Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader will remain indefinitely suspended from his office as he awaits trial on 16 charges of tampering with evidence, tampering with records, conflict of interest and theft in office.
A three-judge panel ruled Tuesday to finalize the suspension, which was first enacted in July. An interim sheriff will continue to fill his position.
Reader supervised the county’s investigation into the octuple murder of eight family members, ultimately arresting six suspects — a couple, their two adult sons and two grandmothers — in connection to the 2016 massacre.
The charges he faces are not connected to that investigation. Instead, prosecutors allege he abused his position to acquire cars, request loans from his employees and altered records to conceal his crimes.
When news Reader was under investigation emerged in late 2018, Pike County Commissioner Tony Montgomery said: “"This is the last thing we need with the Rhoden murders and trials, another reason to be in the news."
