them what is at
stake that these people have died. We're talking about eight
people that were slaughtered.
Speaker 6 (03:16):
Prosecutor Kneppa shows photos of the victims on the large
screen in the courtroom. She starts with Frankie Rodin and
reminds the jury about who he was. She then speaks
about Hannah Hazel Gilly.
Speaker 9 (03:29):
Hannah Hazel Gilly very proud of her son, her six
month old son. She was all of twenty years old
as well at the very beginning of her life and
especially her life as a mother. Her crime. You heard
testimony that her crime was solely being there, nothing else.
(03:49):
If she had not been there, she would still be
alive today.
Speaker 6 (03:54):
The defense objects. Prosecutor stopped showing images on the large screen,
but she continues speaking about the victims.
Speaker 9 (04:01):
Chris, There's a lot to say about him. He was
obviously a family man, provided for his family. But the
reason that he was killed is because he was the
patriarch of this family and they knew that he would
again figure out who did it and potentially seek vengeance.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
Here's James Pilcher, longtime investigative reporter in Cincinnati, now at
Local twelves.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
You know one thing that Canepa did strongly. What she
tried to do at the beginning was to show a
slide show of each of the victims, you know, in
the prime of their life, show pictures and then show
him dead in bed. Well, that led to objections and
then she basically threw that out the window, so she
abandoned the slide show, but she still went on to
(04:47):
go through here's this victim, here's this victim. I'll aid them,
bringing it back to them and bringing it back to
the fact that they were asleep.
Speaker 6 (04:56):
Prosecutor Canepa touches on all of the evidence presented in trial,
laying out the timeline from the beginning and hitting on
each piece of evidence tying George Wagner and his immediate
family to the murder of the Rodent, Manly and Gilly families.
Speaker 11 (05:11):
Special Prosecutor Angie Gineppa said there was plenty of direct
and circumstantial evidence that tied George Wagner the four to
the homicide. One example the false statements Wagners gave to
investigators that everything was fine between Jake and Hannah rod
In when she was killed, but custody over their daughters
was at a boiling point.
Speaker 9 (05:30):
Then we see the Facebook message from Hannah May saying
that she won't sign papers, that they'll have to kill
her first, and we know that in four short months later,
she and seven members of her family are dead. We
know that in January of twenty sixteen, they had made
the decision that they were going to kill them, and
you start seeing the purchases corresponding to that timeline. It's
(05:54):
hard to imagine that eight people would lose their lives
over such a flimz motive, but it's true.
Speaker 6 (06:03):
Prosecutor Caneppa reminds the jury of the evidence presented throughout
the case, the shoe prints matching George Wagner's at the
crime scene, as well as the bullet casings matching the
weapons used in the murder.
Speaker 12 (06:14):
We know that.
Speaker 9 (06:16):
George went into that room, and we know that he
stepped into blood, and we see it on our diagrams
exactly where that was.
Speaker 6 (06:27):
Prosecutor Canneppa reminds the jurors of George Wagner's testimony where
he claimed he hadn't known that his brother Jake and
father Billy were going to murder members of the Rodin,
Manly and Gilly families.
Speaker 9 (06:39):
Did you know your family was going to kill these people?
Speaker 12 (06:42):
No happen.
Speaker 6 (06:47):
The prosecution then ties George to the crimes through Jake
Wagner and Angela Wagner's testimony.
Speaker 9 (06:53):
George says to Jake, the family has spoken. There is
nothing that happens in that household that is not a
group decision. Jake and Angela have told you everything that
this defendant did that night. I'm not here to say
that Jake Wagner is a hero by any stretch of
(07:14):
the imagination. He is a despicable, vile human being. But
the difference between him and his brother is that he at.
Speaker 6 (07:24):
Least came full Kinnepa acknowledges that when George took the stand,
he disputed what his brother and mother testified about him.
Speaker 9 (07:33):
You've heard Jake and your mother both say that that
was the motive, and my.
Speaker 13 (07:39):
Mom and brother are lying to you.
Speaker 6 (07:40):
They have been like everybody else.
Speaker 9 (07:42):
Angela Wagner, this is her son. Ask yourself what motive
would she have to say that George was involved? If
George wasn't involved, why would you when we got to
your son, you would say, Jake, Billy.
Speaker 12 (08:02):
And I did it.
Speaker 14 (08:05):
Despite all the evidence presented by prosecutors, it could come
down to who the jury believes, Jake and Angela or
defendant George.
Speaker 6 (08:13):
Prosecutor Kinneppa addresses Jake and Angela Wagner's testimony head on.
Speaker 9 (08:18):
So let's talk about Jake and Angela's testimony. Jake Wagner
gave us a lot of information. His testimony was corroborated
by physical evidence. He led us to the murder weapons.
So again, what Jake had to tell us was corroborated
with physical evidence that we didn't know about. It was
(08:42):
also corroborating with physical evidence we did know about. Then
we talked to Angela Wagner, and she corroborates what Jake
Wagner told us. They basically corroborate each other. And the
magical and mystical thing about that is, as you heard,
she was not provided with her son's statement. She had
(09:04):
no idea what he said to us when he sat down.
Speaker 6 (09:07):
With us again, James Pilcher.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
One of the points she made very clearly was Jake
and Angela had no chance to corroborate none. They couldn't
see each other's statements. They're in separate jails. They couldn't talk,
they couldn't watch each other's testimony. Nothing. How come their
stories line up so well versus what George had to say,
and they're both saying the same thing or close enough
to the same thing, whereas George is saying something completely different.
(09:34):
Who are you going to believe? And then on top
of that, she makes a point it's one thing for
a brother to testify against a brother, but it's another
thing for a mother to testify against her funt, even
as she says she loves it. That came across as
very compelling.
Speaker 6 (09:47):
Prosecutor Karnepa argues that Jake and Angela Wagner's testimony matches,
especially on one key point.
Speaker 9 (09:55):
Both Jake and Angela tell you they are guilty. Jake
is guilty, Angela is guilty. They don't deny that, they
don't lie about that. The reason their stories match is
because they both finally decided to tell the truth.
Speaker 6 (10:13):
Here's attorney and legal analyst Mike Allen.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
I think the credibility goes with Angela because George any
number of times just said I don't recall, I don't remember.
I didn't count him up, but there are a lot
of times that he said that, and I don't recall
hearing that in Angela or Jake's testimony for that matter.
It was just pretty straightforward. So I think if you
(10:38):
didn't have the physical evidence and it's George against those two,
I think they win and George doesn't because a lot
of things he didn't remember, and he contradicted himself on
a number of occasions.
Speaker 6 (10:49):
Well, George Wagner appeared calm during his testimony on the stand.
Prosecutor Kanepa reminds the jury of the wires app recording
of George.
Speaker 9 (11:01):
Yeah, I would strongly invite you to listen to that
recording again and ask yourselves if that is the voice,
or the demeanor, or the attitude or the approach of
somebody who would ever sit one out again.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
James Pilcher, I will say Kneppa did kind of bring
it home early on when she said you saw George
up on the stand, but then you also heard George
on these recordings. Well, the real George Wagner, please stand up.
Those are my words, not hers. But basically she's saying,
the real George Wagner is not the one that was
all to help on the stand. He was coached, he
(11:37):
was whatever he was. The real George Wagner is the
one you hear in those recordings who's a for all
intents and purposes as a madman.
Speaker 9 (11:43):
He indicated to you that a few days before the
homicides that Billy told George that he wanted George to
shoot Chris in the head. He went up there to
Union Hill Road on April twenty first, twenty sixteen, knowing
for well what was going to happen.
Speaker 6 (12:02):
Well, George may not have pulled the trigger during the murders.
The prosecution contends that doesn't matter to prove conspiracy to murder.
Speaker 9 (12:10):
He doesn't have to be the person that actually pulled
the trigger. Right. You heard that Jake Wagner pled to
eight counts of aggravated murder because he pulled the trigger
as to five according to him, but he was complicit
in remaining three. You heard Angela Wagner say that she
also was guilty of eight counts of aggravated murder because
(12:32):
she was complicit in it because she knew what they
were going to do. She ate it and embedded them.
You were complicit because you knew what was going to happen.
You knew what they were going to go do, and
you aided and abedded them.
Speaker 6 (12:47):
Here's Jeff speaking with.
Speaker 14 (12:48):
Mike gallon something she really hammered home.
Speaker 15 (12:51):
Which I think is important to remind the listeners is
that George could still be found guilty of murder even
if he didn't pull the trigger under Ohio law, like,
as long as he's involved in the planning and the
cover up, that's enough to find him guilty.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
All the State of Ohio has to show is that
George was involved in the case at the beginning, and
I think the evidence, in my opinion, showed that he
was in the beginning and then he was part of
the execution of the crime. And I think that's clear
that he was a part of it and a part
(13:26):
of the cover up, and that gets you into the
complicity part of it.
Speaker 13 (13:30):
And that's all you need for a murder conviction. I mean,
you don't have to.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Show and they couldn't show, and they didn't show that
George pulled the trigger because he didn't, but he was
in it up to his neck, and I think that
was clear at the end of all the testimony and evidence,
and Miss Kinneppitt really kind of just hit on all
of those points in her closing.
Speaker 6 (13:53):
The prosecution also spoke to the plea deal given to
Jake in exchange for his testimony.
Speaker 9 (13:58):
Mister Parker has called this the deal of the century
for Jake Wagner, the deal of the century. But let's
just talk a little bit about that. First of all,
he played guilty to every count of the indictment except
for the death telling specifications, which we dismissed in exchange
for him telling us what happened. Not just telling us
(14:19):
what happened. But you heard from Special Agent Shier that
the victim's family was consulted in this and as you
might imagine if this was somebody that you loved, you
would want to know what happened more than any think
(14:39):
some of them got the peace of mind they were
looking for because their loved one was sleeping. Some of
them did not, but they wanted to know, and they
wanted us to do the deal.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Again, Mike Allan, Obviously from their conduct in the court room,
there's close relationships between the prosecutor and the Rodent family.
I don't think they have any problem at all with
the deals that were made in this case. But in
any homicide case, you have to get buy in from
(15:14):
the victim's family, and I think that's what.
Speaker 13 (15:17):
She did here.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
I see a lot of cooperation and a lot of
admiration too, So I don't have any doubt that Angie
Kneppa consulted, probably at length with the Rodent family before
they cut the deal with Jake and Angela.
Speaker 6 (15:38):
After nearly five hours, Prosecutor Kanepa finishes her closing argument.
Speaker 9 (15:43):
I know this was very, very long. I just wanted
to kind of try my best to kind of lay
a foundation of the evidence that we believe supports a
conviction of George Wagner. The fourth of each and every
count in this indictment, whether he is a principal offender
or whether he is exquisite in it. He knew what
was going to happen. He participated in what happened. Jake
(16:08):
and Angela have told you everything that this defendant did
that night and his participation in the aggravator murders and
all the other crimes listed in the indictment. Respectfully, class
that weturn verdicts of guilty as to each count into
each specification. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (16:29):
The day of the trial ends with prosecutor Canepa's closing argument.
Here's Mike Allen, followed by investigative reporter an Jeannette Levy
of the Law and Crime Network.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
The defense has to make the points that they want
to make, and they also have to counter what the
prosecutor says in closing argument.
Speaker 16 (16:47):
I think that Jake and Angela's testimony, coupled with the
wiretops that do not bode well for George. He still
sounds like he's in the thick of this and he
knows exactly what's going on. You would think.
Speaker 17 (17:01):
That that would just be very difficult for the defense
to overcome, for them to come into court and feel
confident that they were going to somehow poken up holes
in Jake and Angela's testimony to make George not guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt.
Speaker 6 (17:20):
We're going to take a break. We'll be back in
a moment. The next day, the defense delivers their closing remarks.
John Parker opens with a joke about how he's not
going to go as long as the state did. In
his closing remarks, Parker then goes after the state's key witnesses,
(17:43):
Jake and Angela Wagner.
Speaker 18 (17:44):
Angela and Jake, he's a mama's boy.
Speaker 19 (17:48):
You heard testimony about that.
Speaker 18 (17:50):
They're liars, they're connors, they're thieves.
Speaker 6 (17:56):
Defense attorney Parker brings up Jake's character there laughing.
Speaker 20 (18:01):
And smiling and smirking as he's talking about these murders.
Speaker 9 (18:05):
He's cold bloater.
Speaker 21 (18:07):
I think he's psychotic.
Speaker 13 (18:09):
He didn't see that care in the world.
Speaker 18 (18:11):
It's like sitting around talking about a football game on
Monday morning.
Speaker 20 (18:14):
Is the way he's.
Speaker 21 (18:15):
Talking about killing these people. It's disgusting.
