May 12, 2021 • 37 mins
A photograph shows the Rhoden and the Wagner families embracing, in happier times. What would tear these families apart and cause a tragedy that would shake a community to its core? Just months before death sentence trials were set to begin and in the middle of production of this podcast- a shocking break in the case changes everything. The Piketon Massacre: Return to Pike County explores the ties that bind the two families at the center of Ohio's largest murder investigation. Episode 1 dives into the theories surrounding the bombshell reveal and what will happen next in Pike County.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Pike to Massacre Season two returned to
Pike County, a production of iHeartRadio and Katie Studios. Heavenly Father,
we are gathered here today. Let us now our heads.
It was a really good wedding. She had a camouflage
dress and Fata Camo tugs. Eight bodies have been discovered
(00:27):
in all members of the Rodent family, the largest case
Ohio's state investigators have ever seen. I told her, I said, listen,
you don't want to marry him, and she said, well,
whying on? I said, because his mom is very control waying.
Please join hands. From what we hear, the relationship was intense.
(00:48):
It sounded like the half fields of numbercois taken to
the nth degree. So long as you both shouted. Four
members of the Wagner family have been charged with eight
counts of aggravated murder. I have never encountered queer an
entire family is accused of the mass murder of another family.
Is something so horrific has occurred, and it's almost beyond explanation.
(01:12):
When I look at one particular picture from the wedding day,
it's impossible to believe that nearly half of the people
are dead and half are accused of their murders. This
is the piked in Massacre. Season two returned to Pike County.
Episode one, Ties That Bind. I'm Courtney Armstrong, a television
(01:40):
producer at Katie Studios with Stephanie Lydecker and Jeff Shane.
On the morning of April twenty second, twenty sixteen, authorities
found eight members of the Rodent family brutally gunned down
across four different crime scenes in Pike County, Ohio. Two
years later, in November of twenty eighteen, four members of
the Wagner family were arrested for murders. It was a
(02:01):
gruesome crime that shocked the nation. We've been following the
Roden family murder case since we made a documentary about
it a few years ago. We were in the middle
of producing season two of this podcast when we suddenly
learned of a shocking development that none of us were expecting.
The fifth anniversary of the murders, our social media folks
started hearing people posting, Hey, there's a hearing fan. You
(02:23):
got to be there. There might be something big going down.
BCI has told the Roden family to be at the
Pike County Courthouse at one thirty for a hearing breaking
news to night shocking new developments from Pike County. On
April twenty second, of two and sixteen, eight members of
the Roden family were found dead at four different properties.
Investigation lasted nearly two years before authorities arrested Jane Wagner
(02:43):
along with several members of his fan A lot of
people care about it, a lot of people know about it,
and a lot of people are talking about it. Today,
on Thursday, April twenty second, twenty twenty one, the five
year anniversary of the murders, we sat at our computers
watching a live stream from the Pike County Courthouse, and
there he was, Jake Wagner, flanked by his two attorneys,
as Judge Randy Deering entered the courtroom. Thank you for
(03:13):
the record. Identify myself with Rob Pike Canty, crossecutor. I'm
here on behalf of the State of Ohio. On State
of Ohio versus Edward J. Wager, and that would be
Pike County Common Police School's case twenty eighteen CR. I
wanted to be four if you want. The court ra
noted Dave marks the fifth anniversary of the homicides of
eight members of the roots manilies and Gilly families, and
(03:34):
as it is the fifth anniversary, this is a periory
ton of horse that we have preached an agreement with
this defendant, Edward D. Wagner, to resolve this case. Prosecutor
Rob Junk listed off the names of each Slane member
of the Ruden family, Christopher Rudden, Scene, Gary Ruden, Clarence
Frankie Ruden, Kenneth Ruden, Hannah Gilly, Dana Manley, Hannah Rud
(04:01):
and Christopher ridden Junior. When Judge Deering asked Jake how
he pled to each aggravated murder charge, he replied with
one simple phrase, I am jilt. We've realized that this
whole case had blown open and we'd be following in
(04:22):
real time. We immediately got on the phone with some
of the journalists and experts that have been covering the case.
The closest across the board. There was one pretty consistent reaction,
absolutely stunned. I mean, honestly, you could have knocked me
over with a feather. I didn't see it coming. When
we heard the judge say, I understand you're here to
make it agree me, and we're like, oh my gosh,
(04:43):
this is huge. I was really surprised, especially as long
and hard as they fought it. It was a total shock.
I was sitting in a restaurant when I got the call,
and I almost fell out of the booth. After all
of these years, that somebody is going to suddenly say, yeah,
you know, I know. We've you know, several times over
the last five years, we've vehemently denied any involvement in
(05:04):
this and acted offended, and then all of a sudden, like,
oh yeah, well, one of them changed their minds. It
was a little bit stunning, but it was Jake, because
everybody who's really covered this piece closely thought if anybody wavered,
it would have been George. Our first question, why did
(05:26):
Jake Wagner finally break I don't know that any of
us would know. Is he going to tell us? Why?
Why would you make this deal? Was he doing this
to save their lives or was he just turning on them?
I can't say for sure. Is there a likelihood that
the other family members will plead out, I mean, that's
(05:47):
entirely possible. Just weeks before the hearing, we had received
a photo from Pike County native Christina, her sister Tabitha
was once married to the eldest accus son, George Wagner.
In light of Jake's please deal, the image is nothing
short of chilling. We posted on our Instagram at Katie
Underscore Studios. It's a picture of both the Roden and
(06:09):
Wagner families gathered together to celebrate George and Tabitha's wedding
back in twenty twelve. Looking at it, it's impossible to
imagine that, aside from the bride, half the people pictured
would be dead, the other half accused of their murders.
Yet here they are embracing in happier times. At the
left of the photo is Jake Wagner, the youngest accused
(06:30):
son who we just heard plead guilty. He's smiling, his
right hand resting on his accused mother, Angela Wagner's arm.
Standing behind them at six foot six is Jake's accused father,
Billy Wagner, noticeably emotionless. Standing next to Billy Wagner in
the photo is father and victim Chris Roden. Senior family friends.
(06:54):
Stefan remembers Chris's expert craftsmanship and genuine kindness. He as
an amazing carpenter. His imagination. If they said money's no object,
you would be amazed at the things that he could
do and you couldn't ask for a better person. Coroner,
distinguished Professor and criminal forensic expert Joseph Morgan tried to
(07:18):
make sense of the Rodent murders, starting with father and
family patriarch Chris Senior. Some of this will be hard
to hear, particularly if you're personally connected to the tragedy,
but it's important to understand the magnitude of what happened
that night. He was shot nine times. Now, for me,
as a forensic investigator, I would look at that and
I would deem that as overkill. And you know, why
(07:41):
would somebody need to be shot nine times. They're saying
that there's evidence that he attempted or reacted at least
to the point where he raised his arm his right
form and it shattered one of the bones. When you've
got an individual that has gotten defensive, that person has
an awareness, so that goes to a level of callousness
(08:05):
that that's Roses too. Standing just in front of Chris
Senior in the wedding photo with his father's arm draped
around his shoulder is the youngest Roden victim sixteen year
old Chris Junior, affectionately called Little Chris. Brittany was Chris
Junior's best friend. Well, Chris, he taught me how to
love life. You know, look at life differently. I can't
(08:30):
explain that like it makes you will to cry. Roden
family members spoke to reporters about Chris Junior soon after
the murders. Christopher get to go to prom. You just
kind of driver, super so he's sixteen years old. He
had a whole life. Sixteen year old Chris Junior was
(08:56):
shot four toms, including twice in the time off of
his head. He was sound wished behind his bed, implying
that he was trying to hide from the killer. Killers.
