Billy Wagner’s trial will not take place in Pike County as judge grants request

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WAVERLY, Ohio (WCMH) — The 2025 trial for the Wagner family patriarch’s in the killing of the Rhoden family will not take place in Pike County.

Pike County court records show that Judge Jonathan Hein granted a request Monday to change the venue for the upcoming trial of George “Billy” Wagner III. The exact location for the trial has not been specified at this time. The defense says in their motion to relocate that the "intense publicity" of the case and the likelihood jurors will have prior knowledge could create a partial jury if it remained in Pike County.

Billy Wagner's trial was originally slated to begin in May but was delayed to a Jan. 6 start after a request from defense attorney Mark Collins in March. Billy Wagner is the last member of the family to await trial for the 2016 massacre.

He faces eight charges of aggravated murder in connection to the 2016 killing of eight members of the Rhoden family. He is accused of helping his sons, Edward “Jake” Wagner and George Wagner IV, to kill Rhoden family members in their homes.

On the morning of April 22, 2016, eight Rhodens were found dead; most had been shot while they slept. They included Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; Dana Rhoden, 37; Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, 20; Hanna Rhoden, 19; Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16; Hannah Gilley, 20; Kenneth Rhoden, 44; and Gary Rhoden, 38.

Billy Wagner, his wife Angela, and their sons Jake and George were arrested in 2018 and faced the death penalty. All originally pleaded not guilty but Angela and Jake switched their pleas to avoid the death penalty.

George IV was convicted on 22 charges, including eight aggravated murder charges, multiple aggravated burglary charges, conspiracy and other felonies, but the judge dropped the death penalty consideration against him.