WAVERLY, Ohio — Judge Rob Junk frequented Pike County's Waverly courtroom years before and after a jury convicted George Wagner IV in the murders of eight members of the Rhoden family. Still, he can't help but see that trial in every corner.
"Sometimes I come out and expect to see cameras all over the courtroom, crowded and things like that," he said. "With the trials we've had, my other trials back when I was prosecutor — we just didn't have that type of crowd."
The cold and calculated murders of an entire family took the nation by storm 10 years ago. At the time, Junk was the Pike County prosecutor.
"The most awful thing I'd ever seen or ever been involved in. It was just shocking," Junk said. "You don't expect, especially in Pike County, Ohio, anything like that to happen."
WATCH: Looking back on the Pike County murders 10 years later
In the early morning hours of April 22, according to officials at the time, eight members of the Rhoden family were found shot to death in their homes, execution style, while they slept.
The crime scene stretched across several family homes in the area. Found dead were 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden Sr., 37-year-old Dana Rhoden, 20-year-old Hannah "Hazel" Gilley, 16-year-old Christopher Rhoden Jr., 20-year-old Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 37-year-old Gary Rhoden, 19-year-old Hanna May Rhoden, and 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden. Three children—a 4-day-old infant, a 6-month-old and a 3-year-old — were found unharmed in the homes.
"The eight murders committed in Pike County in 2016 was both a horrific and complicated case," said Gov. Mike DeWine, who was attorney general at the time of the murders. "This case was ultimately solved by good, old-fashioned police work, led by BCI with the help of other agencies. The type of work you would see to solve a crime 100 years ago, but with the added help of technology."
Listen to the first episode of our podcast covering the murders — from the first 911 call to Billy Wagner's upcoming trial
More than two years after the gruesome murders, four members of the Wagner family were charged in connection with the killings: George "Billy" Wagner III, his wife Angela Wagner and their two sons George Wagner IV and Edward "Jake" Wagner.
Both Angela and Jake Wagner eventually accepted plea deals in the case, while George Wagner IV was found guilty by a jury on all the charges he faced.
"There was a lot of interest. And you'd be surprised—people that came from around the state of Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia to sit in on the trial," said Chip Walder, a Waverly resident who attended Wagner's trial. "Towards the end, you really (had to) get there early if you wanted to get in."
Walder said that, as brutal as what happened in Pike County was, it is something that shouldn't define them 10 years later.
"It's a surprise something that heinous happening here in your own backyard," he said. "It's been drug out way too long. But that's that's how our justice system and our court system works now."
Billy Wagner's trial is still looming over Pike County. In 2024, the trial was moved out of the county to ensure an impartial jury could be seated. More recently, an appeals court reinstated the death penalty in his case. Wagner has appealed that decision to the Ohio Supreme Court. The court has yet to decide whether it will take up the case.
"They have family members who've been waiting 10 years to have some closure on everything," Junk said. "Again, three people have been dealt with so far. One of them is still pending."
You can read the entire statement from Gov. Mike DeWine below:
“The eight murders committed in Pike County in 2016 was both a horrific and complicated case. At the time there was a lot of speculation about motive. There was a lot of anxiety in the community. I was in touch with investigators every day. I felt all along that we would be able to solve the crime. I told the families that, and I told the public that.
This case was ultimately solved by good, old-fashioned police work, led by BCI with the help of other agencies. The type of work you would see to solve a crime 100 years ago, but with the added help of technology.
Those who committed the murders were very good. They covered their tracks, but eventually you discover they’ve made some error. One of the things we were able to find is a needle in a haystack, which was the Walmart receipt for shoes. They found that among a massive amount of other stuff. Then they were able to go back to the store and get the video and figure out, who was actually buying the shoes. So that’s the combination of good, traditional police work and the modern technology that we have today.
There is one remaining defendant, so the case is ongoing.
We remember the victims: Chris, Sr.; Dana; Kenneth; Gary; Frankie; Hannah Hazel; Hannah, and Chris, Jr., whose lives were taken from them too soon.”