Just in back of Chris Junior and the photo stands
his older brother, twenty year old victim Frankie Roden. Christina
(09:18):
knew Frankie growing up. Frankie he was the kind of
guy like he did a first sure hunting fisher and
all that. But he did like Derby's bad working on
carters and stuff. That was his passion. Frankie Rodin was
engaged to victim Hannah Gilly, not pictured just before the murders.
The couple had had their first child together. They're six
(09:38):
month old, and Frankie's three year old son were left
alive at the scene. Frankie and Hannah they did want
more children than you know, they had a bright future
and just oh it just it just hurts my heart
to think that, you know, they'll never get to go
on with their future plans. You know, twenty year old
Frankie Rodin was shot Thoms in the head miss He
(10:02):
lay in bed next to his fiance and they're six
month old. We talked about Hannah and Gillie Hayes shot
five Toms. She catches one in the eye. It poses
this idea, why are you shooting these people in the face.
What's the purpose of it? Because not only shoe him
in the flacier, shoe him multiple times? What thread did
(10:24):
she pos she's laying there was her child in the bed.
To the right of the group photograph, we see the
two newlyweds, the accused eldest son, George Wagner, and his
new bride smiling excitedly. We believe that Dana, victim and
matriarch of the road and family, was behind the camera
taking the photo. Christina remembered Dana Road in that day
(10:47):
in twenty twelve. She seemed pretty bubbly. You know, she's
get along with her family. I've seen her laugh and
with the most ways. She's going around taking pictures of everything.
Dana Roden and Chris Roden Senior were married for thirteen years.
Even though they divorced, they remained friends. In fact, Dana
(11:08):
lived just down the road in a home that Chris
Senior had purchased for her. Two weeks before their murders.
She had just returned home from a double shift at
her job as a nurse that fateful night. Here is Stefanne,
one of Dana Roden's closest friends. She was such a
good person, but you know, she would fight for her family.
She would literally fight for her family. And goodhearted, a
(11:30):
lot of fun, you know, always laughing, cracking up. Yeah,
from why we hear she was like really strong willed
and really smart. Yeah, she sure was. She she was
a very very good person. She's very smart. She again,
like Chris Senior, was shot multiple toms. And not only
was she shot multiple tims, but specifically reports have her
(11:53):
having been shot five tims four times cool tims in
the head. Now, why the hell, would you shoot somebody
four times in the head, because you know one should suffice.
But the shooter took the top to take that muzzle
of that weapon. Stick it beneath Dana's chin. Stick it
(12:19):
beneath her chin. Now, this is a common location for suicide,
all right, this is atypical for homicide. Victim Gary Rodin,
Chris Senior's cousin, also not pictured, was a beloved member
of the family. By all accounts, Gary and Chrissior were
very close. Here's Angeanette Levy. She's an Emmy nominated Ohio
(12:41):
reporter who has been covering the case since the beginning.
Gary just happened to be at Chris's home that night.
He was actually from Kentucky, so you know, he didn't
even live in the area or the neighborhood, but you know,
lived close enough to where he was staying with Chris
that evening. We do know that the shooter was very
close to Gary when they fired, because they talk about
(13:02):
what is referred to as a press contact bench at
one and if our listeners will essentially take your index finger, okay,
and point it towards the palm of your hand and
extend the tip of your finger maybe I don't know,
probably about half an inch away from the surface of
your palm. That's kind of what we would refer to
(13:24):
as a contact moon. And what that means is that
you're going to have, you know, the bullet's not the
only thing coming out of the end of the weapon.
You're going to have the fire that actually the ignition
of the bullet and the round. You'll have this burning
the powder that's coming out. You'll have unburned powder that's
coming out. So this is a very intimate event. Kenneth Roden,
(13:47):
Christina's brother, who was also missing from the photo, was
not with the family that day. He was, you know,
a great father and he would do anything for anybody.
You've got Kenneth who was actually again shot in face,
and not only was he shot and facing, was shot
in the eye. You know, what does it say that
(14:07):
they would take the time and put themselves in a
position where they could be face to face with Kenneth.
He was found covered with dollar bills that were streamed
about his body. He's just god, I mean, he can't
he can't make this. Up Standing front and center in
the picture is then fifteen year old victim Hannah Rodin.
(14:30):
She's in a black bridesmaid's dress and leans in close
to her boyfriend accused younger son, Jake Wagner. Their child
together would eventually become the alleged center point of this crime.
They had been dating for a few years when the
photo was taken, and appeared very happy. Jake Wagner was
Hannah Roden's first love. Christina told us things between them,
(14:53):
we're getting serious. I heard Hannah Jake like talking about
how good then pretty Tabby and George's wedding was that
they hoped whenever they get married that it'll be pretty
like that and all that good stuff. Brittany was also
friends with Hannah. She was great, She was funny. She
(15:16):
was really funny. She was really really nice. She knew everyone,
Everyone knew her, and she just like talked to everyone.
She wasn't stuck up or anything like that. And she
lived life to the fullest. Prior to the murder, Hannah
Rodin had broken up with Jake Wagner. She had started
dating someone new, and the pair had a baby together
that she gave birth to four days before the murders.
(15:37):
Hannah rod She was shot twice in the head as
her four day old newborn laid beside her, maybe there
curled in a fetal posture, along with her baby, just
curled in a fetal posture. Mama was slowly stroking the
head of the baby, try to, you know, calm suit
the baby during the night. Maybe she awakes, some breastfeeds
(15:58):
the baby during the night while she's sleeping. It's a
position people will slept in for thousands and thousands of years.
It's a position of comfort. Imagine you're laying there, you're
there to protect your baby, and you're curled up on
your side. There's an awareness. The only people left alive
were three children, Hannah's forty old infant, Frankie's five year
(16:19):
old son from a previous relationship, and the six month
old baby he shared with his fiancee, Hannah Gilly. The
choice to spare the children lived investigators perplexed. Here's James Pilcher.
He's an on air reporter for Local twelve News in Cincinnati, Ohio,
and a longtime investigative journalist in the area. Usually when
you have a mass shooting or a mass murder, everybody's killed.
(16:44):
So to see that three kids, all under the age
of three years old, some infants were left unharmed next
to their parents who were shot dead, very very unusual.
Soon after the murders, members of the Rodent family the
statement to the local media pleading for help and finding
their family's killers. We know what follows is difficult listening,
(17:06):
but we want to acknowledge the pain. The entire surviving
Rodent family has gone through a lots of people. They
lose one family member, and when you lose eight, nobody
has any idea what we've been through our lives as
right now. They'll never be safe. They stole so much
(17:29):
from us. The killers stole so much. They stole their
lives that they stole ours to because we live with
it every day. Met my brothers, who are good people.
They would do anything to help you. Dana was a
(17:50):
wonderful person. She always try to help do stuff. From
my mom, from Frankie, his fiance Hannah. They we're taken
away from their kids. They were taken away from us.
(18:10):
My niece Hannah May, she had a baby that I
haven't even got to meet. The Gillies, Gary's mom and dad.
They only know what we are all going through, and
I know that in their hearts, in their minds, they're
hoping and praying every day just like we are, that
(18:38):
whoever did this will be brought to justice. Looking back
at the wedding photo, what's hard to wrap our heads
around is that all the players are in this one
picture Christina gave us. There. They are the Wagners and
the road and smiling together. And just years later, in
(19:00):
November twenty eighteen, the Wagner family would be arrested for
the murders of the Rodents. We promised that the day
would come when the arrest would be made in the
Pike County massacres today or that day. Billy Wagner, his
wife Angela, and their two sons, George and Jake, are
accused of multiple counts of murder. Billy, Angela, George, and
(19:22):
Jake Wagner were all charged with eight counts of aggravated murder. Additionally,
Angela Wagner's mother, Rita Newcombe, and Billy's mother Frederica Wagner
were accused of perjury and obstructing justice for allegedly misleading investigators.
Angela's mother, Rita Newcombe, was also charged with forge and
custody documents to cover up the crimes. What was surprising
(19:44):
was that you had these two grandmothers arrested, Frederico Wagner
and then Angela Wagner's mother, Rina Newcomb. You had two
grandmothers being charged with helping to cover up these crimes.
Because then it your mind kind of goes wild. You
naturally think, well, did they know before it happened? You know,
if you're alleging they were part of a cover up.
What happened, though, Rita Joe Nukam reached a plea deal
(20:07):
in which the bulk of the charges were dismissed and
the charges against Frederica Wagner were eventually dropped. The suspicion
around the family grew, and the ties that bound the
Wagners and the Rodents came into focus. We're going to
take a quick break here. We'll be back in a moment.
(20:38):
We talked earlier about the baby Hannah Rodin and Jake
Wagner had together in twenty thirteen. The couple and their
daughter split time between the rod and the Wagner households.
For everyone involved, the situation worked well. However, when the
couple broke up in twenty fifteen, the families became bitter rivals.
But when that news broke that they were were actually
(21:00):
being indicted and charged. I felt like this must have
been something personal. The animosity let authorities to pinpoint one
salient motive in the case. They say that the Wagners
were obsessed with custody and really obsessed with their bloodline,
custody of the daughter that Hannah Rodin shared with Jake Wagner.
The prosecution says that was the heart of the motive
(21:21):
in this case. They wanted soul custody and they weren't
going to stop until they got it. Investigative reporter Jodi
Barr was shocked by these allegations. I have never encountered
this in my fifteen years of journalism, where an entire
family is accused of the mass murder of another family
(21:42):
over what's presumably, if we're to believe the prosecution and
the investigation, over custody of children. I think that was
the toughest part for me personally, was dealing with what
happens to those kids, and then it comes out later
this was all about the kids and there was a
fight over the kids. That was that was troubling to
(22:06):
me personally, Like who would do that to have custody
and to be able to love and nurture or child
and yet have that act of violence within themselves to
do that on their behalf. Those are two things that
I just can't rectify in my mind. It's human nature
to ask why why would someone perpetrate something so horrific?
(22:31):
Think about what that means. We're going to eradicate you
off the face of the planet. That's that's well, that's
that's so on a biblical scale, when you begin to
think of, by God, we're going to make sure that
they're not just dead there Julius Caesar dead. After their arrest,
(22:51):
the Wagners continue to maintain their innocence and their family
was with them every step of the way. Here's grandmother,
Frederica Wagner, responded to reporters when asked if she thought
her family was involved in the Roden murders. Absolutely, not
anywhere near that. Like said, in the two years since
(23:14):
the arrest, most have considered the Wagners as the most
likely suspects in the Roden murders. It appeared that they
were a very close group who discreetly planned this massacre
for months. But at the same time, it's just beyond
the pail to kill an entire family over custody. And
now after Jake Wagner's bombshell plea deal, we wondered was
the Wagner bond breaking the Waggoners were a cult like family,
(23:40):
and if what the Waggoners are accused of doing to
the Rodents, I mean they're accused of doing this together.
They're accused of trying to cover it up together as
a family. And the old cliche blood is thicker than water. Well,
cult like I don't know what the problem ability of
(24:01):
in a cult one telling on another, especially with the
consequences that would come down if one Wagoner told on
another and you know, one went to prison. You know,
if the state had to depend on one Waggoner telling
on another, the chances of that happening are likely not
very good. Now, finally, there may be some answers, you know,
(24:25):
who went into what home, who died first, why they died,
you know, why they chose to spare the children. So
I would just hope we get to hear finally from someone,
at least in Jake Wagner's case, I mean, where's the remorse?
You know, is there remorse from what happened? And if not,
(24:49):
man this is again, if there's a level beyond cold
blooded evil, If there is a level beyond that, I
think we have seen it. I don't know that we
know what to call it. In all, Jake Wagner pled
guilty to all eight aggravated murder charges as well as
to fifteen other criminal accounts that included conspiracy, aggravated burglary,
(25:09):
and tampering with evidence. He also named his father Billy,
his mother Angela, and brother George Wagner as co conspirators.
In exchange for his plea, the death sentence was taken
off the table for him and the rest of his family.
But perhaps what's most shocking is that Jake is actually
going to testify against all of his family members. It seems,
(25:32):
at the bare minimum, there's not a Wagner that's stepping
out of prison anytime soon. The following is real time
audio from the courtroom when the prosecution laid out the
charges against Shake Wagner. The information that Jake provided clearly
intreated he and each members of his family, to include Billy,
Angeli and enjoyed Wagner as being guilty of all accounts
contained lean ditements filed in this manner based on the
(25:55):
frutality of the information now known about the state, including
the fourth right statements of the We have overwhelming evidence
that the defendant and the three co defendant members of
his family are in fact responsible for planning and carrying
out the homicides. Jake admitted that in the lake evening
hours of April twenty first, two thousand and sixteen into
the early morning hours of Abel twenty second, two sixteen,
(26:17):
is when they committed these homicides. We know that they
trespassed into each of the four residents where the victims
were found with the intent to kill them, and that
they were armed for firearms, at least two of which
had homing silencers fixed to them when they did so.
We know that they inspired together and planned these homicides
for the months that led up to the offenses, and
that if all four co defendants took part of that,
(26:39):
as well as making various purchases to accomplish their goal.
We know that they removed the phones of all the
two of the victims and cameras and other surveillance equipment
of the victims in order to avoid detection. Jake also
admitted to personally killing five members of the rodents himself
though the victims were unnamed at this point. As noted,
Driver the defendant had in essence confess and apologize for
(27:02):
committing these offenses with his family and numbers, and admits
to personally causing the death by the aid victims and
either committing all of the other offenses contained in the
indictment directly or by being complicit in them. It was
also noted that Wagner provided investigators with information that led
to the recovery of the weapons and vehicles used in
(27:22):
the murders. Most recently, Your Honor, the State set down
with Jake Wagner, who has provided the State with many
more details of regarding these offenses, some of which were
very consistent with what the State are wed to view
and with the evidence that had already been collected. Some
of the information information, however, that was provided by Jake,
who was new. In addition to the information that Jake
(27:43):
provided us, what he told us led us to discover
some evidence that had yet to been recovered, specifically the
weapons that were used in these offenses, along with vehicles
that were used during these offenses, including one that the
Box specifically to use. The Knight of the Homicides only
though Jake was spared the death penalty. Prosecutors pulled no
punches with his sentence, saying, as part of this plea,
(28:04):
the state is agreed to dismiss the death specif occasion
in exchange the defendant in the state making joint recommendation
to the court with the defendive receeve eight consecutive life
without coal sentences for his pleas and guilty to counsel
one proving in the indictment. Jake's lawyers responded, We're fully
satisfied and gone eyes wide open into disagreement. He knows
(28:26):
he's going to die in prison without any judicial release,
and as he just said it, and I appreciate it's
kinda of mentioning it, and as I'm sure he'll say
more when the day's sentencing arrives. As horrifying as this
is for all, he is as sorry as he One
(28:48):
moment from the court proceedings stood out to us. When
the judge was running through each victim and got to
Hannah Rodin, it was impossible not to notice when Jake
Wagner had an audible pause and a noticeable what do
you make of the smirk when he is cleaning guilty
he kind of smiled. I don't know if you noticed that.
Oh I sure did. That's Mike Allen. He's a former
(29:09):
prosecutor and now a criminal defense attorney in Ohio. He's
been covering the case for years. I don't know how
you could work up a smile. I don't care what
you're thinking for something like that. What does that say
about Jay Quackback. I mean, he's got a depraved mind.
Anybody that could do that, it would not meet obviously
(29:31):
the legal definition of sanity. But you know there's something
wrong with him that you can be that cold to
go about doing that. I mean, really, that's all I
can say. I've been at this stuff for a long
time and I've never seen one, just as I guess
the word it comes in my mind as hardcore as this.
(29:52):
Whenever I've seen a little part where he was like
confessing to Hannah and he was trying to hold back
a laugh or so, I'm like, Okay, I don't know
if your horns are showering or if you're just kind
of like one of those awkward laugh There was a
(30:13):
different reaction when Hannah's name came up. Maybe his reaction
was like that, because like he personally killed her or something.
Ohio Governor Mike Dwine, who presided over the investigation as
Attorney General, was at the Pike County Courthouse as Jake's
hearing unfolded. Well, we've all read or heard of the
(30:36):
book in cold Blood. This was cold, cold, cold blood.
I mean, this was calculated, planned out, and then it
just you know, I mean, it just chills you to
think about the calculation that goes into something like this.
Five years ago today I was here and we met
(30:58):
with family members in the church. I committed to them
that we would find who did this and that we
would bring them to justice. There was a lot of
justice done today, and there was a collective sigh of
relief from locals in southern Ohio. Pike County resident Barbe
(31:18):
explained her initial shock. I can't imagine that he would
admit to murdering eight people, and if he didn't really
do it, he said guilty. I thought, are you lying?
What are you? What are you doing? You know? But
then I thought, oh my god, I just it blew
my mind. Brittany tried to come to terms with the news.
(31:40):
I'm just focusing on the good and a good thing
happened today, and I know that there in heaven looking
down and just thinking how stupid the wageners are thinking
they would get away with it. Christina put the day's
events and perhaps the most poetic way possible. Justice to
me and karma is a bit turn. It catches up
(32:02):
with everybody. Eventually. You can run all you want, but
you'll never outrun. We're going to take a quick break here.
We'll be back in a moment. The question remains, why
(32:31):
did you do this? Now? He was doing it to
keep himself from getting the death sentence and pretty much
powing on the rest of his family like, yeah, I'm
gonna drive you guys down, but I'm gonna save my
butt from yeah again the best friend. Was he pleading
(32:55):
guilty to save himself or his family? The family has
done nothing but fight, fight, fight, and profess their innocence
in this whole time. And you know, I thought that
they would fight this to the bitter end and ticket
to trial and see what they could do a trial.
So now you know, if Billy the controlling figure or
(33:16):
Mom the controlling figure and doesn't around, Jake's there to
think for himself. He apparently, you know, has information on
a lot of them, and yes he did throw them
under the bus, but perhaps he saved their lives. What's
in store for Jake's co conspirators. None of the other
Wagners have pleaded guilty, so what could we see if
(33:39):
they go to trial. I just think for a family
that was so united and you know, did things like
take votes on finances and wild nights and children, I
mean they were they lived, you know, as one unit,
the prosecution has said in court papers. And these people
did nothing without consulting the other. This is a massive break,
(34:00):
a massive shift. It's like a like a huge creator
in the middle of the Wagner family kind of the
united side. He is going to testify against his family members. Now,
I mean, I don't know of I don't know of
anybody in Hollywood that could write a better script than that.
(34:21):
You know, how compelling is that? Something that has this
kind of gothic undertone to it? You know, in rural America,
where these individuals are going to, you know, come forward
and and stand and stare at him. You think about
staring into the eyes of your kin folks across the
(34:43):
room as you're sitting in the dock there and you're
looking at them straight in the eyes, and people that
you've spent Thanksgivings with Christmases, you know these moments throughout
your life, and you're looking at them, and you're potentially
(35:05):
sending them to the proverbial gallows by virtue of what
you're going to say. But what happens if the other
three Wagners reached plea deals as well, if any other
guilty plea in this case ends the way Jake Wagner's ended,
we still may not know exactly why this happened. It
(35:28):
seemed like the impossible murder. And you go back to
April twenty sixteen and a month after I mean, everyone
had assumed that this was a drug cartel hit. It fit.
It made sense. The only way this could happen is
a highly skilled, trained assassin would come in and pull
this off and get away with it. I want to
know exactly what happened that night, you know, how did
(35:51):
they get in the homes? We know the end, We've
got some idea what happened in the middle, But I
think I want to know about the beginning. You know,
was this truly about custody? You know, I would just
like to know, you know, exactly why from Jake Wagner,
When did the switch flip to where the only resolution
(36:12):
to whatever was going on between him and the Rodents
at that point was to go and kill them all
makes absolutely no sense. One thing is certain. There's only
more bombshells to come. We will be tracking the case
in real time as they develop, and it proves that
(36:33):
the investigators and the prosecutors did their job. It was
the biggest murder case in the history of the state,
and they got their man. The relationship fractured, however you
want to describe it. You know, there's no turning back
to this family now. The prosecution now holds all the cards,
(36:53):
and it seems justice has begun to be served now
three more Wagners to The piked In Massacre Returned to
Pike County is executive produced by Stephanie Lydecker and me
Courtney Armstrong, editing and sound designed by executive producer Jared Aston.
