Ohio's Pike County massacre suspect pleads guilty to 8 murders
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Updated: 8:21 PM EDT Apr 23, 2021
WLWT Digital Staff
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Updated: 8:21 PM EDT Apr 23, 2021
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COMES IN. ASHLEY: GUILTY. THE YOUNGEST SUSPECT, IN THE PIKE COUNTY MASSACRE, CHANGES HIS PLEA, AND AGREES TO TESTIFY AGAINST HIS FAMILY. GOOD EVENING. I’M ASHLEY KIRKLEN. SHEREE: AND I’M SHEREE PAOLELLO. JAKE WAGNER WILL AVOID A DEATH SENTENCE IN THE KILLINGS OF HIS CHILD’S MOTHER AND 7 OF HER RELATIVES. WLWT NEWS 5’S TODD DYKES HAS THE SUDDEN PLEA, ENTERED IN COURT TODAY. YOU HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS CASE FROM THE BEGINNING AND WHAT A SHOCKER. >> LATE THIS AFTERNOON, JAKE WAGNER AGREED TO PLEAD GUILTY TO 23 CHARGES IN CONNECTION TO THE MURDERS OF EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE RHODEN FAMILY IN PIKE COUNTY. IN EXCHANGE, NO LONGER FACES THE PROSPECT OF THE DEATH PENALTY. THE TIMING OF TODAY’S PLEA DEAL CANNOT BE UNDERSTATED. IT WAS ON THIS DAY 5 YEARS AGO THAT SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES DISCOVERED THE SHOOTING VICTIMS RANGING IN AGE FROM 16 TO 44 IN FOUR DIFFERENT HOMES. JAKE WAGNER, WHO’S NOW 28, FIRST APPEARED IN COURT MORE THAN TWO YEARS AFTER WHAT MANY IN PIKE COUNTY CALLED A MASSACRE. THE MOST SERIOUS CHARGES LODGED AGAINST WAGNER? EIGHT COUNTS OF AGGRAVATED MURDER. TODAY, COMMON PLEAS JUDGE RANDY DEERING SAID EACH OF THOSE EIGHT CHARGES CARRIES A MANDATORY LIFE SENTENCE WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE.>> I DO, YOUR HONOR. >> >> JAKE WAGONER, ALWAYS CALM AND COLLECTED. AGREED TO TESTIFY AGAINST HIS FATHER GEORGE BILLY WAGNER, HIS MOTHER ANGELA AND BROTHER GEORGE THE 4TH WHO ARE ALSO ACCUSED