PIKE COUNTY, OH — Members of the Wagner family appeared in Pike County Common Pleas Court for sentencing today, after taking plea deals related to their involvement in the 2016 massacre of eight members of the Rhoden family.
32-year-old Edward “Jake” Wagner and his 53-year-old mother, Angela Wagner, were sentenced this morning after both pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Jake’s older brother, George Wagner IV. Their testimonies played a critical role in securing a conviction for George Wagner IV, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole after a 2022 trial for his role in the killings.
Angela Wagner was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Factoring in the about six years she has already served, she will spend a remaining 23 years in prison. Upon release, she will be face two to five years of adult supervision and be required to register as a violent offender.
Newcomb was sentenced to five years of adult supervision, will pay a $750 fine and could serve 83 days in jail if she breaks rules outlined by the court.
Jake Wagner was sentenced to eight life sentences with the possibility of parole after 32 years in prison. He will be required to register as violent offender and a sex offender if released.
In exchange for their plea deals, both Jake and Angela Wagner agreed to cooperate with authorities and provide evidence against George IV. They are expected to provide insight into the events leading up to the 2016 killings, which prosecutors claim were motivated by a dispute over custody of Jake Wagner’s daughter, who was the child of one of the victims, Hanna May Rhoden.
In addition to Jake and Angela’s sentencing, 53-year-old George “Billy” Wagner, the patriarch of the family, will appear in court Friday afternoon. His trial is scheduled to begin on January 6, though it remains uncertain whether that date will stand due to the ongoing legal developments surrounding the case. Judge Jonathan Hein had previously announced in November that he would remove the death penalty from Billy Wagner’s case, and on November 25, he ruled in favor of moving Billy Wagner’s trial out of Pike County due to concerns over media coverage and the ability to seat an impartial jury. The new location for the trial is still pending an appeals court decision.
Billy Wagner faces 22 charges, including eight counts of aggravated murder, for his alleged role in the execution-style killings of eight members of the Rhoden family. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors had recently filed a request to disqualify Judge Hein from the case, but the Ohio Supreme Court denied the request on December 23.
Meanwhile, Jake and Angela Wagner’s roles as key witnesses in Billy Wagner’s trial remain uncertain. It’s unclear whether they will be required to testify, as their sentencing could precede Billy’s trial.
The April 2016 massacre left six adults and a 16-year-old boy dead from gunshot wounds. The victims, identified as Christopher Rhoden Sr., Kenneth Rhoden, Gary Rhoden, Dana Lynn Rhoden, and their children — Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, Hanna May Rhoden, Christopher Rhoden Jr., and Frankie’s fiancée, Hannah “Hazel” Gilley — were found shot execution-style across three neighboring homes and a nearby camper. Two infants and a toddler were miraculously spared and left unharmed at the scenes.
Rita Newcomb, Angela Wagner’s mother, is also set to be sentenced for misdemeanor obstruction charges related to the murders. Newcomb, who had been charged with obstruction of justice and forgery, took a plea deal in 2019.
As the case continues to unfold, attention is now turning to the trial of Billy Wagner, the last member of the Wagner family to face charges in connection with the horrific massacre.