(37:18):
Additional producing by Jeff Shane, Andrew Becker and Chris Graves.
The piked In Massacre Returned to Pike County is a
production of iHeartRadio and Katie Studios. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio,
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows.
Welcome to the Pike to Massacre Season two returned to
Pike County, a production of iHeartRadio and Katie Studios. Heavenly Father,
we are gathered here today. Let us now our heads.
It was a really good wedding. She had a camouflage
dress and Fata Camo tugs. Eight bodies have been discovered
(00:27):
in all members of the Rodent family, the largest case
Ohio's state investigators have ever seen. I told her, I said, listen,
you don't want to marry him, and she said, well,
whying on? I said, because his mom is very control waying.
Please join hands. From what we hear, the relationship was intense.
(00:48):
It sounded like the half fields of numbercois taken to
the nth degree. So long as you both shouted. Four
members of the Wagner family have been charged with eight
counts of aggravated murder. I have never encountered queer an
entire family is accused of the mass murder of another family.
Is something so horrific has occurred, and it's almost beyond explanation.
(01:12):
When I look at one particular picture from the wedding day,
it's impossible to believe that nearly half of the people
are dead and half are accused of their murders. This
is the piked in Massacre. Season two returned to Pike County.
Episode one, Ties That Bind. I'm Courtney Armstrong, a television
(01:40):
producer at Katie Studios with Stephanie Lydecker and Jeff Shane.
On the morning of April twenty second, twenty sixteen, authorities
found eight members of the Rodent family brutally gunned down
across four different crime scenes in Pike County, Ohio. Two
years later, in November of twenty eighteen, four members of
the Wagner family were arrested for murders. It was a
(02:01):
gruesome crime that shocked the nation. We've been following the
Roden family murder case since we made a documentary about
it a few years ago. We were in the middle
of producing season two of this podcast when we suddenly
learned of a shocking development that none of us were expecting.
The fifth anniversary of the murders, our social media folks
started hearing people posting, Hey, there's a hearing fan. You
(02:23):
got to be there. There might be something big going down.
BCI has told the Roden family to be at the
Pike County Courthouse at one thirty for a hearing breaking
news to night shocking new developments from Pike County. On
April twenty second, of two and sixteen, eight members of
the Roden family were found dead at four different properties.
Investigation lasted nearly two years before authorities arrested Jane Wagner
(02:43):
along with several members of his fan A lot of
people care about it, a lot of people know about it,
and a lot of people are talking about it. Today,
on Thursday, April twenty second, twenty twenty one, the five
year anniversary of the murders, we sat at our computers
watching a live stream from the Pike County Courthouse, and
there he was, Jake Wagner, flanked by his two attorneys,
as Judge Randy Deering entered the courtroom. Thank you for
(03:13):
the record. Identify myself with Rob Pike Canty, crossecutor. I'm
here on behalf of the State of Ohio. On State
of Ohio versus Edward J. Wager, and that would be
Pike County Common Police School's case twenty eighteen CR. I
wanted to be four if you want. The court ra
noted Dave marks the fifth anniversary of the homicides of
eight members of the roots manilies and Gilly families, and
(03:34):
as it is the fifth anniversary, this is a periory
ton of horse that we have preached an agreement with
this defendant, Edward D. Wagner, to resolve this case. Prosecutor
Rob Junk listed off the names of each Slane member
of the Ruden family, Christopher Rudden, Scene, Gary Ruden, Clarence
Frankie Ruden, Kenneth Ruden, Hannah Gilly, Dana Manley, Hannah Rud
(04:01):
and Christopher ridden Junior. When Judge Deering asked Jake how
he pled to each aggravated murder charge, he replied with
one simple phrase, I am jilt. We've realized that this
whole case had blown open and we'd be following in
(04:22):
real time. We immediately got on the phone with some
of the journalists and experts that have been covering the case.
The closest across the board. There was one pretty consistent reaction,
absolutely stunned. I mean, honestly, you could have knocked me
over with a feather. I didn't see it coming. When
we heard the judge say, I understand you're here to
make it agree me, and we're like, oh my gosh,
(04:43):
this is huge. I was really surprised, especially as long
and hard as they fought it. It was a total shock.
I was sitting in a restaurant when I got the call,
and I almost fell out of the booth. After all
of these years, that somebody is going to suddenly say, yeah,
you know, I know. We've you know, several times over
the last five years, we've vehemently denied any involvement in
(05:04):
this and acted offended, and then all of a sudden, like,
oh yeah, well, one of them changed their minds. It
was a little bit stunning, but it was Jake, because
everybody who's really covered this piece closely thought if anybody wavered,
it would have been George. Our first question, why did
(05:26):
Jake Wagner finally break I don't know that any of
us would know. Is he going to tell us? Why?
Why would you make this deal? Was he doing this
to save their lives or was he just turning on them?
I can't say for sure. Is there a likelihood that
the other family members will plead out, I mean, that's
(05:47):
entirely possible. Just weeks before the hearing, we had received
a photo from Pike County native Christina, her sister Tabitha
was once married to the eldest accus son, George Wagner.
In light of Jake's please deal, the image is nothing
short of chilling. We posted on our Instagram at Katie
Underscore Studios. It's a picture of both the Roden and
(06:09):
Wagner families gathered together to celebrate George and Tabitha's wedding
back in twenty twelve. Looking at it, it's impossible to
imagine that, aside from the bride, half the people pictured
would be dead, the other half accused of their murders.
Yet here they are embracing in happier times. At the
left of the photo is Jake Wagner, the youngest accused
(06:30):
son who we just heard plead guilty. He's smiling, his
right hand resting on his accused mother, Angela Wagner's arm.
Standing behind them at six foot six is Jake's accused father,
Billy Wagner, noticeably emotionless. Standing next to Billy Wagner in
the photo is father and victim Chris Roden. Senior family friends.
(06:54):
Stefan remembers Chris's expert craftsmanship and genuine kindness. He as
an amazing carpenter. His imagination. If they said money's no object,
you would be amazed at the things that he could
do and you couldn't ask for a better person. Coroner,
distinguished Professor and criminal forensic expert Joseph Morgan tried to
(07:18):
make sense of the Rodent murders, starting with father and
family patriarch Chris Senior. Some of this will be hard
to hear, particularly if you're personally connected to the tragedy,
but it's important to understand the magnitude of what happened
that night. He was shot nine times. Now, for me,
as a forensic investigator, I would look at that and
I would deem that as overkill. And you know, why
(07:41):
would somebody need to be shot nine times. They're saying
that there's evidence that he attempted or reacted at least
to the point where he raised his arm his right
form and it shattered one of the bones. When you've
got an individual that has gotten defensive, that person has
an awareness, so that goes to a level of callousness
(08:05):
that that's Roses too. Standing just in front of Chris
Senior in the wedding photo with his father's arm draped
around his shoulder is the youngest Roden victim sixteen year
old Chris Junior, affectionately called Little Chris. Brittany was Chris
Junior's best friend. Well, Chris, he taught me how to
love life. You know, look at life differently. I can't
(08:30):
explain that like it makes you will to cry. Roden
family members spoke to reporters about Chris Junior soon after
the murders. Christopher get to go to prom. You just
kind of driver, super so he's sixteen years old. He
had a whole life. Sixteen year old Chris Junior was
(08:56):
shot four toms, including twice in the time off of
his head. He was sound wished behind his bed, implying
that he was trying to hide from the killer. Killers.