Speaker 13 (18:19):
He's a sick man.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
You can't believe what that guy says.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
The defense hits again on an argument that they've used
repeatedly throughout the trial that the evidence tying George Wagner
to the murderers is at best circumstantial.
Speaker 18 (18:32):
There's no proof here beyond your reasonable doubt, that George
was even up there, and we could offer him nothing
for his testimony. He was vigorously cross examined. You saw
his demeanor. Compare that to Jinks and his mother. He's
no testimony. George is the shooter. There's no reliable testimony that.
Speaker 21 (18:51):
He was even there.
Speaker 18 (18:52):
This has to be proven beyond the reasonable that there's
all kinds of reasons to doubt.
Speaker 6 (18:59):
Parker then to dismantle the state's argument that the Wagoners
are a walking criminal conspiracy.
Speaker 18 (19:05):
The state in this case that you have seen with
respect to George, paints with.
Speaker 9 (19:11):
A very very broadbrush. All right, how many times have.
Speaker 22 (19:16):
We heard they them?
Speaker 19 (19:19):
You guys, the Wagners?
Speaker 21 (19:21):
All right?
Speaker 9 (19:22):
George is one's about trial here, all right.
Speaker 18 (19:26):
We are not here to defend Billy, we are not
here to defend Angela.
Speaker 23 (19:30):
We're certainly not here to defend James, all right.
Speaker 13 (19:33):
And basically, I.
Speaker 22 (19:34):
Mean there were days and days that went by when
you didn't hear Georgie's name, and that's significant.
Speaker 6 (19:43):
Parker has the jury to return a verdict of not
guilty on all charges.
Speaker 22 (19:48):
You folks stand between the power of the government and
the man with George Waite, so you've seen the power
of the government, and in this particular case, they've over
when it comes to Georgia.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
Mike Allen offers his thoughts to how the defense did
on closing arguments.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Well, I think he did as well as he could.
And his closing argument did not take five hours, But
he did as well as he could with what he had,
which wasn't a heck of a lot.
Speaker 13 (20:20):
He just didn't, you know.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
He called the state's witnesses liars, con artist mainly Jake
and Angela really hit Jake card and really, I mean,
that's pretty much all he had. When you're a defense counsel,
you get the case that you get and you're not
going to be able to change things factually. So the
short answer is, I think they did as well as
(20:44):
they could.
Speaker 6 (20:46):
After the defense rests, Andrew Wilson delivers the prosecution's rebuttal.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
The concept of complicity works in Ohio is that two or.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
More people set out to achieve a criminal.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Purpose a criminal goal, when one doing one part and
others doing the other part.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
Then each one of them is individually guilty as if
they were the principal offender Festimal.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
That's how it works.
Speaker 4 (21:17):
There's been no direct testimony that he actually pulled the
trigger and any.
Speaker 21 (21:23):
One of those murders. But you better believe he's up
to his eyeballs as they plot, as they prepare, as
they execute, and as they cover up those murders.
Speaker 19 (21:35):
He's in it up to his islands.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
The prosecution has a huge advantage, and boy, I tell you,
I think they utilized it in this case.
Speaker 13 (21:46):
To where they get the final word.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
They get to address the jury after the defense does
their closing argument. It's done because the state has the
burden of proof.
Speaker 13 (21:57):
That's why they get the last fight at the apple.
Having been a defense counsel and having been.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
A prosecutor, that I can tell you that's a huge
advantage for the state prosecutor.
Speaker 6 (22:10):
Wilson addresses Shake and Angela Wagner's testimony they matched.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
The only way that happens without her knowing what he
said is if they're telling the truth about.
Speaker 9 (22:26):
What they observed, what they knew.
Speaker 6 (22:28):
Wilson goes on to address Jake and his testimony.
Speaker 21 (22:31):
He's not our star witness.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
He's a terrible, terrible human being. He's equal, and he's
going to spend the rest of his miserable existence locked
in a cage. He's going to spend the rest of
his life separated from what.
Speaker 21 (22:47):
Means most of him, his family.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
He will never be free again. And as incredibly distasteful
as it was, the state entered into an agreement with
Jake for one night.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
We needed one thing of guns. That's what we need
from him.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Him leading us to those guns was incredibly important.
Speaker 6 (23:17):
Wilson also reveals while the prosecution didn't play the tape
of George Wagner's interview at the Canadian border again James Pilcher, and.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
That was because they didn't want that tape to serve
as his own testimony and his own denial. If he
was going to deny it, he was going to have
to deny it from the stand, and they didn't want
to give him the opportunity to tailor his testimony to
what he said at that point, which was key too,
because he did have a major inconsistency between what he
said at the border versus what he said on the stand.
(23:49):
At the border, he said he went to bed about
some time after midnight after watching the Ferry movie whatever.
But then on the stand, he said he went to
bed before ten with the Hits, and yeah, he should
have heard them leave, but he didn't. He usually stays
up an hour after he goes to bed, and somehow
I didn't hear Jake and Billy Leaves didn't even know
(24:10):
they had gone. So that was a major inconsistency. And
Wilson brought that home in his clothing.
Speaker 6 (24:18):
Andrew Wilson then shows a photo of the Wagner family
with all the kids.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
Why don't you look at this picture, man, This picture
speaks volumes. It speaks volumes. They don't want you to
believe that this case is about custom, that these murders
had anything to do about custom.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
But maybe no mistake about it.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
Those two children in that picture were never going to
be raised anything other than why men.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
They wanted control of those kids, and that's what this
was all about. It started with George's son with Tabitha
and getting control over that little boy. And it was
the same thing about Jake's daughter with Hannah. But Hannah
had a support system, Hannah had a family, and they
were going to fight back.
Speaker 6 (25:10):
Wilson closes out the prosecution's rebuttal with one final thought.
Speaker 9 (25:14):
He is guilty. He's guilty.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
And when you make that fine, when you look at
all that evidence, he's guilty. At that point, byball, you're
required to find him guilty. And that's what he'll do,
because that's.
Speaker 23 (25:34):
What he is.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Andy Wilson's rebuttal closing, I mean, everybody who watched it
was like, I think that just sealed the deal. He
answered every outstanding question defense had raised to a t.
He was enthusiastic, he was forceful.
Speaker 6 (26:01):
Forensic expert Joseph Scott Morgan agrees.
Speaker 5 (26:04):
When that bailiff causes that jury to rise, and you
better leave an impression on when they go back there,
and that big crescendo is what you want. It's one
of the oldest cliches that prosecutors used. And they'll say
things like, do not let their desks be in vain.
Hold these people accountable for what they have done, snuffing
(26:27):
out these lives in the most horrific way possible, These
people who have scarred our county forever and ever and
ever for generations to come. Hold them accountable. And they
might even throw in God they'll say, you know, someday
they'll be judged by God, but right now is your
time to judge them upon.
Speaker 21 (26:47):
What they have done.
Speaker 6 (26:51):
Before the day ends, Judge Dearing gives instructions to the jury.
The next morning, at eight thirty am, the jury begins deliberations.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
After a two and a half year investigation, after a
three and a half month trial, the longest criminal trial
in the history of Ohio, the most expensive trial in
the history of Ohio, it is now in the hands
of nine women and three men, the twelve jurors.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Generally speaking, if they're out for a short period of time,
if they're not out long, that's good for the state,
the prosecution. If the longer they go, it's better for
the defense because you know they're thinking about it. Then
the other thing too, The longer they go, the better
chance that they will have a hung jury, which is
a victory for the defense attorney.
Speaker 6 (27:39):
With the fate of George Wagner in the jury's hands,
all the defense and prosecution can do is wait.
Speaker 15 (27:45):
What are those hours like? It must be so tense.
Speaker 13 (27:47):
Let me tell you something.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
They are the slowest hours in a trial lawyer's life,
from when a jury begins to deliberate until when they
come up with a verdict.
Speaker 13 (27:59):
You stay around your office and then just kind.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
Of like dwell on it and it's just hard to
concentrate on anything else. It's kind of brutal. But on
the other hand, it's exciting too, because you know, then
you get back in the courtroom and the jury walks
in and you know you're looking at whether they look
in the eye, and you know then they'll give their verdicts.
So it's tough, but it's also exciting. I guess it's
(28:22):
the best way to put it.
Speaker 6 (28:24):
Two and a half hours into deliberation, the jury asked
to see Judge Jeering.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
There were some rumblings when that note came out with
the question. There was a couple of people who thought
it might have been a verdict and we're like, no,
it wasn't the case. So some false information got put
out there. Initially ended at about eleven they sent down a
question and apparently went on the record and they'd asked
the transcript of Jake's testimony, or at least just a
part of it, and Judge Deering said, no, you have
(28:51):
to get all of it, and I'm going to want
you to read all of it, because it's not fair
to exact certain excerpts, especially if you're just going to
look at one part from the direct examination and not
look at what the cross examination was. That wouldn't be fair,
takes it out of context. And he said, to be
to be honest, it's not fair, and if you're going
(29:13):
to do this, really I should make you read the
transcripts of all of the witnesses. But even if it's
just shake, it's seven hundred and fifty seven hundred and
sixty pages.
Speaker 6 (29:26):
The jury goes back to deliberating.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
Then about four o'clock on Wednesday, we were notified that
they had a verdict, and we're like, wow, that was
very very quick. So that's like seven hours, you know,
less than seven hours of deliberation if you count their breaks,
and probably took them at least thirty minutes to an
hour to sign all the forms because there's twenty two
forms that all twelve had to sign for all twenty
two charges.
Speaker 16 (29:49):
The bailiff came upstairs and he went back into the
judges chambers, and then he came out and he looked
over at a couple of us sitting in the gallery
and said be ready in twenty five minutes. I said,
what a verdict in twenty five minutes? And he said,
there's a verdict in twenty five minutes, and I just
(30:09):
tweeted it out immediately.
Speaker 6 (30:12):
The jury enters the courtroom, a.
Speaker 16 (30:13):
Lot of people will say, Oh, if the jurors come
in and they don't look at the defendant, that means
it's a guilty verdict, And if they come in and
they look at the defendant, it's a not guilty verdict.
Speaker 6 (30:24):
The clerk hands the verdict forms to Judge Daring. He
reads the jury's verdict.
Speaker 8 (30:29):
Verdict does to count one. It says, we the jury
find beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, George Washington
Wager the fourth is guilty of aggravated murder has charged
in count one of the indictment. Ladies and gentlemen of
the jury, is that your verdict yet.
Speaker 6 (30:47):
Again?
Speaker 24 (30:48):
Antonette Leeby, when the first guilty verdict was read, you
heard kind of a noise, a gasp, but almost like
a cry of sorts, and that came from the road
and family, and.
Speaker 16 (30:59):
I feel like that was some type of big, you know,
a sense of relief on their part. There were a
lot of tears. I think these were tiers of relief.
It's like an emotional release. You know, you're sitting there,
waiting and waiting. You've been sitting there for all of
these weeks, looking at horrible things, hearing horrible things, seeing
horrible things, and I think they knew collectively when that
(31:24):
first guilty verdict was read, they were all going to
be guilty.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
Judge Daring continues reading the verdict. George Wagner has found
guilty on all eight murder charges. He has also found
guilty of aggravated burglary, conspiracy, gun charges, and tampering with
evidence for a total of twenty two charges. George Wagner's
reaction to the verdict was similar to his demeanor throughout
the trial.
Speaker 15 (31:54):
George Wagner showed no emotion.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
No, this is lawyer John Parker. Could He shook his hair,
kind of nodded and you know, seemed a little upset,
but no, George showed absolutely no emotion. He just kept
his eyes down.
Speaker 16 (32:10):
I think George Wagner, when they brought him in and
just looking at his face.
Speaker 24 (32:13):
He knew, he knew that he was going to be.
Speaker 16 (32:16):
Convicted, and I felt like I just saw his eyes
kind of blink, just, you know, briefly and kind of quickly.
Speaker 24 (32:25):
Once the first guilty verdict was.
Speaker 6 (32:26):
Read, Judge Daring said George Wagner, sentencing for December nineteenth.
After the verdict, the Rodent family gives a press conference
speaking on their behalf as Tony Roden Chris Roden, Senior's brother.
Speaker 25 (32:41):
I would like to thank the citizens of the state
of Ohio for barreness, burden that should have never happened
to this family in southern a little bit of peace.
Speaker 19 (32:54):
We still have a long route to go.
Speaker 25 (32:57):
We'll get there because we are family the party.
Speaker 19 (33:03):
We're gonna go.
Speaker 6 (33:03):
Home a little easier tonight.
Speaker 26 (33:10):
We're gon.
Speaker 13 (33:13):
We don't take for granted anymore. We love but once
we got and never let go.
Speaker 6 (33:18):
If you never A reporter asked the Rodent family their
thoughts on George Wagner. Here's Tony Roden's response.
