Ohio Man Gets Punishment After Killing Family of 8 in 2016

(Photo : Pexels / EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA)
An Ohio man was sentenced to life in prison over the killing of a family of eight in 2016 over an alleged custody dispute of the defendant's brother.

A judge has sentenced an Ohio man to life in prison for the murder of eight family members after consideration of the death penalty.

Many residents of Ohio applauded Judge Randy Deering after he read out the life sentence against the suspect, George Wagner IV. The man was previously found guilty of the horrific massacre of the neighboring Rhoden family in his rural community.

Brutal Ohio Massacre

In a statement, the judge said that the court found Wagner showed no remorse, only denial, over the trial. The charges against the suspect included eight counts of aggravated murder, conspiracy, and tampering with evidence.

After the judge's sentencing was finished, Wagner declined to make a statement, and his attorney said that their client maintained his innocence over the crime. He has already indicated that he intends to appeal his life imprisonment sentence.

The brutal attack happened in April 2016, and at the time, authorities discovered the bodies of the eight victims in three mobile homes and a camper in different areas across Pike County. The deceased were members of the Rhoden family and were killed in the same manner, with a gunshot to their head while they were sleeping, as per Metro.

The victims were identified as 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden Sr., his 37-year-old ex-wife Dana Rhoden, and their children, 20-year-old Clarence Rhoden, 19-year-old Hanna Rhoden, and 16-year-old Christopher Rhoden Jr. The remaining three victims were Clarence's fiancee Hanna Gilley, Christopher Sr.'s brother Kenneth Rhoden, and his cousin, Gary Rhoden.

After the incident, a massive, multi-million dollar investigation identified the Wagner family as potential suspects in the murder case. It was also found that one member of the suspect family, Edward "Jake" Wagner, was involved in a custody dispute with Hannah, the mother of his three-year-old daughter.

According to CBS News, during the shooting murders, Ohio residents feared the possibility of the involvement of a drug cartel. Now, Judge Deering convicted the suspect on 22 counts. The death penalty was dismissed after the suspect's brother made a plea deal to testify against the other family members and help all four defendants avoid execution.

Life Sentence With no Chance of Parole

Prosecutors argued that the defendant deserved the death penalty for his heinous crimes and should be imprisoned without parole. They added that his life was only spared thanks to his brother's actions, not his own. They also alleged that Wagner was with his brother and father when they went to the victims' homes.

While the prosecution claimed that the defendant helped his brother move two of the victims' bodies, Wagner's attorneys emphasized that their client did not kill anyone, arguing that denying him "a meaningful chance of parole" would be an unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment.

After loved ones of the victims addressed the court, Judge Deering said that no sentence that the court may impose would right the wrong that has affected the victims and their families. He added that murder is an irreversible act, arguing that time may not always ease the pain of loss, NBC News reported.