Jake Wagner, guilty of murdering eight people in Pike County, was granted the possibility of parole

WAVERLY, Ohio – In a Pike County courtroom Friday, Judge Jonathan Hein decided to forego the prosecution’s plea deal with Edward “Jake” Wagner and instead give him a chance at probation.

Jake pleaded guilty in 2018 to the murders of eight members of the Rhoden and Gilley families in Pike County. The April 22, 2016, murders killed 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden Sr., 37-year-old Dana Rhoden, 20-year-old Hannah “Hazel” Gilley and 16-year-old Christopher Rhoden Jr., the 20-year-old Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, 37-year-old Gary Rhoden, 19-year-old Hanna May Rhoden and 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden.

The plea deal Jake took with prosecutors called for eight life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Instead, Hein sentenced him to eight life sentences with the possibility of parole after 32 years.

Edward “Jake” Wagner, his mother Angela and his grandmother Rita Newcomb were all sentenced Friday for their roles in the 2016 murders of eight members of the Rhoden and Gilley families in Pike County.

Newcomb was sentenced to five years probation; Angela Wagner was sentenced to 30 years in prison, of which she has already served six years. This sentence was consistent with the agreement she had entered into with the prosecution.

However, when it was Jake’s turn to be sentenced, Hein shocked the courtroom.

“How do I resolve something that I think represents some kind of gender bias?,” Hein said.

He pointed out that Angela received a “good deal” for her cooperation with the prosecution, while Jake – who also cooperated and testified during his brother George’s trial – should be sentenced in the same way as George.

“How do I resolve the good deal your mother made, especially since she could have prevented the whole thing?” Hein said.

Before the verdicts were announced, Hein gave the Rhoden and Gilley families an opportunity to address Angela, Jake and Newcomb; Each defendant was then allowed to make a statement.

You can watch the family’s full statements in the video below:

Members of the Rhoden and Gilley families reach out to Jake and Angela Wagner

Andrea Shoemaker, Hannah Hazel Gilley’s mother, spoke first, often screaming in anger.

“You are the most evil mother who helps plan, execute and take the lives of three young mothers,” Shoemaker told Angela. “My daughter was only 20 and you want 30 years behind bars? She was 20. She was never allowed to taste alcohol. She had six months with her son.”

She told Jake and Angela that she wanted them all to suffer and that she hated them.

She briefly addressed Newcomb and told her that she felt sorry for the woman but was grateful that she had been the first to confess to the crimes and express guilt.

“It breaks my heart that you have such an evil, controlling daughter,” Shoemaker told Newcomb.

Further statements from the family were read by prosecutor Angela Canepa. The last person to speak, Lisa Wiesel, the niece of Chris Sr. and Kenneth, said she did so on behalf of the rest of the Rhoden family.

She said the family disagreed with the sudden sentencing before Billy Wagner’s trial.

“We don’t agree with making hasty decisions to get it over with,” she said. “The Wagner family is a master manipulator. It represents a real danger to society and this crime is not to be taken lightly or put at risk… We can only pray that today’s actions in this courthouse do not destroy the justice system that still exists “didn’t do it.”

She then turned to Jake and said that the sentencing would be the last time she thought about him.

“You always said we would always be a family,” she said to Jake. “No, we won’t. I won’t think about you again after today. When these doors close behind you, you will forever be an afterthought to our family.”

During their statements in court, Newcomb and Angela expressed regret.

Newcomb simply stood there for a moment, apologized tearfully, and sat back down.

Angela expressed regret over the murders and said she was no longer the woman she was in 2016.

“I didn’t consider what the consequences of these actions would be,” Angela said.

You can watch Angela’s full statement in the video below:

Angela Wagner speaks in court during her sentencing for murders in Pike County

When it was Jake’s turn to speak, he asked permission to turn to the members of the Rhoden and Gilley families and address them face to face.

“I want to say a lot, but if it’s okay with you, I would like to look at the victim’s family because I really want to talk to them,” he said.

Jake stood and turned, facing the courtroom gallery.

“I have formed friendships or relationships with many of you,” he said. “I know many of you, and I know full well that today I can give no excuse, no explanation, nothing for the way I committed crimes, for what I did to you and your family You, to ease the pain, the loss, the anger and the hatred. Nothing can save that.

From there, he spoke for more than ten minutes, mostly about his faith, his strengthened relationship with God, and how the victims’ families can heal through their faith. Sometimes he specifically addressed Shoemaker, who he felt had shown the greatest hatred for him, and told her that hatred would not heal her heart.

As Jake spoke, most members of the Rhoden and Gilley families stood and left the courtroom.

Nevertheless, he continued to talk, mostly about his faith, but also told a story about how he had helped and led another prisoner he had met – who had plans to murder the mother of his child upon his release – to faith .

“I’m not feeling bad,” Jake said. “I don’t live in misery. I experienced your loss. I have experienced your pain.”

Upon hearing this, other family members left the courtroom.

Jake ended his speech by telling the victim’s family members that he is still praying for them and will continue to do so.

“Don’t,” said someone in the gallery.

You can see Jake’s full statement in the video below:

Jake Wagner speaks in court during his sentencing for murders in Pike County

Prosecutors filed a motion with the Ohio Supreme Court on Dec. 10 and again on Dec. 30 to try to exclude Judge Jonathan Hein from the Pike County cases because prosecutors objected to Hein scheduling the sentencings.

Both motions were denied, paving the way for sentencing to proceed as scheduled.

Hein announced in the courtroom during a Nov. 20 hearing that he intended to abolish the death penalty in Billy’s case before the trial began and to formally convict other members of the Wagner family.

Both Jake and Angela entered into complex plea deals with the state in 2021 and have yet to be sentenced, as those deals were contingent on testifying in all trials related to the murders – including Billy’s.

In the plea deal with Angela, prosecutors agreed to drop eight aggravated murder charges in exchange for the plea deal and recommended that she serve 30 years in prison without parole.

Jake’s admission of guilt is more complicated: He pleaded guilty to 18 charges, including aggravated murder. Prosecutors agreed to eliminate the possibility of the death penalty for all members of the Wagner family in exchange for Jake’s testimony at all trials. He still faces up to eight consecutive life sentences for the murders.

With Billy’s death penalty no longer at stake and the prosecution’s key witnesses set to be convicted, it is unclear whether Jake or Angela will still have to testify at Billy’s trial.

Newcomb, Angela’s mother, was charged with obstruction of justice and forgery in 2018 and also took a plea deal in 2019.

To further complicate the case, Hein has also decided to grant the defense attorney’s requests to move Billy’s upcoming trial out of Pike County. On November 25, Hein decided that public and media interest in the case was too great to seat an impartial jury.

“The court finds that the intense media coverage in this case – and in other closely related cases – was so extensive that prejudice is suspected,” Hein’s decision says. “Pike County’s small population and intense media coverage lead the court to conclude that no jury can truthfully answer that they have no prior knowledge of the horrific factors in this case.”

It is not yet known where exactly Billy will stand trial.

Here you can read the latest information on the Pike County murder case, including the trial of George Wagner IV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries