PIKE COUNTY, Ohio — More than five years after eight members of the Rhoden family were killed in April 2016, Edward "Jake" Wagner is set to stand trial on Aug. 30. He is the first of the Wagner family to have an official trial date set.
Jake Wagner, along with his mother, Angela Wagner; his father, George "Billy" Wagner III; and his brother, George Wagner IV, stand charged in the deaths of eight members of the Rhoden family. The Wagners are accused of murdering the family in their Pike County homes in 2016.
It’s not clear what role Jake Wagner is suspected of playing in the slayings. Investigators believe Jake Wagner was in a custody dispute with one of the victims, 19-year-old Hanna Rhoden.
All four family members have been held without bond since their arrest in Nov. 2018.
Defense teams for the Wagners, who have all pled not guilty, have filed multiple motions throughout the year, including requests to be released on bond, which were denied.