Speaker 19 (33:26):
I feel sorry for him.
Speaker 13 (33:29):
Why is that?
Speaker 9 (33:29):
Why?
Speaker 22 (33:30):
Why?
Speaker 19 (33:30):
Because he is human?
Speaker 13 (33:33):
How do you find the humanity time like this when
he did so much to your family?
Speaker 19 (33:37):
I think we all have human in us. There's just
a difference in us.
Speaker 6 (33:41):
The prosecution also gives a statement to the press and
the Rodent, Wagner and Gilly families. Here's Andrew Kneppa, followed
by Rob Junk from the State.
Speaker 9 (33:50):
You guys have trusted us with your lives and the
lives of your loved ones, and I know today's verdict
does not bring your loved ones back. I know that,
but I do hope that it gives you some some
lens of peace that yet another one of the evil
monsters that did this to your family have been held accountable.
Speaker 20 (34:12):
Justice was done, and again they heard the voices of
our eight victims today. The jury listened. They understood we
could never ever ever bring them back. But I can
tell you that good Lord Willing George Wagner the fourth
will never be in a position to hurt anyone ever ever.
Speaker 13 (34:36):
Again.
Speaker 6 (34:37):
Journalists and legal experts who have been following the case
for years weighing on the verdict.
Speaker 16 (34:45):
Antinette Levy, I wasn't completely surprised when they came back
with guilty verdicts because it was so fast the way
that I read the indictment. If you're guilty of one murder,
you've got to be guilty of all of them. You
know that it's a conspiracy case, and all of these
homicides happened on the same night. So if the theory
is that all three of the guys were there, Billy, Jake,
(35:08):
and George, and these homicides were committed and carried out
that night. Under the law, if he's complicit with the
complicity instruction that was given to the jury, then he's
guilty of everything unless there's a compromise.
Speaker 6 (35:22):
After the guilty verdict, George Wagner is taken back to
jail where he will wait until he is sentenced. Let's
stop here for another break. December nineteenth is the day
(35:42):
George Wagner is to be sentenced for the murders of
the Rodent, Manly and Gilly family members.
Speaker 14 (35:48):
Even if Judge Randy Dearing does stack a minimum possible
sentence of thirty years. Concurrently, Wagner still faces significant time
for sixteen other charges.
Speaker 10 (36:00):
With the sentencing arse state rots yes, don't sure, yes.
Speaker 6 (36:07):
Prosecutor Angie Kinnepa begins her sentencing remarks.
Speaker 9 (36:10):
It has been said far and often that this is
one of the most serious aggregated murders of the.
Speaker 23 (36:14):
State of Ohio.
Speaker 9 (36:15):
Not that any murder, of course, comes without pain and
horror for those killed and those left to hide. But
the killing of eight people in such a premitedicated fashion
for literally no reason, and all in one night, I
would suggest, does make this one of the most serious
aggregating murder cases Ohio has seen today. I urge the
court to focus specifically and mainly on that impact to
(36:36):
the families when fashioning sentence in this case. And this
is the unjustified, unprovoked, horrible senses killing them eight innocent people.
We urge the court from post eight consecutive life without
choral sentences regarding the murder of each of these lives
and Jimpoe's maximum and consecutive sentences to each of the
remaining accounts as well. The defendant in the sentencing memory
(36:58):
and then begs for merci. He shared no mercy for
the victims who just wanted to live. They have no
one to beg for their lives for Demand's d process.
He is a judged jury and executioner in their lives.
He deserves no mercy.
Speaker 14 (37:14):
In pre sentenced motions, Wagner's lawyers asked for a sentence
which would give him the possibility of a parole. The
prosecution asked for the maximum possible life without parole, and
for the eight murder counts to be served consecutively with.
Speaker 6 (37:28):
Pre sentencing motions over Prosecutor Krenepa tells the court that
members of the Rodent, Manly, and Gilly families are going
to deliver their victim impact statements.
Speaker 14 (37:37):
James Pilcher, a jury of nine women and three men
took less than eight hours to find George Wagner the
Fourth guilty on all twenty two charges for his role
in the twenty sixteen Pike County massacre. Now Wagner must
not only face his punishment, but the survivors from the Rodent,
Gilly and Manly families. They get their first opportunity to
address a Wagner directly about the crimes.
Speaker 6 (38:00):
Ten family members give statements in person or through victims advocates.
Here's Andrea's Shoemaker, mother of Hannah Hazel Gilly.
Speaker 23 (38:08):
George Bidener the fourth, one of you introduced myself. You see,
you said you're enough that.
Speaker 27 (38:15):
You never met my father, Hannah Hazel Gilly. I'm a mom,
Andre a shoemaker.
Speaker 23 (38:24):
I stand here today to be her voice, since you.
Speaker 26 (38:29):
George Wadener the Fourth and your evil family took her.
Speaker 28 (38:35):
Frankie rod I shoon to be son in law, the
young man that gave me.
Speaker 23 (38:42):
My first grandson.
Speaker 28 (38:44):
I love you have for my beautiful baby girl, Hanna
Hazel was what was your two sons a heart as
for you son.
Speaker 23 (38:51):
My gan grandson was made an orphan in one night.
Speaker 12 (38:58):
I see the.
Speaker 29 (38:58):
Pain of he mars for a dad sad and it
is something he won't.
Speaker 28 (39:12):
Do for the work of his life, his one his
daddy and Hannah Hazel Billy, my best girl.
Speaker 21 (39:21):
Only the age of twy.
Speaker 12 (39:25):
Got me mad.
Speaker 23 (39:27):
Who fell in with the love.
Speaker 28 (39:28):
With a young man, Drankie Braiden, the love of Hannah
Hazel Billy's life. Annah Hazel was the first of my
children to give me the blessing of becoming a man all.
Speaker 12 (39:41):
Hannah Hannah Hazel Billy was.
Speaker 23 (39:45):
Her first time mom to her beautiful son, and what
a mommy she was. She loved her son with her
whole heart and for her.
Speaker 27 (39:56):
Generally had six months six months of his life. That
is the one thing she wanted to see in her
whole young life is to watch him grow up.
Speaker 23 (40:11):
My baby girl. I miss you beyond words.
Speaker 12 (40:17):
Another life take him way too soon, but will never
be forgotten.
Speaker 27 (40:24):
Haname was such an innocent young lady, a great mother
to two beautiful girls.
Speaker 23 (40:29):
I watch your baby girl more.
Speaker 12 (40:33):
More to know who her mommy was.
Speaker 23 (40:37):
I answer questions that should have never had to be
asked in the first place.
Speaker 6 (40:43):
My heart is for ever broken that she and.
Speaker 23 (40:47):
Her sister will never knew the mommy.
Speaker 26 (40:52):
The list of victims gets longer.
Speaker 23 (40:54):
The eight lives are just the ones no longer on
this earth.
Speaker 12 (40:58):
We are we have. It's a new family.
Speaker 28 (41:00):
The Gilly Manlies and the Romans have all suffered. We
are all suffering, hurting, always heartbroken, forever without our children,
all because the devils, like the dark Devil's hunt at night,
just like you, George Wagner the Fourth and your evil
family did on Friday April the twenty first and twenty.
Speaker 23 (41:23):
Seconds of twenty and sixteen.
Speaker 27 (41:27):
All I want is my baby girl, Hannah Hazel, and
that I will never have. I only agree to the
state because I want all these older families to get
justice on earth while they're still here, because of the
fact that Gary's dad, Dana's dad, and my dad didn't get.
Speaker 23 (41:51):
Their justice while on this earth.
Speaker 27 (41:52):
And I pray to God that your son learns.
Speaker 23 (41:56):
What kind of a monster you really are.
Speaker 12 (41:59):
And he never wants anything to do with you.
Speaker 23 (42:01):
And I pray Judge dry they used.
Speaker 28 (42:04):
To get turned out at the Doorge partner, the force
really is and my kids up.
Speaker 23 (42:09):
But with my life of prisons.
Speaker 6 (42:11):
Here's Kenja Rodin, daughter of Kenny Rodin.
Speaker 26 (42:14):
As I seen here today, I know I should fills
the piece. I should have peace because you have been
found building on all twenty counts. I should go relief
that justice is being served, but there is no real
justice and piece is not a feeling I have. Hannahme
was my peace, and because of you and your family,
she is gone eight life sneaking in so many more.
(42:35):
Traumatized by the horrendous acts committed by.
Speaker 23 (42:37):
The lack of family.
Speaker 26 (42:39):
For months, I was riddled with questions of whom and why.
I tried to find souls, in the belief that most
of my family members i'd instantly them being shot in
the head.
Speaker 23 (42:49):
Unfortunately that was not true.
Speaker 26 (42:52):
When SIGNED found my father's like this body the corner seated.
Speaker 12 (42:55):
My father died within minutes.
Speaker 23 (42:56):
I'm being shot.
Speaker 30 (42:59):
Minutes, not seconds. So now I'm like wondering for how
long did he remain conscious? Conscious? Did he feel the pain?
How long was he conscious for knowing his death was
imminent and there was nothing he could do. What went
through his mind in those.
Speaker 26 (43:13):
Moments that I imagined felt like hours as she died alone?
What about Hannah, maa she liked next to her nurse
and infant. Did she die in fear not knowing what
would happen to her child? How long did she like
there helplessly knowing she could do nothing to protect her
infant from the evil the storm front, the storm through
her home that night. The questions were accompanied by nightmare's
(43:33):
night after night, lack of sleep. Really crazy, I thought
I could not escape it. Every time I closed my eyes,
I was taken back to that horrific moments I find.
Speaker 23 (43:42):
Out that my family was murdered.
Speaker 26 (43:44):
I'd beg for anything to stop and ever a new
pain and grief, to the point I nearly ended my
own life and December twenty seventeen. In twenty eighteen, I
had my daughter. It should have been a moment filled
with nothing but joy. Instead, it was filled with heartache,
knowing my father would never hold my daughter. Now, as
I plan for my wedding, I dread walking down the
aisle because my father will not be walking with you.
(44:05):
Or handing me over as a father should.
Speaker 23 (44:07):
I won't look over to the.
Speaker 26 (44:08):
Bride's nids and see hand of me as my maid
of honor. I won't see Frankie and the crowd making
some sort.
Speaker 23 (44:13):
Of commotion to make me laugh and call my nurse.
Speaker 26 (44:16):
Christopher won't be there as the life of the party,
making me a scene as his usual gifty. So you see,
eight lives were taken in the most brutal ways that
many more lives were stolen. You took moments that were
no more years to take.
Speaker 23 (44:27):
Than the life you and your family took.
Speaker 26 (44:29):
I am sorry you never got to know the unconditional
love of a mother and father, but it does not
excuse your participation in the grim murders your family committed.
Speaker 23 (44:37):
As a whole.
Speaker 26 (44:38):
My family and I are not asking for your demise,
but I do ask that you receive the mexicinality. It
is not justice, but I believe in my heart it
is the closest we can get.
Speaker 6 (44:46):
Here's Frankie Rhoden's former girlfriend and mother of their son.
Speaker 31 (44:51):
My first little statement is actually one that my son
has written with himself a victim of the ninth. It
was now since turn pay I find myself wondering why
you killed my daddy. There are things that make me
sad because I can't learn from him. He could have
taught me stuff like working on Derby cars and kum hunting.
(45:14):
My mommy tried, but it's not as good as Daddy was.
I have been scared since that night, knowing bad guys
came into my house while I was sleeping. I'm always
scared now that I will lose my mommy. You did
that to me.
Speaker 23 (45:32):
I just wanted you that I hate you with your family.
Those are the words.
Speaker 9 (45:38):
Of a ten year old boy.
Speaker 31 (45:41):
For him to tell me he watches daddy's can fall
while he tried to wake him up because his baby
brother screaming is traumatic itself, but Knowingdaddy has seen stuff
hurts my heart so much. The sleepless nights, the panic attacks,
and constant worry is so it's you and your family
(46:02):
did that.
Speaker 9 (46:04):
This is history and I'm just living it.
Speaker 31 (46:07):
We may have been friends in the past, but for
you to get up here on that stand and take
an oath and.
Speaker 9 (46:11):
Still why with me, excuse me, I don't know.
Speaker 21 (46:16):
I hope you burn in hell.
Speaker 23 (46:18):
George.
Speaker 31 (46:19):
I will say, there's one thing I have learned is
that God wants us to forgive, and maybe one day
I will forgive you, But at this time I just
can't thank your honor.
Speaker 6 (46:30):
Here's April Manly, Danna Roaden's sister in law.
Speaker 23 (46:33):
As I stand here today, I realize I'm standing here
for my father in law, Lendard Sue. Leonard caught a
short fight with liver cancer. All he wanted to do
was be with these baby girl, Dana Roading and make
sure she was okay. For that reason, he would and
fight for his life. Leonard would tell us time and
(46:53):
time again that he was sorry for leaving us, but
he just couldn't walk this world without Dana any longer.
He made me promise that I would see these trials through,
that I would be at every court day. So here
I stand today, at the end of one of them.
I don't only stand here for Winter but myself as well.
(47:14):
You see, James Manley and I would be married twenty
eight years this week. The Rugnans are also in my family,
but in heart as well.
Speaker 12 (47:24):
I was.
Speaker 23 (47:27):
Made of honor at day on Chris's wedding. I be
beset Freakie Hannah Little Chris from the time I was born,
until they was old enough to stay by themselves. Even
after they was old enough to look after themselves, I
would still see them daily. That's why I referred to
them my babies. Then comes the morning of April twenty second,
(47:53):
two sevenenty sixteen, where all of our life changed forever
and will never be the same again. Not one, not
to but eight family members were taken away from us.
It was like the bottom fell out of my soul.
Hundreds of people around me, but I felt like I
watched this warm the line to this day, my husband said,
(48:16):
streaming to us and asleep, s tell anything. He called that.
You know, my stepson was never afraid of the dark.
He is now fifteen years old and still't won't go
outside by himself after dark.
Speaker 21 (48:29):
He says that they came in the darkness took them.
Speaker 19 (48:31):
All the way.
Speaker 23 (48:34):
Before that night. He was never afraid. I hope George
Wagner spends the rest of his life in prison without
seeing your loved ones for the rest of your life,
just like you made sure we went and see ours.
I hope you feel the loneliness and the emptiness that
we feel for the rest of your life. And I
(48:55):
have one last wish for you, George said, you and
your family made shoe. You were the last ones to
see our family a lie. I hope every night, when
you close your eyes, you see them eight faces, and
I hope they hotch for the rest of your life.
Speaker 6 (49:12):
Lisa, niece to Chris and kind of Roden goes next.
Speaker 12 (49:16):
Growing up, our parents tell us monsters do not exist,
but I had come to know that as a lie.
In my adult life. There are so many moments that
have made an impactful me greatly over the last eight
years six years.
Speaker 21 (49:31):
Sorry, but a few.
Speaker 12 (49:36):
Of this moments are very aful moments that I will
forever remember, vividly going into a funeral home and seeing
a caskets lying along the wall of our loved ones.
Walking into that room with my family, hearing the streams
(49:58):
from my mother's, my aunt and my uncles while trying
to hold him up because the leagus gave away. Six
years and eight months later, we still had these unbearable
moments where we feel like we could just break, knowing
the callous way they.
Speaker 23 (50:17):
Were taken from us.
Speaker 12 (50:20):
Who would not only lose her mommy on April twenty seconds,
but she lost all of her immediate family, and then
on November the thirteenth, twenty eighteen, she lost her dad's
side of her immediate family. Regardless of the monsters they are,
she still had a bond. The devastation it impact well forever,
(50:43):
way heavy on her for the rest of Hawaii. I've
tried to wrap my head around why my family was
given death sentences, but nothing will justify the why. My
cousin Hanname was given a death sent because she was
a strong old mother who wanted to raise your daughter
(51:04):
and continue to grow her family outside the Wagner's control.
My cousin Jared Dannah Hazel, little Chris, and I hate
name him, I was given a dossance for just simply
being there. My cousin Frank, my uncle Chris Michael Kenneth
(51:28):
were given adescence for being the protectors of our family.
Speaker 23 (51:33):
No man justice.
Speaker 12 (51:35):
Given in this court will come close to what is deserved.
But this man deserves nothing less than to spend the
rest of his life in prison.
Speaker 6 (51:44):
Tony Rowden, brother of Chris Sior and Kenneth Roden, speaks
last by reading a statement from his mother, Geneva Rodin.
Speaker 21 (51:53):
George Wadener, you or He'll breathing on two signs are
not breathing. My grandchildren.
Speaker 14 (52:03):
Are not breathing.
Speaker 21 (52:06):
They are all children left behind. I'd just like to
see some justice.
Speaker 5 (52:14):
Thank you.
Speaker 26 (52:15):
Jong.
Speaker 6 (52:16):
With all of the impact statements heard, Judge Randy Dearing
addresses the court.
Speaker 10 (52:21):
Mister Wagner, is there any reason that you want to
state is the white sentence should not be pronounced and
imposed immediate?
Speaker 5 (52:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (52:30):
Is there anything that you wish to say on your
own behalf or any information you wish to provide and mitigation?
Speaker 6 (52:37):
The judge then prepares to hand down the sentence.
Speaker 8 (52:40):
First of all, no sentence that the court man posed
in this case would right the wrong that has been
inflicted upon the victous and the families. Murder is a
is an irreversible act. The Court does find that these
murders do constitute the worst form of the offense, and
(53:03):
the Court quite frankly finds that defendate has shown no remorse,
just denial. The courts considered all of these facts, is
the course required to consider and is ready to impose sentence.
Speaker 10 (53:19):
So, mister Wagner, and I ask you to stand.
Speaker 6 (53:23):
George Wagner stands home.
Speaker 32 (53:25):
Count one of the indictment for the offensive aggravated murder
in violation Section two nine zero three point oh one
A of the Revised Code, the victim of that offense
being Kenneth Roden. The court by sentences you to serve
a mandatory term of life imprisonment without parole.
Speaker 6 (53:44):
George Wagner is sentenced to life in prison without parole
for all eight aggravated murder charges. Judge Jeering then hands
down sentences for fourteen additional counts.
Speaker 8 (53:55):
The aggregate of this sentence is eighth consecutive terms of
life imprisonment without parole plus.
Speaker 9 (54:05):
One hundred and twenty one years.
Speaker 8 (54:07):
Eighty one years of which are mandatory anything for if
not done yard journey.
Speaker 6 (54:15):
The final few charges can be served concurrently, but in
the end the full sentence is for eight consecutive life
sentences in prison plus one hundred and twenty one years
in prison, to be served consecutively. The prosecution agrees with
the sentence.
Speaker 33 (54:31):
We're satisfied with it. The most important thing was getting
those eight life without paroles. George Wagner, the fourth will
never be in a position to hurt anyone ever again.
I'm just happy for a family that they got to
see this. They actually got some justice.
Speaker 6 (54:46):
At this point, George Wagner could file an appeal. Jake
Wagner is serving life without parole. Angela Wagner is sentenced
to be in prison until she is eighty years old.
Billy Wagner is next to go to trial for the murders.
Speaker 5 (55:00):
Now all eyes are on Billy Wagner, the dad who
faces the same charges that George faced.
Speaker 32 (55:05):
Billy's trial is still expected to happen at some point
next year.
Speaker 24 (55:09):
You's been such a long, awful road for you all.
Speaker 16 (55:15):
I'm sure you're feeling a lot of emotions, but can
you give us any sense of what you're feeling just
right now?
Speaker 19 (55:24):
A little bit of peace. We still have a long
road to go. We'll get there. It's we are family.
Speaker 14 (55:31):
Are that this is now put russure on Billy to
complete guilty.
Speaker 12 (55:36):
We can only hope.
Speaker 6 (55:39):
As the season comes to a close, we felt it
was important to have one of the Rodent family members
have the last word. On December nineteenth, twenty twenty two,
Chris Senior and Kenneth's brother Tony Roden made a statement
in court. His words remind us of the strength, love
and loyalty that encompasses not just the victim, but those
(56:01):
they left behind.
Speaker 21 (56:06):
I lost two brothers, Chris Rodin Senor Kenneth Roden. I
also lost a niece, Anna Rodin. Also lost two nephews,
Frankie Rodin, Chris Rodin Julie. I also lost a cousin,
Gary Rogan. I also lost a sister in law, Daniel
Roaden Manon. I also lost my nephew, Frankie's fiance, Hannah
(56:34):
Hazel Guilty. I have so many memories of my brother
Chris that I wish I could put them all down
on paper, so whoever hears this today could see through
my memories how my brother Chris really was carrier, gracious,
(56:56):
loving family man and come. My brother Kenneth, my mom's son.
As a young boy, he would always hang out with
me and my other brothers, Chris, Stephen, and Brady. Loved
old cars and old trucks.
Speaker 14 (57:16):
Even at a young.
Speaker 21 (57:19):
Loved his family and he always showed it. When he married,
he adopted two kids, loved him as his own. My
cousin Gary, my mom's nephew. He would always help people.
I would be working with him, we would stop at
store to get something to drink. I'd say, Gary, go
(57:41):
in and get us something to drink, and he would,
but he also bought lottery tickets out of my money.
Loved his family. His life cut short by selfie shacks
of other My sister in law, damn, my mom's daughter
(58:02):
in law always spoke her mind. She would come to
my house and tell me what I needed to do
at my own house. When she walked in a room
with other people in it, she would always have people laughing.
She loved people, and it showed she loved her family,
(58:23):
would do anything for them. Her life cut short by
selfish acts of others. On November the thirteenth, twenty and eighteen,
there was an arrest in the murders of my family.
The same year, around Christmas time, my sister woman played
phone pad back and forth trying to get the authorities
(58:45):
to let and spend Christmas dinner at our family. So
it happened, and all the kids just loved them. And
at this Christmas dinner or Mom was handing out presents
to her younger grandchildren and her great grandchildren. Pictures were
(59:08):
being taken and then his name is called. He walks
up to Mom. She puts him on her lap. She
hands him the present pictures are taking she puts him
down and gives him a hug. I am sitting in
(59:28):
the kitchen crying as I watched. There's no relation to
our family, but he is the defendant's son. True love.
That's what was showed that Christmas dinner. It was embedded
by our mom to all of her kids. We all
(59:51):
have it in us. Chris taught it to his kids,
it showed Kenneth thought it to his and it still
shows true love.
Speaker 6 (01:00:07):
For more information on the case and relevant photos, follow
us on Instagram at kat Underscore Studios. Now that the
Pikedon massacre has come to an end this season, Kati
Studios invites you to experience our new podcast, Death Island.
Speaker 34 (01:00:28):
Just a few miles off the Thailand coast, The island
of Koto looks like a postcard.
Speaker 5 (01:00:34):
It's almost like if you were going to imagine a
paradise island, you'll draw a picture of one. That's what
Kotao looks like.
Speaker 6 (01:00:40):
Young tourists from all over the world visit the pristine
beaches and crystal clear water.
Speaker 34 (01:00:46):
Right underneath the surface lies something sinister.
Speaker 6 (01:00:50):
In the last two decades, dozens of tourists have died
mysteriously on the island.
Speaker 1 (01:00:55):
A dark cloud who's come over the island and cast
its death, mystery and danger.
Speaker 34 (01:01:05):
I'm journalist Connor Powell. Even while making this podcast, another
death on the island just happened. One thing is certain
in this beautiful place, no coast is clear. This is
Death Island.
Speaker 16 (01:01:21):
That's like murdering someone in Time Square and saying there's
no witnesses.
Speaker 34 (01:01:26):
A production of KT Studios and iHeartRadio. Listen to Death
Island every Wednesday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 6 (01:01:39):
The Pikedon Masker is produced by Stephanie Leidecker, Jeff Shane,
Chris Cacaro, Andrew Arnow, Gabriel Castillo and me Courtney Armstrong.
Editing and sound designed by Jeff Tis. Music by Jared Aston.
The Pikedon Masker is a production of iHeartRadio and KAT Studios.
For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the I Hear
(01:02:00):
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.
All the State of Ohio has to show is that
George was involved in the case at the beginning, and
I think the evidence, in my opinion, showed that he was.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
You know, one thing that Kinnepa did strongly was to
show a slideshow of each of the victims in the
prime of their life and then show him dead in bed.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
But made no mistake about it.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Those two children in that picture were never going to
be raised anything other than Blacker.
Speaker 5 (00:34):
That moment, you know, when you walk for the jury
and you talk to them and you try to remind
them what is at stake that these people have died.
We're talking about eight people that were slaughtered.
Speaker 6 (00:53):
This is the Pithon massacre. Returned to Pike County season four,
episode The Verdict is in. I'm Courtney Armstrong, a television
producer at Katie Studios. With Stephanie Leidacer and Jeff Shane,
we're at the closing arguments of George Wagner, the fourth's trial.
(01:14):
It's important to note that George Wagner has pleaded not
guilty and has maintained he did not kill anyone. His father,
Billy Wagner, whose trial is upcoming, has also pleaded not
guilty to all charges. We're n piked in for the
final days of trial. We've heard testimony from Jake, Angela
and George Wagner. But before we can hear closing arguments,
(01:35):
Judge Deering has some news for the jury.
Speaker 7 (01:38):
The jury lard the death penalty against George Wagner. The
fourth has been taken off the table. That is the
plea deal the prosecution struck with George's brother Jake and
his mother Angela in exchange for their testimony.