Just in back of Chris Junior and the photo stands
his older brother, twenty year old victim Frankie Roden. Christina
(09:18):
knew Frankie growing up. Frankie he was the kind of
guy like he did a first sure hunting fisher and
all that. But he did like Derby's bad working on
carters and stuff. That was his passion. Frankie Rodin was
engaged to victim Hannah Gilly, not pictured just before the murders.
The couple had had their first child together. They're six
(09:38):
month old, and Frankie's three year old son were left
alive at the scene. Frankie and Hannah they did want
more children than you know, they had a bright future
and just oh it just it just hurts my heart
to think that, you know, they'll never get to go
on with their future plans. You know, twenty year old
Frankie Rodin was shot Thoms in the head miss He
(10:02):
lay in bed next to his fiance and they're six
month old. We talked about Hannah and Gillie Hayes shot
five Toms. She catches one in the eye. It poses
this idea, why are you shooting these people in the face.
What's the purpose of it? Because not only shoe him
in the flacier, shoe him multiple times? What thread did
(10:24):
she pos she's laying there was her child in the bed.
To the right of the group photograph, we see the
two newlyweds, the accused eldest son, George Wagner, and his
new bride smiling excitedly. We believe that Dana, victim and
matriarch of the road and family, was behind the camera
taking the photo. Christina remembered Dana Road in that day
(10:47):
in twenty twelve. She seemed pretty bubbly. You know, she's
get along with her family. I've seen her laugh and
with the most ways. She's going around taking pictures of everything.
Dana Roden and Chris Roden Senior were married for thirteen years.
Even though they divorced, they remained friends. In fact, Dana
(11:08):
lived just down the road in a home that Chris
Senior had purchased for her. Two weeks before their murders.
She had just returned home from a double shift at
her job as a nurse that fateful night. Here is Stefanne,
one of Dana Roden's closest friends. She was such a
good person, but you know, she would fight for her family.
She would literally fight for her family. And goodhearted, a
(11:30):
lot of fun, you know, always laughing, cracking up. Yeah,
from why we hear she was like really strong willed
and really smart. Yeah, she sure was. She she was
a very very good person. She's very smart. She again,
like Chris Senior, was shot multiple toms. And not only
was she shot multiple tims, but specifically reports have her
(11:53):
having been shot five tims four times cool tims in
the head. Now, why the hell, would you shoot somebody
four times in the head, because you know one should suffice.
But the shooter took the top to take that muzzle
of that weapon. Stick it beneath Dana's chin. Stick it
(12:19):
beneath her chin. Now, this is a common location for suicide,
all right, this is atypical for homicide. Victim Gary Rodin,
Chris Senior's cousin, also not pictured, was a beloved member
of the family. By all accounts, Gary and Chrissior were
very close. Here's Angeanette Levy. She's an Emmy nominated Ohio
(12:41):
reporter who has been covering the case since the beginning.
Gary just happened to be at Chris's home that night.
He was actually from Kentucky, so you know, he didn't
even live in the area or the neighborhood, but you know,
lived close enough to where he was staying with Chris
that evening. We do know that the shooter was very
close to Gary when they fired, because they talk about
(13:02):
what is referred to as a press contact bench at
one and if our listeners will essentially take your index finger, okay,
and point it towards the palm of your hand and
extend the tip of your finger maybe I don't know,
probably about half an inch away from the surface of
your palm. That's kind of what we would refer to
(13:24):
as a contact moon. And what that means is that
you're going to have, you know, the bullet's not the
only thing coming out of the end of the weapon.
You're going to have the fire that actually the ignition
of the bullet and the round. You'll have this burning
the powder that's coming out. You'll have unburned powder that's
coming out. So this is a very intimate event. Kenneth Roden,
(13:47):
Christina's brother, who was also missing from the photo, was
not with the family that day. He was, you know,
a great father and he would do anything for anybody.
You've got Kenneth who was actually again shot in face,
and not only was he shot and facing, was shot
in the eye. You know, what does it say that
(14:07):
they would take the time and put themselves in a
position where they could be face to face with Kenneth.
He was found covered with dollar bills that were streamed
about his body. He's just god, I mean, he can't
he can't make this. Up Standing front and center in
the picture is then fifteen year old victim Hannah Rodin.
(14:30):
She's in a black bridesmaid's dress and leans in close
to her boyfriend accused younger son, Jake Wagner. Their child
together would eventually become the alleged center point of this crime.
They had been dating for a few years when the
photo was taken, and appeared very happy. Jake Wagner was
Hannah Roden's first love. Christina told us things between them,
(14:53):
we're getting serious. I heard Hannah Jake like talking about
how good then pretty Tabby and George's wedding was that
they hoped whenever they get married that it'll be pretty
like that and all that good stuff. Brittany was also
friends with Hannah. She was great, She was funny. She
(15:16):
was really funny. She was really really nice. She knew everyone,
Everyone knew her, and she just like talked to everyone.
She wasn't stuck up or anything like that. And she
lived life to the fullest. Prior to the murder, Hannah
Rodin had broken up with Jake Wagner. She had started
dating someone new, and the pair had a baby together
that she gave birth to four days before the murders.
(15:37):
Hannah rod She was shot twice in the head as
her four day old newborn laid beside her, maybe there
curled in a fetal posture, along with her baby, just
curled in a fetal posture. Mama was slowly stroking the
head of the baby, try to, you know, calm suit
the baby during the night. Maybe she awakes, some breastfeeds
(15:58):
the baby during the night while she's sleeping. It's a
position people will slept in for thousands and thousands of years.
It's a position of comfort. Imagine you're laying there, you're
there to protect your baby, and you're curled up on
your side. There's an awareness. The only people left alive
were three children, Hannah's forty old infant, Frankie's five year
(16:19):
old son from a previous relationship, and the six month
old baby he shared with his fiancee, Hannah Gilly. The
choice to spare the children lived investigators perplexed. Here's James Pilcher.
He's an on air reporter for Local twelve News in Cincinnati, Ohio,
and a longtime investigative journalist in the area. Usually when
you have a mass shooting or a mass murder, everybody's killed.
(16:44):
So to see that three kids, all under the age
of three years old, some infants were left unharmed next
to their parents who were shot dead, very very unusual.
Soon after the murders, members of the Rodent family the
statement to the local media pleading for help and finding
their family's killers. We know what follows is difficult listening,
(17:06):
but we want to acknowledge the pain. The entire surviving
Rodent family has gone through a lots of people. They
lose one family member, and when you lose eight, nobody
has any idea what we've been through our lives as
right now. They'll never be safe. They stole so much
(17:29):
from us. The killers stole so much. They stole their
lives that they stole ours to because we live with
it every day. Met my brothers, who are good people.
