Unknown assailants executed an attack in 2016, shooting seven adults and a 16-year-old boy of the Rhoden family in three houses and a nearby camper. Investigators believed that the perpetrators, known to the Rhoden family, had planned the murders. The authorities interviewed more than 50 people in connection with the murders.
The gruesome killings shocked the entire nation, and everyone sought to understand why seven members of the same family had been killed on the same day. The police talked to several people and got to know more about the family. Almost 2 years after the murders, the investigation concluded with the arrests of George and Angela Wagner.
Apart from them, the police also arrested their sons. All the culprits were charged with planning and carrying out the murders. At first, they vehemently denied all the charges. However, in April 2021, one of their sons, Edward “Jake” Wagner, pleaded guilty to eight counts of murder and testified against his family. Authorities sent George, Angela, and Edward to prison for their crimes.
But why did they kill seven members of the Rhoden Family? What was the movie behind it? Let’s find out.
Rhoden family murders motive, explained
The authorities had to work hard to find a motive in the Rhoden Family massacre. At first, they believed marijuana cultivation and cockfighting operations were the reasons behind the killings. Eventually, the police couldn’t find any relation between those activities and the killings. After the arrests of George, Angela, and Edward, the police and prosecutors finally had an idea why they killed the Rhoden Family.
Reports suggest Edward Wagner was in a relationship with Hanna Roden that started when she was only 13. Eventually, Hanna was pregnant with Edward’s child at the age of 15. At the time, he was 20 years of age. As per the prosecutors, Edward began threatening Hanna when she ended the relationship. However, the situation escalated when Hanna had a second child with another man, and Edward allegedly exerted pressure on her to falsely declare him as the father on the birth certificate. Hanna refused to do so, which made him angry. According to the evidence presented during the trial, Edward hacked into Hanna’s account and read messages indicating that she vowed never to give up custody of the child she had with Edward, stating that “they would have to kill” her before she signed any custody documents.
At this point, the Wagners made the decision to murder Hanna and her family to ensure that custody of the child would come under their control. The family purchased a substantial amount of ammunition and brass catchers to collect shell casings, ensuring they wouldn’t leave them behind as evidence. They purchased materials to create silencers for a rifle and two handguns. The Wagners kept on stalking different members of the Rhoden family and killed them. Authorities arrested the Wagners in 2018, leading to their trial.
Did authorities find the Wagners guilty for the Rhoden family massacre?
The prosecutors called the Wagners a “criminal enterprise” and provided evidence on why they killed the Rhoden family. The court found Edward guilty on eight counts and gave eight consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. Meanwhile, the court found George Wagner guilty on all counts. On the other hand, Angela Wagner entered a guilty plea for aggravated murder and was, subsequently, sent to prison.
A documentary based on the Pike Family massacre, titled ‘The Pike County Murders: A Family Massacre’ premiered on Oxygen on Friday.