Speaker 6 (01:50):
After the announcement, the judge addresses the court, Good morning
the jury.
Speaker 8 (01:55):
We have reached the point of which council for each
side will begining arguments.
Speaker 6 (02:01):
Prosecutor Angiekineppa begins their closing arguments.
Speaker 9 (02:04):
I just want to first of all, start by thinking
each and every one of you. You guys have probably
served at least as far as I know, in the
longest of any criminal jury, and each of you have
paid strict attention. We are here because eight innocent victims
were slaughtered, most of them in their sleep, all of
them unarmed. These murders should never have happened.
Speaker 6 (02:29):
Forensic expert Joseph Scott Morgan speaks to the significance of
these closing arguments.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
I think they do matter. I think that it's like
going to a beautiful concert where there's going to be
this grand crescendo, that thing.
Speaker 10 (02:41):
That moves people.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
You better bring it, and it needs to be that
thing that is going to resonate with those people. And
it's taken all this time, thousands of miles can you
imagine that have been traveled all over the place, all
the way up to Alaska and back through Canada. All
of that culminates in this moment. That moment, you know,
when you walk forward the jury and you talk to
(03:04):
them and you try to remind them what is at
stake that these people have died. We're talking about eight
people that were slaughtered.
Speaker 6 (03:16):
Prosecutor Kneppa shows photos of the victims on the large
screen in the courtroom. She starts with Frankie Rodin and
reminds the jury about who he was. She then speaks
about Hannah Hazel Gilly.
Speaker 9 (03:29):
Hannah Hazel Gilly very proud of her son, her six
month old son. She was all of twenty years old
as well at the very beginning of her life and
especially her life as a mother. Her crime. You heard
testimony that her crime was solely being there, nothing else.
(03:49):
If she had not been there, she would still be
alive today.
Speaker 6 (03:54):
The defense objects. Prosecutor stopped showing images on the large screen,
but she continues speaking about the victims.
Speaker 9 (04:01):
Chris, There's a lot to say about him. He was
obviously a family man, provided for his family. But the
reason that he was killed is because he was the
patriarch of this family and they knew that he would
again figure out who did it and potentially seek vengeance.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
Here's James Pilcher, longtime investigative reporter in Cincinnati, now at
Local twelves.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
You know one thing that Canepa did strongly. What she
tried to do at the beginning was to show a
slide show of each of the victims, you know, in
the prime of their life, show pictures and then show
him dead in bed. Well, that led to objections and
then she basically threw that out the window, so she
abandoned the slide show, but she still went on to
(04:47):
go through here's this victim, here's this victim. I'll aid them,
bringing it back to them and bringing it back to
the fact that they were asleep.
Speaker 6 (04:56):
Prosecutor Canepa touches on all of the evidence presented in trial,
laying out the timeline from the beginning and hitting on
each piece of evidence tying George Wagner and his immediate
family to the murder of the Rodent, Manly and Gilly families.
Speaker 11 (05:11):
Special Prosecutor Angie Gineppa said there was plenty of direct
and circumstantial evidence that tied George Wagner the four to
the homicide. One example the false statements Wagners gave to
investigators that everything was fine between Jake and Hannah rod
In when she was killed, but custody over their daughters
was at a boiling point.
Speaker 9 (05:30):
Then we see the Facebook message from Hannah May saying
that she won't sign papers, that they'll have to kill
her first, and we know that in four short months later,
she and seven members of her family are dead. We
know that in January of twenty sixteen, they had made
the decision that they were going to kill them, and
you start seeing the purchases corresponding to that timeline. It's
(05:54):
hard to imagine that eight people would lose their lives
over such a flimz motive, but it's true.
Speaker 6 (06:03):
Prosecutor Caneppa reminds the jury of the evidence presented throughout
the case, the shoe prints matching George Wagner's at the
crime scene, as well as the bullet casings matching the
weapons used in the murder.
Speaker 12 (06:14):
We know that.
Speaker 9 (06:16):
George went into that room, and we know that he
stepped into blood, and we see it on our diagrams
exactly where that was.
Speaker 6 (06:27):
Prosecutor Canneppa reminds the jurors of George Wagner's testimony where
he claimed he hadn't known that his brother Jake and
father Billy were going to murder members of the Rodin,
Manly and Gilly families.
Speaker 9 (06:39):
Did you know your family was going to kill these people?
Speaker 12 (06:42):
No happen.
Speaker 6 (06:47):
The prosecution then ties George to the crimes through Jake
Wagner and Angela Wagner's testimony.
Speaker 9 (06:53):
George says to Jake, the family has spoken. There is
nothing that happens in that household that is not a
group decision. Jake and Angela have told you everything that
this defendant did that night. I'm not here to say
that Jake Wagner is a hero by any stretch of
(07:14):
the imagination. He is a despicable, vile human being. But
the difference between him and his brother is that he at.
Speaker 6 (07:24):
Least came full Kinnepa acknowledges that when George took the stand,
he disputed what his brother and mother testified about him.
Speaker 9 (07:33):
You've heard Jake and your mother both say that that
was the motive, and my.
Speaker 13 (07:39):
Mom and brother are lying to you.
Speaker 6 (07:40):
They have been like everybody else.
Speaker 9 (07:42):
Angela Wagner, this is her son. Ask yourself what motive
would she have to say that George was involved? If
George wasn't involved, why would you when we got to
your son, you would say, Jake, Billy.
Speaker 12 (08:02):
And I did it.
Speaker 14 (08:05):
Despite all the evidence presented by prosecutors, it could come
down to who the jury believes, Jake and Angela or
defendant George.
Speaker 6 (08:13):
Prosecutor Kinneppa addresses Jake and Angela Wagner's testimony head on.
Speaker 9 (08:18):
So let's talk about Jake and Angela's testimony. Jake Wagner
gave us a lot of information. His testimony was corroborated
by physical evidence. He led us to the murder weapons.
So again, what Jake had to tell us was corroborated
with physical evidence that we didn't know about. It was
(08:42):
also corroborating with physical evidence we did know about. Then
we talked to Angela Wagner, and she corroborates what Jake
Wagner told us. They basically corroborate each other. And the
magical and mystical thing about that is, as you heard,
she was not provided with her son's statement. She had
(09:04):
no idea what he said to us when he sat down.
Speaker 6 (09:07):
With us again, James Pilcher.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
One of the points she made very clearly was Jake
and Angela had no chance to corroborate none. They couldn't
see each other's statements. They're in separate jails. They couldn't talk,
they couldn't watch each other's testimony. Nothing. How come their
stories line up so well versus what George had to say,
and they're both saying the same thing or close enough
to the same thing, whereas George is saying something completely different.
(09:34):
Who are you going to believe? And then on top
of that, she makes a point it's one thing for
a brother to testify against a brother, but it's another
thing for a mother to testify against her funt, even
as she says she loves it. That came across as
very compelling.
Speaker 6 (09:47):
Prosecutor Karnepa argues that Jake and Angela Wagner's testimony matches,
especially on one key point.
Speaker 9 (09:55):
Both Jake and Angela tell you they are guilty. Jake
is guilty, Angela is guilty. They don't deny that, they
don't lie about that. The reason their stories match is
because they both finally decided to tell the truth.
Speaker 6 (10:13):
Here's attorney and legal analyst Mike Allen.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
I think the credibility goes with Angela because George any
number of times just said I don't recall, I don't remember.
I didn't count him up, but there are a lot
of times that he said that, and I don't recall
hearing that in Angela or Jake's testimony for that matter.
It was just pretty straightforward. So I think if you
(10:38):
didn't have the physical evidence and it's George against those two,
I think they win and George doesn't because a lot
of things he didn't remember, and he contradicted himself on
a number of occasions.
Speaker 6 (10:49):
Well, George Wagner appeared calm during his testimony on the stand.
Prosecutor Kanepa reminds the jury of the wires app recording
of George.
Speaker 9 (11:01):
Yeah, I would strongly invite you to listen to that
recording again and ask yourselves if that is the voice,
or the demeanor, or the attitude or the approach of
somebody who would ever sit one out again.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
James Pilcher, I will say Kneppa did kind of bring
it home early on when she said you saw George
up on the stand, but then you also heard George
on these recordings. Well, the real George Wagner, please stand up.
Those are my words, not hers. But basically she's saying,
the real George Wagner is not the one that was
all to help on the stand. He was coached, he
(11:37):
was whatever he was. The real George Wagner is the
one you hear in those recordings who's a for all
intents and purposes as a madman.
Speaker 9 (11:43):
He indicated to you that a few days before the
homicides that Billy told George that he wanted George to
shoot Chris in the head. He went up there to
Union Hill Road on April twenty first, twenty sixteen, knowing
for well what was going to happen.
Speaker 6 (12:02):
Well, George may not have pulled the trigger during the murders.
The prosecution contends that doesn't matter to prove conspiracy to murder.
Speaker 9 (12:10):
He doesn't have to be the person that actually pulled
the trigger. Right. You heard that Jake Wagner pled to
eight counts of aggravated murder because he pulled the trigger
as to five according to him, but he was complicit
in remaining three. You heard Angela Wagner say that she
also was guilty of eight counts of aggravated murder because
(12:32):
she was complicit in it because she knew what they
were going to do. She ate it and embedded them.
You were complicit because you knew what was going to happen.
You knew what they were going to go do, and
you aided and abedded them.
Speaker 6 (12:47):
Here's Jeff speaking with.
Speaker 14 (12:48):
Mike gallon something she really hammered home.
Speaker 15 (12:51):
Which I think is important to remind the listeners is
that George could still be found guilty of murder even
if he didn't pull the trigger under Ohio law, like,
as long as he's involved in the planning and the
cover up, that's enough to find him guilty.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
All the State of Ohio has to show is that
George was involved in the case at the beginning, and
I think the evidence, in my opinion, showed that he
was in the beginning and then he was part of
the execution of the crime. And I think that's clear
that he was a part of it and a part
(13:26):
of the cover up, and that gets you into the
complicity part of it.
Speaker 13 (13:30):
And that's all you need for a murder conviction. I mean,
you don't have to.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Show and they couldn't show, and they didn't show that
George pulled the trigger because he didn't, but he was
in it up to his neck, and I think that
was clear at the end of all the testimony and evidence,
and Miss Kinneppitt really kind of just hit on all
of those points in her closing.
Speaker 6 (13:53):
The prosecution also spoke to the plea deal given to
Jake in exchange for his testimony.
Speaker 9 (13:58):
Mister Parker has called this the deal of the century
for Jake Wagner, the deal of the century. But let's
just talk a little bit about that. First of all,
he played guilty to every count of the indictment except
for the death telling specifications, which we dismissed in exchange
for him telling us what happened. Not just telling us
(14:19):
what happened. But you heard from Special Agent Shier that
the victim's family was consulted in this and as you
might imagine if this was somebody that you loved, you
would want to know what happened more than any think
(14:39):
some of them got the peace of mind they were
looking for because their loved one was sleeping. Some of
them did not, but they wanted to know, and they
wanted us to do the deal.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Again, Mike Allan, Obviously from their conduct in the court room,
there's close relationships between the prosecutor and the Rodent family.
I don't think they have any problem at all with
the deals that were made in this case. But in
any homicide case, you have to get buy in from
(15:14):
the victim's family, and I think that's what.
Speaker 13 (15:17):
She did here.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
I see a lot of cooperation and a lot of
admiration too, So I don't have any doubt that Angie
Kneppa consulted, probably at length with the Rodent family before
they cut the deal with Jake and Angela.
Speaker 6 (15:38):
After nearly five hours, Prosecutor Kanepa finishes her closing argument.
Speaker 9 (15:43):
I know this was very, very long. I just wanted
to kind of try my best to kind of lay
a foundation of the evidence that we believe supports a
conviction of George Wagner. The fourth of each and every
count in this indictment, whether he is a principal offender
or whether he is exquisite in it. He knew what
was going to happen. He participated in what happened. Jake
(16:08):
and Angela have told you everything that this defendant did
that night and his participation in the aggravator murders and
all the other crimes listed in the indictment. Respectfully, class
that weturn verdicts of guilty as to each count into
each specification. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (16:29):
The day of the trial ends with prosecutor Canepa's closing argument.
Here's Mike Allen, followed by investigative reporter an Jeannette Levy
of the Law and Crime Network.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
The defense has to make the points that they want
to make, and they also have to counter what the
prosecutor says in closing argument.
Speaker 16 (16:47):
I think that Jake and Angela's testimony, coupled with the
wiretops that do not bode well for George. He still
sounds like he's in the thick of this and he
knows exactly what's going on. You would think.