They would do anything to help you. Dana was a
(17:50):
wonderful person. She always try to help do stuff. From
my mom, from Frankie, his fiance Hannah. They we're taken
away from their kids. They were taken away from us.
(18:10):
My niece Hannah May, she had a baby that I
haven't even got to meet. The Gillies, Gary's mom and dad.
They only know what we are all going through, and
I know that in their hearts, in their minds, they're
hoping and praying every day just like we are, that
(18:38):
whoever did this will be brought to justice. Looking back
at the wedding photo, what's hard to wrap our heads
around is that all the players are in this one
picture Christina gave us. There. They are the Wagners and
the road and smiling together. And just years later, in
(19:00):
November twenty eighteen, the Wagner family would be arrested for
the murders of the Rodents. We promised that the day
would come when the arrest would be made in the
Pike County massacres today or that day. Billy Wagner, his
wife Angela, and their two sons, George and Jake, are
accused of multiple counts of murder. Billy, Angela, George, and
(19:22):
Jake Wagner were all charged with eight counts of aggravated murder. Additionally,
Angela Wagner's mother, Rita Newcombe, and Billy's mother Frederica Wagner
were accused of perjury and obstructing justice for allegedly misleading investigators.
Angela's mother, Rita Newcombe, was also charged with forge and
custody documents to cover up the crimes. What was surprising
(19:44):
was that you had these two grandmothers arrested, Frederico Wagner
and then Angela Wagner's mother, Rina Newcomb. You had two
grandmothers being charged with helping to cover up these crimes.
Because then it your mind kind of goes wild. You
naturally think, well, did they know before it happened? You know,
if you're alleging they were part of a cover up.
What happened, though, Rita Joe Nukam reached a plea deal
(20:07):
in which the bulk of the charges were dismissed and
the charges against Frederica Wagner were eventually dropped. The suspicion
around the family grew, and the ties that bound the
Wagners and the Rodents came into focus. We're going to
take a quick break here. We'll be back in a moment.
(20:38):
We talked earlier about the baby Hannah Rodin and Jake
Wagner had together in twenty thirteen. The couple and their
daughter split time between the rod and the Wagner households.
For everyone involved, the situation worked well. However, when the
couple broke up in twenty fifteen, the families became bitter rivals.
But when that news broke that they were were actually
(21:00):
being indicted and charged. I felt like this must have
been something personal. The animosity let authorities to pinpoint one
salient motive in the case. They say that the Wagners
were obsessed with custody and really obsessed with their bloodline,
custody of the daughter that Hannah Rodin shared with Jake Wagner.
The prosecution says that was the heart of the motive
(21:21):
in this case. They wanted soul custody and they weren't
going to stop until they got it. Investigative reporter Jodi
Barr was shocked by these allegations. I have never encountered
this in my fifteen years of journalism, where an entire
family is accused of the mass murder of another family
(21:42):
over what's presumably, if we're to believe the prosecution and
the investigation, over custody of children. I think that was
the toughest part for me personally, was dealing with what
happens to those kids, and then it comes out later
this was all about the kids and there was a
fight over the kids. That was that was troubling to
(22:06):
me personally, Like who would do that to have custody
and to be able to love and nurture or child
and yet have that act of violence within themselves to
do that on their behalf. Those are two things that
I just can't rectify in my mind. It's human nature
to ask why why would someone perpetrate something so horrific?
(22:31):
Think about what that means. We're going to eradicate you
off the face of the planet. That's that's well, that's
that's so on a biblical scale, when you begin to
think of, by God, we're going to make sure that
they're not just dead there Julius Caesar dead. After their arrest,
(22:51):
the Wagners continue to maintain their innocence and their family
was with them every step of the way. Here's grandmother,
Frederica Wagner, responded to reporters when asked if she thought
her family was involved in the Roden murders. Absolutely, not
anywhere near that. Like said, in the two years since
(23:14):
the arrest, most have considered the Wagners as the most
likely suspects in the Roden murders. It appeared that they
were a very close group who discreetly planned this massacre
for months. But at the same time, it's just beyond
the pail to kill an entire family over custody. And
now after Jake Wagner's bombshell plea deal, we wondered was
the Wagner bond breaking the Waggoners were a cult like family,
(23:40):
and if what the Waggoners are accused of doing to
the Rodents, I mean they're accused of doing this together.
They're accused of trying to cover it up together as
a family. And the old cliche blood is thicker than water. Well,
cult like I don't know what the problem ability of
(24:01):
in a cult one telling on another, especially with the
consequences that would come down if one Wagoner told on
another and you know, one went to prison. You know,
if the state had to depend on one Waggoner telling
on another, the chances of that happening are likely not
very good. Now, finally, there may be some answers, you know,
(24:25):
who went into what home, who died first, why they died,
you know, why they chose to spare the children. So
I would just hope we get to hear finally from someone,
at least in Jake Wagner's case, I mean, where's the remorse?
You know, is there remorse from what happened? And if not,
(24:49):
man this is again, if there's a level beyond cold
blooded evil, If there is a level beyond that, I
think we have seen it. I don't know that we
know what to call it. In all, Jake Wagner pled
guilty to all eight aggravated murder charges as well as
to fifteen other criminal accounts that included conspiracy, aggravated burglary,
(25:09):
and tampering with evidence. He also named his father Billy,
his mother Angela, and brother George Wagner as co conspirators.
In exchange for his plea, the death sentence was taken
off the table for him and the rest of his family.
But perhaps what's most shocking is that Jake is actually
going to testify against all of his family members. It seems,
(25:32):
at the bare minimum, there's not a Wagner that's stepping
out of prison anytime soon. The following is real time
audio from the courtroom when the prosecution laid out the
charges against Shake Wagner. The information that Jake provided clearly
intreated he and each members of his family, to include Billy,
Angeli and enjoyed Wagner as being guilty of all accounts
contained lean ditements filed in this manner based on the
(25:55):
frutality of the information now known about the state, including
the fourth right statements of the We have overwhelming evidence
that the defendant and the three co defendant members of
his family are in fact responsible for planning and carrying
out the homicides. Jake admitted that in the lake evening
hours of April twenty first, two thousand and sixteen into
the early morning hours of Abel twenty second, two sixteen,
(26:17):
is when they committed these homicides. We know that they
trespassed into each of the four residents where the victims
were found with the intent to kill them, and that
they were armed for firearms, at least two of which
had homing silencers fixed to them when they did so.
We know that they inspired together and planned these homicides
for the months that led up to the offenses, and
that if all four co defendants took part of that,
(26:39):
as well as making various purchases to accomplish their goal.