Speaker 17 (17:01):
That that would just be very difficult for the defense
to overcome, for them to come into court and feel
confident that they were going to somehow poken up holes
in Jake and Angela's testimony to make George not guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt.
Speaker 6 (17:20):
We're going to take a break. We'll be back in
a moment. The next day, the defense delivers their closing remarks.
John Parker opens with a joke about how he's not
going to go as long as the state did. In
his closing remarks, Parker then goes after the state's key witnesses,
(17:43):
Jake and Angela Wagner.
Speaker 18 (17:44):
Angela and Jake, he's a mama's boy.
Speaker 19 (17:48):
You heard testimony about that.
Speaker 18 (17:50):
They're liars, they're connors, they're thieves.
Speaker 6 (17:56):
Defense attorney Parker brings up Jake's character there laughing.
Speaker 20 (18:01):
And smiling and smirking as he's talking about these murders.
Speaker 9 (18:05):
He's cold bloater.
Speaker 21 (18:07):
I think he's psychotic.
Speaker 13 (18:09):
He didn't see that care in the world.
Speaker 18 (18:11):
It's like sitting around talking about a football game on
Monday morning.
Speaker 20 (18:14):
Is the way he's.
Speaker 21 (18:15):
Talking about killing these people. It's disgusting.
Speaker 13 (18:19):
He's a sick man.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
You can't believe what that guy says.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
The defense hits again on an argument that they've used
repeatedly throughout the trial that the evidence tying George Wagner
to the murderers is at best circumstantial.
Speaker 18 (18:32):
There's no proof here beyond your reasonable doubt, that George
was even up there, and we could offer him nothing
for his testimony. He was vigorously cross examined. You saw
his demeanor. Compare that to Jinks and his mother. He's
no testimony. George is the shooter. There's no reliable testimony that.
Speaker 21 (18:51):
He was even there.
Speaker 18 (18:52):
This has to be proven beyond the reasonable that there's
all kinds of reasons to doubt.
Speaker 6 (18:59):
Parker then to dismantle the state's argument that the Wagoners
are a walking criminal conspiracy.
Speaker 18 (19:05):
The state in this case that you have seen with
respect to George, paints with.
Speaker 9 (19:11):
A very very broadbrush. All right, how many times have.
Speaker 22 (19:16):
We heard they them?
Speaker 19 (19:19):
You guys, the Wagners?
Speaker 21 (19:21):
All right?
Speaker 9 (19:22):
George is one's about trial here, all right.
Speaker 18 (19:26):
We are not here to defend Billy, we are not
here to defend Angela.
Speaker 23 (19:30):
We're certainly not here to defend James, all right.
Speaker 13 (19:33):
And basically, I.
Speaker 22 (19:34):
Mean there were days and days that went by when
you didn't hear Georgie's name, and that's significant.
Speaker 6 (19:43):
Parker has the jury to return a verdict of not
guilty on all charges.
Speaker 22 (19:48):
You folks stand between the power of the government and
the man with George Waite, so you've seen the power
of the government, and in this particular case, they've over
when it comes to Georgia.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
Mike Allen offers his thoughts to how the defense did
on closing arguments.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Well, I think he did as well as he could.
And his closing argument did not take five hours, But
he did as well as he could with what he had,
which wasn't a heck of a lot.
Speaker 13 (20:20):
He just didn't, you know.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
He called the state's witnesses liars, con artist mainly Jake
and Angela really hit Jake card and really, I mean,
that's pretty much all he had. When you're a defense counsel,
you get the case that you get and you're not
going to be able to change things factually. So the
short answer is, I think they did as well as
(20:44):
they could.
Speaker 6 (20:46):
After the defense rests, Andrew Wilson delivers the prosecution's rebuttal.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
The concept of complicity works in Ohio is that two or.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
More people set out to achieve a criminal.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Purpose a criminal goal, when one doing one part and
others doing the other part.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
Then each one of them is individually guilty as if
they were the principal offender Festimal.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
That's how it works.
Speaker 4 (21:17):
There's been no direct testimony that he actually pulled the
trigger and any.
Speaker 21 (21:23):
One of those murders. But you better believe he's up
to his eyeballs as they plot, as they prepare, as
they execute, and as they cover up those murders.
Speaker 19 (21:35):
He's in it up to his islands.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
The prosecution has a huge advantage, and boy, I tell you,
I think they utilized it in this case.
Speaker 13 (21:46):
To where they get the final word.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
They get to address the jury after the defense does
their closing argument. It's done because the state has the
burden of proof.
Speaker 13 (21:57):
That's why they get the last fight at the apple.
Having been a defense counsel and having been.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
A prosecutor, that I can tell you that's a huge
advantage for the state prosecutor.
Speaker 6 (22:10):
Wilson addresses Shake and Angela Wagner's testimony they matched.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
The only way that happens without her knowing what he
said is if they're telling the truth about.
Speaker 9 (22:26):
What they observed, what they knew.
Speaker 6 (22:28):
Wilson goes on to address Jake and his testimony.
Speaker 21 (22:31):
He's not our star witness.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
He's a terrible, terrible human being. He's equal, and he's
going to spend the rest of his miserable existence locked
in a cage. He's going to spend the rest of
his life separated from what.
Speaker 21 (22:47):
Means most of him, his family.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
He will never be free again. And as incredibly distasteful
as it was, the state entered into an agreement with
Jake for one night.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
We needed one thing of guns. That's what we need
from him.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Him leading us to those guns was incredibly important.
Speaker 6 (23:17):
Wilson also reveals while the prosecution didn't play the tape
of George Wagner's interview at the Canadian border again James Pilcher, and.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
That was because they didn't want that tape to serve
as his own testimony and his own denial. If he
was going to deny it, he was going to have
to deny it from the stand, and they didn't want
to give him the opportunity to tailor his testimony to
what he said at that point, which was key too,
because he did have a major inconsistency between what he
said at the border versus what he said on the stand.
(23:49):
At the border, he said he went to bed about
some time after midnight after watching the Ferry movie whatever.
But then on the stand, he said he went to
bed before ten with the Hits, and yeah, he should
have heard them leave, but he didn't. He usually stays
up an hour after he goes to bed, and somehow
I didn't hear Jake and Billy Leaves didn't even know
(24:10):
they had gone. So that was a major inconsistency. And
Wilson brought that home in his clothing.
Speaker 6 (24:18):
Andrew Wilson then shows a photo of the Wagner family
with all the kids.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
Why don't you look at this picture, man, This picture
speaks volumes. It speaks volumes. They don't want you to
believe that this case is about custom, that these murders
had anything to do about custom.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
But maybe no mistake about it.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
Those two children in that picture were never going to
be raised anything other than why men.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
They wanted control of those kids, and that's what this
was all about. It started with George's son with Tabitha
and getting control over that little boy. And it was
the same thing about Jake's daughter with Hannah. But Hannah
had a support system, Hannah had a family, and they
were going to fight back.
Speaker 6 (25:10):
Wilson closes out the prosecution's rebuttal with one final thought.
Speaker 9 (25:14):
He is guilty. He's guilty.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
And when you make that fine, when you look at
all that evidence, he's guilty. At that point, byball, you're
required to find him guilty. And that's what he'll do,
because that's.
Speaker 23 (25:34):
What he is.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Andy Wilson's rebuttal closing, I mean, everybody who watched it
was like, I think that just sealed the deal. He
answered every outstanding question defense had raised to a t.
He was enthusiastic, he was forceful.
Speaker 6 (26:01):
Forensic expert Joseph Scott Morgan agrees.
Speaker 5 (26:04):
When that bailiff causes that jury to rise, and you
better leave an impression on when they go back there,
and that big crescendo is what you want. It's one
of the oldest cliches that prosecutors used. And they'll say
things like, do not let their desks be in vain.
Hold these people accountable for what they have done, snuffing
(26:27):
out these lives in the most horrific way possible, These
people who have scarred our county forever and ever and
ever for generations to come. Hold them accountable. And they
might even throw in God they'll say, you know, someday
they'll be judged by God, but right now is your
time to judge them upon.
Speaker 21 (26:47):
What they have done.
Speaker 6 (26:51):
Before the day ends, Judge Dearing gives instructions to the jury.
The next morning, at eight thirty am, the jury begins deliberations.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
After a two and a half year investigation, after a
three and a half month trial, the longest criminal trial
in the history of Ohio, the most expensive trial in
the history of Ohio, it is now in the hands
of nine women and three men, the twelve jurors.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Generally speaking, if they're out for a short period of time,
if they're not out long, that's good for the state,
the prosecution. If the longer they go, it's better for
the defense because you know they're thinking about it. Then
the other thing too, The longer they go, the better
chance that they will have a hung jury, which is
a victory for the defense attorney.
Speaker 6 (27:39):
With the fate of George Wagner in the jury's hands,
all the defense and prosecution can do is wait.
Speaker 15 (27:45):
What are those hours like? It must be so tense.
Speaker 13 (27:47):
Let me tell you something.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
They are the slowest hours in a trial lawyer's life,
from when a jury begins to deliberate until when they
come up with a verdict.
Speaker 13 (27:59):
You stay around your office and then just kind.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
Of like dwell on it and it's just hard to
concentrate on anything else. It's kind of brutal. But on
the other hand, it's exciting too, because you know, then
you get back in the courtroom and the jury walks
in and you know you're looking at whether they look
in the eye, and you know then they'll give their verdicts.
So it's tough, but it's also exciting. I guess it's
(28:22):
the best way to put it.
Speaker 6 (28:24):
Two and a half hours into deliberation, the jury asked
to see Judge Jeering.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
There were some rumblings when that note came out with
the question. There was a couple of people who thought
it might have been a verdict and we're like, no,
it wasn't the case. So some false information got put
out there. Initially ended at about eleven they sent down a
question and apparently went on the record and they'd asked
the transcript of Jake's testimony, or at least just a
part of it, and Judge Deering said, no, you have
(28:51):
to get all of it, and I'm going to want
you to read all of it, because it's not fair
to exact certain excerpts, especially if you're just going to
look at one part from the direct examination and not
look at what the cross examination was. That wouldn't be fair,
takes it out of context. And he said, to be
to be honest, it's not fair, and if you're going
(29:13):
to do this, really I should make you read the
transcripts of all of the witnesses. But even if it's
just shake, it's seven hundred and fifty seven hundred and
sixty pages.
Speaker 6 (29:26):
The jury goes back to deliberating.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
Then about four o'clock on Wednesday, we were notified that
they had a verdict, and we're like, wow, that was
very very quick. So that's like seven hours, you know,
less than seven hours of deliberation if you count their breaks,
and probably took them at least thirty minutes to an
hour to sign all the forms because there's twenty two
forms that all twelve had to sign for all twenty
two charges.
Speaker 16 (29:49):
The bailiff came upstairs and he went back into the
judges chambers, and then he came out and he looked
over at a couple of us sitting in the gallery
and said be ready in twenty five minutes. I said,
what a verdict in twenty five minutes? And he said,
there's a verdict in twenty five minutes, and I just
(30:09):
tweeted it out immediately.
Speaker 6 (30:12):
The jury enters the courtroom, a.
Speaker 16 (30:13):
Lot of people will say, Oh, if the jurors come
in and they don't look at the defendant, that means
it's a guilty verdict, And if they come in and
they look at the defendant, it's a not guilty verdict.
Speaker 6 (30:24):
The clerk hands the verdict forms to Judge Daring. He
reads the jury's verdict.
Speaker 8 (30:29):
Verdict does to count one. It says, we the jury
find beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, George Washington
Wager the fourth is guilty of aggravated murder has charged
in count one of the indictment. Ladies and gentlemen of
the jury, is that your verdict yet.
Speaker 6 (30:47):
Again?
Speaker 24 (30:48):
Antonette Leeby, when the first guilty verdict was read, you
heard kind of a noise, a gasp, but almost like
a cry of sorts, and that came from the road
and family, and.
Speaker 16 (30:59):
I feel like that was some type of big, you know,
a sense of relief on their part. There were a
lot of tears. I think these were tiers of relief.
It's like an emotional release. You know, you're sitting there,
waiting and waiting. You've been sitting there for all of
these weeks, looking at horrible things, hearing horrible things, seeing
horrible things, and I think they knew collectively when that
(31:24):
first guilty verdict was read, they were all going to
be guilty.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
Judge Daring continues reading the verdict. George Wagner has found
guilty on all eight murder charges. He has also found
guilty of aggravated burglary, conspiracy, gun charges, and tampering with
evidence for a total of twenty two charges. George Wagner's
reaction to the verdict was similar to his demeanor throughout
the trial.
Speaker 15 (31:54):
George Wagner showed no emotion.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
No, this is lawyer John Parker. Could He shook his hair,
kind of nodded and you know, seemed a little upset,
but no, George showed absolutely no emotion. He just kept
his eyes down.
Speaker 16 (32:10):
I think George Wagner, when they brought him in and
just looking at his face.
Speaker 24 (32:13):
He knew, he knew that he was going to be.
Speaker 16 (32:16):
Convicted, and I felt like I just saw his eyes
kind of blink, just, you know, briefly and kind of quickly.
Speaker 24 (32:25):
Once the first guilty verdict was.
Speaker 6 (32:26):
Read, Judge Daring said George Wagner, sentencing for December nineteenth.
After the verdict, the Rodent family gives a press conference
speaking on their behalf as Tony Roden Chris Roden, Senior's brother.
Speaker 25 (32:41):
I would like to thank the citizens of the state
of Ohio for barreness, burden that should have never happened
to this family in southern a little bit of peace.
Speaker 19 (32:54):
We still have a long route to go.
Speaker 25 (32:57):
We'll get there because we are family the party.
Speaker 19 (33:03):
We're gonna go.
Speaker 6 (33:03):
Home a little easier tonight.
Speaker 26 (33:10):
We're gon.
Speaker 13 (33:13):
We don't take for granted anymore. We love but once
we got and never let go.
Speaker 6 (33:18):
If you never A reporter asked the Rodent family their
thoughts on George Wagner. Here's Tony Roden's response.
Speaker 19 (33:26):
I feel sorry for him.
Speaker 13 (33:29):
Why is that?
Speaker 9 (33:29):
Why?
Speaker 22 (33:30):
Why?
Speaker 19 (33:30):
Because he is human?
Speaker 13 (33:33):
How do you find the humanity time like this when
he did so much to your family?
Speaker 19 (33:37):
I think we all have human in us. There's just
a difference in us.
Speaker 6 (33:41):
The prosecution also gives a statement to the press and
the Rodent, Wagner and Gilly families. Here's Andrew Kneppa, followed
by Rob Junk from the State.
Speaker 9 (33:50):
You guys have trusted us with your lives and the
lives of your loved ones, and I know today's verdict
does not bring your loved ones back. I know that,
but I do hope that it gives you some some
lens of peace that yet another one of the evil
monsters that did this to your family have been held accountable.
Speaker 20 (34:12):
Justice was done, and again they heard the voices of
our eight victims today. The jury listened. They understood we
could never ever ever bring them back. But I can
tell you that good Lord Willing George Wagner the fourth
will never be in a position to hurt anyone ever ever.
Speaker 13 (34:36):
Again.
Speaker 6 (34:37):
Journalists and legal experts who have been following the case
for years weighing on the verdict.
Speaker 16 (34:45):
Antinette Levy, I wasn't completely surprised when they came back
with guilty verdicts because it was so fast the way
that I read the indictment. If you're guilty of one murder,
you've got to be guilty of all of them. You
know that it's a conspiracy case, and all of these
homicides happened on the same night. So if the theory
is that all three of the guys were there, Billy, Jake,
(35:08):
and George, and these homicides were committed and carried out
that night. Under the law, if he's complicit with the
complicity instruction that was given to the jury, then he's
guilty of everything unless there's a compromise.
Speaker 6 (35:22):
After the guilty verdict, George Wagner is taken back to
jail where he will wait until he is sentenced. Let's
stop here for another break. December nineteenth is the day
(35:42):
George Wagner is to be sentenced for the murders of
the Rodent, Manly and Gilly family members.
Speaker 14 (35:48):
Even if Judge Randy Dearing does stack a minimum possible
sentence of thirty years. Concurrently, Wagner still faces significant time
for sixteen other charges.
Speaker 10 (36:00):
With the sentencing arse state rots yes, don't sure, yes.
Speaker 6 (36:07):
Prosecutor Angie Kinnepa begins her sentencing remarks.
Speaker 9 (36:10):
It has been said far and often that this is
one of the most serious aggregated murders of the.
Speaker 23 (36:14):
State of Ohio.
Speaker 9 (36:15):
Not that any murder, of course, comes without pain and
horror for those killed and those left to hide. But
the killing of eight people in such a premitedicated fashion
for literally no reason, and all in one night, I
would suggest, does make this one of the most serious
aggregating murder cases Ohio has seen today. I urge the
court to focus specifically and mainly on that impact to
(36:36):
the families when fashioning sentence in this case. And this
is the unjustified, unprovoked, horrible senses killing them eight innocent people.
We urge the court from post eight consecutive life without
choral sentences regarding the murder of each of these lives
and Jimpoe's maximum and consecutive sentences to each of the
remaining accounts as well. The defendant in the sentencing memory
(36:58):
and then begs for merci. He shared no mercy for
the victims who just wanted to live. They have no
one to beg for their lives for Demand's d process.
He is a judged jury and executioner in their lives.
He deserves no mercy.
Speaker 14 (37:14):
In pre sentenced motions, Wagner's lawyers asked for a sentence
which would give him the possibility of a parole. The
prosecution asked for the maximum possible life without parole, and
for the eight murder counts to be served consecutively with.
Speaker 6 (37:28):
Pre sentencing motions over Prosecutor Krenepa tells the court that
members of the Rodent, Manly, and Gilly families are going
to deliver their victim impact statements.
Speaker 14 (37:37):
James Pilcher, a jury of nine women and three men
took less than eight hours to find George Wagner the
Fourth guilty on all twenty two charges for his role
in the twenty sixteen Pike County massacre. Now Wagner must
not only face his punishment, but the survivors from the Rodent,
Gilly and Manly families. They get their first opportunity to
address a Wagner directly about the crimes.
Speaker 6 (38:00):
Ten family members give statements in person or through victims advocates.
Here's Andrea's Shoemaker, mother of Hannah Hazel Gilly.
Speaker 23 (38:08):
George Bidener the fourth, one of you introduced myself. You see,
you said you're enough that.
Speaker 27 (38:15):
You never met my father, Hannah Hazel Gilly. I'm a mom,
Andre a shoemaker.
Speaker 23 (38:24):
I stand here today to be her voice, since you.
Speaker 26 (38:29):
George Wadener the Fourth and your evil family took her.
Speaker 28 (38:35):
Frankie rod I shoon to be son in law, the
young man that gave me.
Speaker 23 (38:42):
My first grandson.
Speaker 28 (38:44):
I love you have for my beautiful baby girl, Hanna
Hazel was what was your two sons a heart as
for you son.
Speaker 23 (38:51):
My gan grandson was made an orphan in one night.
Speaker 12 (38:58):
I see the.
Speaker 29 (38:58):
Pain of he mars for a dad sad and it
is something he won't.
Speaker 28 (39:12):
Do for the work of his life, his one his
daddy and Hannah Hazel Billy, my best girl.
Speaker 21 (39:21):
Only the age of twy.
Speaker 12 (39:25):
Got me mad.
Speaker 23 (39:27):
Who fell in with the love.
Speaker 28 (39:28):
With a young man, Drankie Braiden, the love of Hannah
Hazel Billy's life. Annah Hazel was the first of my
children to give me the blessing of becoming a man all.
Speaker 12 (39:41):
Hannah Hannah Hazel Billy was.
Speaker 23 (39:45):
Her first time mom to her beautiful son, and what
a mommy she was. She loved her son with her
whole heart and for her.
Speaker 27 (39:56):
Generally had six months six months of his life. That
is the one thing she wanted to see in her
whole young life is to watch him grow up.
Speaker 23 (40:11):
My baby girl. I miss you beyond words.
Speaker 12 (40:17):
Another life take him way too soon, but will never
be forgotten.
Speaker 27 (40:24):
Haname was such an innocent young lady, a great mother
to two beautiful girls.
Speaker 23 (40:29):
I watch your baby girl more.
Speaker 12 (40:33):
More to know who her mommy was.
Speaker 23 (40:37):
I answer questions that should have never had to be
asked in the first place.
Speaker 6 (40:43):
My heart is for ever broken that she and.
Speaker 23 (40:47):
Her sister will never knew the mommy.
Speaker 26 (40:52):
The list of victims gets longer.
Speaker 23 (40:54):
The eight lives are just the ones no longer on
this earth.
Speaker 12 (40:58):
We are we have. It's a new family.
Speaker 28 (41:00):
The Gilly Manlies and the Romans have all suffered. We
are all suffering, hurting, always heartbroken, forever without our children,
all because the devils, like the dark Devil's hunt at night,
just like you, George Wagner the Fourth and your evil
family did on Friday April the twenty first and twenty.
Speaker 23 (41:23):
Seconds of twenty and sixteen.
Speaker 27 (41:27):
All I want is my baby girl, Hannah Hazel, and
that I will never have. I only agree to the
state because I want all these older families to get
justice on earth while they're still here, because of the
fact that Gary's dad, Dana's dad, and my dad didn't get.
Speaker 23 (41:51):
Their justice while on this earth.
Speaker 27 (41:52):
And I pray to God that your son learns.
Speaker 23 (41:56):
What kind of a monster you really are.
Speaker 12 (41:59):
And he never wants anything to do with you.
Speaker 23 (42:01):
And I pray Judge dry they used.
Speaker 28 (42:04):
To get turned out at the Doorge partner, the force
really is and my kids up.
Speaker 23 (42:09):
But with my life of prisons.
Speaker 6 (42:11):
Here's Kenja Rodin, daughter of Kenny Rodin.
Speaker 26 (42:14):
As I seen here today, I know I should fills
the piece. I should have peace because you have been
found building on all twenty counts. I should go relief
that justice is being served, but there is no real
justice and piece is not a feeling I have. Hannahme
was my peace, and because of you and your family,
she is gone eight life sneaking in so many more.
(42:35):
Traumatized by the horrendous acts committed by.
Speaker 23 (42:37):
The lack of family.
Speaker 26 (42:39):
For months, I was riddled with questions of whom and why.
I tried to find souls, in the belief that most
of my family members i'd instantly them being shot in
the head.
Speaker 23 (42:49):
Unfortunately that was not true.
Speaker 26 (42:52):
When SIGNED found my father's like this body the corner seated.
Speaker 12 (42:55):
My father died within minutes.
Speaker 23 (42:56):
I'm being shot.
Speaker 30 (42:59):
Minutes, not seconds. So now I'm like wondering for how
long did he remain conscious? Conscious? Did he feel the pain?
How long was he conscious for knowing his death was
imminent and there was nothing he could do. What went
through his mind in those.
Speaker 26 (43:13):
Moments that I imagined felt like hours as she died alone?
What about Hannah, maa she liked next to her nurse
and infant. Did she die in fear not knowing what
would happen to her child? How long did she like
there helplessly knowing she could do nothing to protect her
infant from the evil the storm front, the storm through
her home that night. The questions were accompanied by nightmare's
(43:33):
night after night, lack of sleep. Really crazy, I thought
I could not escape it. Every time I closed my eyes,
I was taken back to that horrific moments I find.
Speaker 23 (43:42):
Out that my family was murdered.
Speaker 26 (43:44):
I'd beg for anything to stop and ever a new
pain and grief, to the point I nearly ended my
own life and December twenty seventeen. In twenty eighteen, I
had my daughter. It should have been a moment filled
with nothing but joy. Instead, it was filled with heartache,
knowing my father would never hold my daughter. Now, as
I plan for my wedding, I dread walking down the
aisle because my father will not be walking with you.
(44:05):
Or handing me over as a father should.
Speaker 23 (44:07):
I won't look over to the.
Speaker 26 (44:08):
Bride's nids and see hand of me as my maid
of honor. I won't see Frankie and the crowd making
some sort.
Speaker 23 (44:13):
Of commotion to make me laugh and call my nurse.
Speaker 26 (44:16):
Christopher won't be there as the life of the party,
making me a scene as his usual gifty. So you see,
eight lives were taken in the most brutal ways that
many more lives were stolen. You took moments that were
no more years to take.
Speaker 23 (44:27):
Than the life you and your family took.
Speaker 26 (44:29):
I am sorry you never got to know the unconditional
love of a mother and father, but it does not
excuse your participation in the grim murders your family committed.
Speaker 23 (44:37):
As a whole.
Speaker 26 (44:38):
My family and I are not asking for your demise,
but I do ask that you receive the mexicinality. It
is not justice, but I believe in my heart it
is the closest we can get.
Speaker 6 (44:46):
Here's Frankie Rhoden's former girlfriend and mother of their son.
Speaker 31 (44:51):
My first little statement is actually one that my son
has written with himself a victim of the ninth. It
was now since turn pay I find myself wondering why
you killed my daddy. There are things that make me
sad because I can't learn from him. He could have
taught me stuff like working on Derby cars and kum hunting.
(45:14):
My mommy tried, but it's not as good as Daddy was.
I have been scared since that night, knowing bad guys
came into my house while I was sleeping. I'm always
scared now that I will lose my mommy. You did
that to me.
Speaker 23 (45:32):
I just wanted you that I hate you with your family.