We know that they removed the phones of all the
two of the victims and cameras and other surveillance equipment
of the victims in order to avoid detection. Jake also
admitted to personally killing five members of the rodents himself
though the victims were unnamed at this point. As noted,
Driver the defendant had in essence confess and apologize for
(27:02):
committing these offenses with his family and numbers, and admits
to personally causing the death by the aid victims and
either committing all of the other offenses contained in the
indictment directly or by being complicit in them. It was
also noted that Wagner provided investigators with information that led
to the recovery of the weapons and vehicles used in
(27:22):
the murders. Most recently, Your Honor, the State set down
with Jake Wagner, who has provided the State with many
more details of regarding these offenses, some of which were
very consistent with what the State are wed to view
and with the evidence that had already been collected. Some
of the information information, however, that was provided by Jake,
who was new. In addition to the information that Jake
(27:43):
provided us, what he told us led us to discover
some evidence that had yet to been recovered, specifically the
weapons that were used in these offenses, along with vehicles
that were used during these offenses, including one that the
Box specifically to use. The Knight of the Homicides only
though Jake was spared the death penalty. Prosecutors pulled no
punches with his sentence, saying, as part of this plea,
(28:04):
the state is agreed to dismiss the death specif occasion
in exchange the defendant in the state making joint recommendation
to the court with the defendive receeve eight consecutive life
without coal sentences for his pleas and guilty to counsel
one proving in the indictment. Jake's lawyers responded, We're fully
satisfied and gone eyes wide open into disagreement. He knows
(28:26):
he's going to die in prison without any judicial release,
and as he just said it, and I appreciate it's
kinda of mentioning it, and as I'm sure he'll say
more when the day's sentencing arrives. As horrifying as this
is for all, he is as sorry as he One
(28:48):
moment from the court proceedings stood out to us. When
the judge was running through each victim and got to
Hannah Rodin, it was impossible not to notice when Jake
Wagner had an audible pause and a noticeable what do
you make of the smirk when he is cleaning guilty
he kind of smiled. I don't know if you noticed that.
Oh I sure did. That's Mike Allen. He's a former
(29:09):
prosecutor and now a criminal defense attorney in Ohio. He's
been covering the case for years. I don't know how
you could work up a smile. I don't care what
you're thinking for something like that. What does that say
about Jay Quackback. I mean, he's got a depraved mind.
Anybody that could do that, it would not meet obviously
(29:31):
the legal definition of sanity. But you know there's something
wrong with him that you can be that cold to
go about doing that. I mean, really, that's all I
can say. I've been at this stuff for a long
time and I've never seen one, just as I guess
the word it comes in my mind as hardcore as this.
(29:52):
Whenever I've seen a little part where he was like
confessing to Hannah and he was trying to hold back
a laugh or so, I'm like, Okay, I don't know
if your horns are showering or if you're just kind
of like one of those awkward laugh There was a
(30:13):
different reaction when Hannah's name came up. Maybe his reaction
was like that, because like he personally killed her or something.
Ohio Governor Mike Dwine, who presided over the investigation as
Attorney General, was at the Pike County Courthouse as Jake's
hearing unfolded. Well, we've all read or heard of the
(30:36):
book in cold Blood. This was cold, cold, cold blood.
I mean, this was calculated, planned out, and then it
just you know, I mean, it just chills you to
think about the calculation that goes into something like this.
Five years ago today I was here and we met
(30:58):
with family members in the church. I committed to them
that we would find who did this and that we
would bring them to justice. There was a lot of
justice done today, and there was a collective sigh of
relief from locals in southern Ohio. Pike County resident Barbe
(31:18):
explained her initial shock. I can't imagine that he would
admit to murdering eight people, and if he didn't really
do it, he said guilty. I thought, are you lying?
What are you? What are you doing? You know? But
then I thought, oh my god, I just it blew
my mind. Brittany tried to come to terms with the news.
(31:40):
I'm just focusing on the good and a good thing
happened today, and I know that there in heaven looking
down and just thinking how stupid the wageners are thinking
they would get away with it. Christina put the day's
events and perhaps the most poetic way possible. Justice to
me and karma is a bit turn. It catches up
(32:02):
with everybody. Eventually. You can run all you want, but
you'll never outrun. We're going to take a quick break here.
We'll be back in a moment. The question remains, why
(32:31):
did you do this? Now? He was doing it to
keep himself from getting the death sentence and pretty much
powing on the rest of his family like, yeah, I'm
gonna drive you guys down, but I'm gonna save my
butt from yeah again the best friend. Was he pleading
(32:55):
guilty to save himself or his family? The family has
done nothing but fight, fight, fight, and profess their innocence
in this whole time. And you know, I thought that
they would fight this to the bitter end and ticket
to trial and see what they could do a trial.
So now you know, if Billy the controlling figure or
(33:16):
Mom the controlling figure and doesn't around, Jake's there to
think for himself. He apparently, you know, has information on
a lot of them, and yes he did throw them
under the bus, but perhaps he saved their lives. What's
in store for Jake's co conspirators. None of the other
Wagners have pleaded guilty, so what could we see if
(33:39):
they go to trial. I just think for a family
that was so united and you know, did things like
take votes on finances and wild nights and children, I
mean they were they lived, you know, as one unit,
the prosecution has said in court papers. And these people
did nothing without consulting the other. This is a massive break,
(34:00):
a massive shift. It's like a like a huge creator
in the middle of the Wagner family kind of the
united side. He is going to testify against his family members. Now,
I mean, I don't know of I don't know of
anybody in Hollywood that could write a better script than that.
(34:21):
You know, how compelling is that? Something that has this
kind of gothic undertone to it? You know, in rural America,
where these individuals are going to, you know, come forward
and and stand and stare at him. You think about
staring into the eyes of your kin folks across the
(34:43):
room as you're sitting in the dock there and you're
looking at them straight in the eyes, and people that
you've spent Thanksgivings with Christmases, you know these moments throughout
your life, and you're looking at them, and you're potentially
(35:05):
sending them to the proverbial gallows by virtue of what
you're going to say. But what happens if the other
three Wagners reached plea deals as well, if any other
guilty plea in this case ends the way Jake Wagner's ended,
we still may not know exactly why this happened. It
(35:28):
seemed like the impossible murder. And you go back to
April twenty sixteen and a month after I mean, everyone
had assumed that this was a drug cartel hit. It fit.
It made sense. The only way this could happen is
a highly skilled, trained assassin would come in and pull
this off and get away with it. I want to
know exactly what happened that night, you know, how did
(35:51):
they get in the homes? We know the end, We've
got some idea what happened in the middle, But I
think I want to know about the beginning. You know,
was this truly about custody? You know, I would just
like to know, you know, exactly why from Jake Wagner,
When did the switch flip to where the only resolution
(36:12):
to whatever was going on between him and the Rodents
at that point was to go and kill them all
makes absolutely no sense. One thing is certain. There's only
more bombshells to come. We will be tracking the case
in real time as they develop, and it proves that
(36:33):
the investigators and the prosecutors did their job. It was
the biggest murder case in the history of the state,
and they got their man. The relationship fractured, however you
want to describe it. You know, there's no turning back
to this family now. The prosecution now holds all the cards,
(36:53):
and it seems justice has begun to be served now
three more Wagners to The piked In Massacre Returned to
Pike County is executive produced by Stephanie Lydecker and me
Courtney Armstrong, editing and sound designed by executive producer Jared Aston.
(37:18):
Additional producing by Jeff Shane, Andrew Becker and Chris Graves.
The piked In Massacre Returned to Pike County is a
production of iHeartRadio and Katie Studios. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio,
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows.
Hosts And Creators
Stephanie Lydecker
Courtney Armstrong
Jeff Shane
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