Those are the words.
Speaker 9 (45:38):
Of a ten year old boy.
Speaker 31 (45:41):
For him to tell me he watches daddy's can fall
while he tried to wake him up because his baby
brother screaming is traumatic itself, but Knowingdaddy has seen stuff
hurts my heart so much. The sleepless nights, the panic attacks,
and constant worry is so it's you and your family
(46:02):
did that.
Speaker 9 (46:04):
This is history and I'm just living it.
Speaker 31 (46:07):
We may have been friends in the past, but for
you to get up here on that stand and take
an oath and.
Speaker 9 (46:11):
Still why with me, excuse me, I don't know.
Speaker 21 (46:16):
I hope you burn in hell.
Speaker 23 (46:18):
George.
Speaker 31 (46:19):
I will say, there's one thing I have learned is
that God wants us to forgive, and maybe one day
I will forgive you, But at this time I just
can't thank your honor.
Speaker 6 (46:30):
Here's April Manly, Danna Roaden's sister in law.
Speaker 23 (46:33):
As I stand here today, I realize I'm standing here
for my father in law, Lendard Sue. Leonard caught a
short fight with liver cancer. All he wanted to do
was be with these baby girl, Dana Roading and make
sure she was okay. For that reason, he would and
fight for his life. Leonard would tell us time and
(46:53):
time again that he was sorry for leaving us, but
he just couldn't walk this world without Dana any longer.
He made me promise that I would see these trials through,
that I would be at every court day. So here
I stand today, at the end of one of them.
I don't only stand here for Winter but myself as well.
(47:14):
You see, James Manley and I would be married twenty
eight years this week. The Rugnans are also in my family,
but in heart as well.
Speaker 12 (47:24):
I was.
Speaker 23 (47:27):
Made of honor at day on Chris's wedding. I be
beset Freakie Hannah Little Chris from the time I was born,
until they was old enough to stay by themselves. Even
after they was old enough to look after themselves, I
would still see them daily. That's why I referred to
them my babies. Then comes the morning of April twenty second,
(47:53):
two sevenenty sixteen, where all of our life changed forever
and will never be the same again. Not one, not
to but eight family members were taken away from us.
It was like the bottom fell out of my soul.
Hundreds of people around me, but I felt like I
watched this warm the line to this day, my husband said,
(48:16):
streaming to us and asleep, s tell anything. He called that.
You know, my stepson was never afraid of the dark.
He is now fifteen years old and still't won't go
outside by himself after dark.
Speaker 21 (48:29):
He says that they came in the darkness took them.
Speaker 19 (48:31):
All the way.
Speaker 23 (48:34):
Before that night. He was never afraid. I hope George
Wagner spends the rest of his life in prison without
seeing your loved ones for the rest of your life,
just like you made sure we went and see ours.
I hope you feel the loneliness and the emptiness that
we feel for the rest of your life. And I
(48:55):
have one last wish for you, George said, you and
your family made shoe. You were the last ones to
see our family a lie. I hope every night, when
you close your eyes, you see them eight faces, and
I hope they hotch for the rest of your life.
Speaker 6 (49:12):
Lisa, niece to Chris and kind of Roden goes next.
Speaker 12 (49:16):
Growing up, our parents tell us monsters do not exist,
but I had come to know that as a lie.
In my adult life. There are so many moments that
have made an impactful me greatly over the last eight
years six years.
Speaker 21 (49:31):
Sorry, but a few.
Speaker 12 (49:36):
Of this moments are very aful moments that I will
forever remember, vividly going into a funeral home and seeing
a caskets lying along the wall of our loved ones.
Walking into that room with my family, hearing the streams
(49:58):
from my mother's, my aunt and my uncles while trying
to hold him up because the leagus gave away. Six
years and eight months later, we still had these unbearable
moments where we feel like we could just break, knowing
the callous way they.
Speaker 23 (50:17):
Were taken from us.
Speaker 12 (50:20):
Who would not only lose her mommy on April twenty seconds,
but she lost all of her immediate family, and then
on November the thirteenth, twenty eighteen, she lost her dad's
side of her immediate family. Regardless of the monsters they are,
she still had a bond. The devastation it impact well forever,
(50:43):
way heavy on her for the rest of Hawaii. I've
tried to wrap my head around why my family was
given death sentences, but nothing will justify the why. My
cousin Hanname was given a death sent because she was
a strong old mother who wanted to raise your daughter
(51:04):
and continue to grow her family outside the Wagner's control.
My cousin Jared Dannah Hazel, little Chris, and I hate
name him, I was given a dossance for just simply
being there. My cousin Frank, my uncle Chris Michael Kenneth
(51:28):
were given adescence for being the protectors of our family.
Speaker 23 (51:33):
No man justice.
Speaker 12 (51:35):
Given in this court will come close to what is deserved.
But this man deserves nothing less than to spend the
rest of his life in prison.
Speaker 6 (51:44):
Tony Rowden, brother of Chris Sior and Kenneth Roden, speaks
last by reading a statement from his mother, Geneva Rodin.
Speaker 21 (51:53):
George Wadener, you or He'll breathing on two signs are
not breathing. My grandchildren.
Speaker 14 (52:03):
Are not breathing.
Speaker 21 (52:06):
They are all children left behind. I'd just like to
see some justice.
Speaker 5 (52:14):
Thank you.
Speaker 26 (52:15):
Jong.
Speaker 6 (52:16):
With all of the impact statements heard, Judge Randy Dearing
addresses the court.
Speaker 10 (52:21):
Mister Wagner, is there any reason that you want to
state is the white sentence should not be pronounced and
imposed immediate?
Speaker 5 (52:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (52:30):
Is there anything that you wish to say on your
own behalf or any information you wish to provide and mitigation?
Speaker 6 (52:37):
The judge then prepares to hand down the sentence.
Speaker 8 (52:40):
First of all, no sentence that the court man posed
in this case would right the wrong that has been
inflicted upon the victous and the families. Murder is a
is an irreversible act. The Court does find that these
murders do constitute the worst form of the offense, and
(53:03):
the Court quite frankly finds that defendate has shown no remorse,
just denial. The courts considered all of these facts, is
the course required to consider and is ready to impose sentence.
Speaker 10 (53:19):
So, mister Wagner, and I ask you to stand.
Speaker 6 (53:23):
George Wagner stands home.
Speaker 32 (53:25):
Count one of the indictment for the offensive aggravated murder
in violation Section two nine zero three point oh one
A of the Revised Code, the victim of that offense
being Kenneth Roden. The court by sentences you to serve
a mandatory term of life imprisonment without parole.
Speaker 6 (53:44):
George Wagner is sentenced to life in prison without parole
for all eight aggravated murder charges. Judge Jeering then hands
down sentences for fourteen additional counts.
Speaker 8 (53:55):
The aggregate of this sentence is eighth consecutive terms of
life imprisonment without parole plus.
Speaker 9 (54:05):
One hundred and twenty one years.
Speaker 8 (54:07):
Eighty one years of which are mandatory anything for if
not done yard journey.
Speaker 6 (54:15):
The final few charges can be served concurrently, but in
the end the full sentence is for eight consecutive life
sentences in prison plus one hundred and twenty one years
in prison, to be served consecutively. The prosecution agrees with
the sentence.
Speaker 33 (54:31):
We're satisfied with it. The most important thing was getting
those eight life without paroles. George Wagner, the fourth will
never be in a position to hurt anyone ever again.
I'm just happy for a family that they got to
see this. They actually got some justice.
Speaker 6 (54:46):
At this point, George Wagner could file an appeal. Jake
Wagner is serving life without parole. Angela Wagner is sentenced
to be in prison until she is eighty years old.
Billy Wagner is next to go to trial for the murders.
Speaker 5 (55:00):
Now all eyes are on Billy Wagner, the dad who
faces the same charges that George faced.
Speaker 32 (55:05):
Billy's trial is still expected to happen at some point
next year.
Speaker 24 (55:09):
You's been such a long, awful road for you all.
Speaker 16 (55:15):
I'm sure you're feeling a lot of emotions, but can
you give us any sense of what you're feeling just
right now?
Speaker 19 (55:24):
A little bit of peace. We still have a long
road to go. We'll get there. It's we are family.
Speaker 14 (55:31):
Are that this is now put russure on Billy to
complete guilty.
Speaker 12 (55:36):
We can only hope.
Speaker 6 (55:39):
As the season comes to a close, we felt it
was important to have one of the Rodent family members
have the last word. On December nineteenth, twenty twenty two,
Chris Senior and Kenneth's brother Tony Roden made a statement
in court. His words remind us of the strength, love
and loyalty that encompasses not just the victim, but those
(56:01):
they left behind.
Speaker 21 (56:06):
I lost two brothers, Chris Rodin Senor Kenneth Roden. I
also lost a niece, Anna Rodin. Also lost two nephews,
Frankie Rodin, Chris Rodin Julie. I also lost a cousin,
Gary Rogan. I also lost a sister in law, Daniel
Roaden Manon. I also lost my nephew, Frankie's fiance, Hannah
(56:34):
Hazel Guilty. I have so many memories of my brother
Chris that I wish I could put them all down
on paper, so whoever hears this today could see through
my memories how my brother Chris really was carrier, gracious,
(56:56):
loving family man and come. My brother Kenneth, my mom's son.
As a young boy, he would always hang out with
me and my other brothers, Chris, Stephen, and Brady. Loved
old cars and old trucks.
Speaker 14 (57:16):
Even at a young.
Speaker 21 (57:19):
Loved his family and he always showed it. When he married,
he adopted two kids, loved him as his own. My
cousin Gary, my mom's nephew. He would always help people.
I would be working with him, we would stop at
store to get something to drink. I'd say, Gary, go
(57:41):
in and get us something to drink, and he would,
but he also bought lottery tickets out of my money.
Loved his family. His life cut short by selfie shacks
of other My sister in law, damn, my mom's daughter
(58:02):
in law always spoke her mind. She would come to
my house and tell me what I needed to do
at my own house. When she walked in a room
with other people in it, she would always have people laughing.
She loved people, and it showed she loved her family,
(58:23):
would do anything for them. Her life cut short by
selfish acts of others. On November the thirteenth, twenty and eighteen,
there was an arrest in the murders of my family.
The same year, around Christmas time, my sister woman played
phone pad back and forth trying to get the authorities
(58:45):
to let and spend Christmas dinner at our family. So
it happened, and all the kids just loved them. And
at this Christmas dinner or Mom was handing out presents
to her younger grandchildren and her great grandchildren. Pictures were
(59:08):
being taken and then his name is called. He walks
up to Mom. She puts him on her lap. She
hands him the present pictures are taking she puts him
down and gives him a hug. I am sitting in
(59:28):
the kitchen crying as I watched. There's no relation to
our family, but he is the defendant's son. True love.
That's what was showed that Christmas dinner. It was embedded
by our mom to all of her kids. We all
(59:51):
have it in us. Chris taught it to his kids,
it showed Kenneth thought it to his and it still
shows true love.
Speaker 6 (01:00:07):
For more information on the case and relevant photos, follow
us on Instagram at kat Underscore Studios. Now that the
Pikedon massacre has come to an end this season, Kati
Studios invites you to experience our new podcast, Death Island.
Speaker 34 (01:00:28):
Just a few miles off the Thailand coast, The island
of Koto looks like a postcard.
Speaker 5 (01:00:34):
It's almost like if you were going to imagine a
paradise island, you'll draw a picture of one. That's what
Kotao looks like.
Speaker 6 (01:00:40):
Young tourists from all over the world visit the pristine
beaches and crystal clear water.
Speaker 34 (01:00:46):
Right underneath the surface lies something sinister.
Speaker 6 (01:00:50):
In the last two decades, dozens of tourists have died
mysteriously on the island.
Speaker 1 (01:00:55):
A dark cloud who's come over the island and cast
its death, mystery and danger.
Speaker 34 (01:01:05):
I'm journalist Connor Powell. Even while making this podcast, another
death on the island just happened. One thing is certain
in this beautiful place, no coast is clear. This is
Death Island.
Speaker 16 (01:01:21):
That's like murdering someone in Time Square and saying there's
no witnesses.
Speaker 34 (01:01:26):
A production of KT Studios and iHeartRadio. Listen to Death
Island every Wednesday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 6 (01:01:39):
The Pikedon Masker is produced by Stephanie Leidecker, Jeff Shane,
Chris Cacaro, Andrew Arnow, Gabriel Castillo and me Courtney Armstrong.
Editing and sound designed by Jeff Tis. Music by Jared Aston.
The Pikedon Masker is a production of iHeartRadio and KAT Studios.
For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the I Hear
(01:02:00):
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.
Hosts And Creators
Stephanie Lydecker
Courtney Armstrong
Jeff Shane
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