What did George Wagner IV do? Ohio man sentenced to life in prison over role in 2016 Pike County Massacre

George Wagner IV, an Ohio man convicted in the killings of eight people in the 2016 Pike County Massacre, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

On Monday, December 19, George Wagner IV, 31, was sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences with 121 more years after being convicted last month on several counts, including aggravated murder. Wagner was also charged with conspiring with his family and attempting to cover up evidence in the 2016 massacre of the Rhoden family.

In April 2016, Wagner and his family conspired to kill the Rhoden family over a custody dispute involving a toddler shared by Wagner’s brother Edward “Jake” Wagner and one of the victims, Hanna Rhoden.

The judge sentenced Wagner despite the defense's contention that Wagner was unaware of his family's involvement in the 2016 shootings. However, prosecutors argued that Wagner was with his brother and father when they went to their homes in Pike county and helped move bodies after the murder.

George Wagner IV was accused of plotting the murder of the Rhoden Family

On Monday, George Wagner IV was sentenced to several consecutive life sentences after an Ohio judge declared him guilty of plotting the murder of the Rhoden family.

In 2016, eight members of the Rhoden family were shot to death, including a teenager in rural Ohio. George Wagner IV's family members were arrested and charged with the murder of the Rhoden Family over a custody dispute. Authorities said six people were reportedly killed in their sleep.

Wagner’s brother, Edward "Jake" Wagner, pleaded guilty to killing five people and provided testimony against his brother in exchange for prosecutors reconsidering the death penalty.

Wagner, the first to be sentenced for the gruesome crime, maintained that he was unaware of his family’s machinations. However, the judge, while sentencing the accused, said even if he didn't pull the trigger, he was still complicit in the murder as he did not stop his family from committing the atrocious crime.

The Wagner family is accused of killing 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden Sr. and his ex-wife, 37-year-old Dana Rhoden. They also killed their three children, 20-year-old Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 16-year-old Christopher Rhoden Jr, and 19-year-old Hanna Rhoden, who shared a toddler with the brother of George Wagner IV.

Clarence Rhoden's fiancee, 20-year-old Hannah Gilley; Christopher Rhoden Sr.'s brother, 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden; and a cousin, 38-year-old Gary Rhoden, were also among the slain.

George's mother, Angela Wagner, also pleaded guilty to conspiring to kill the family and is presently awaiting trial with her husband, George "Billy" Wagner III, who pleaded not guilty to the killings.

About the author

Anushree is a US Trending News Specialist at Sportskeeda. After completing her Masters in Journalism from the prestigious Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media in 2017, Anushree worked with the likes of the Hindu, IBT, Times Internet, and One India for 7 years, covering a wide range of topics as a hardcore journalist and a Features writer.

Before creating content, Anushree does a lot of research, exploring old and new reports from credible sources and cross-checking them alongside other reliable sources from the web. She likes the reporting and researching aspect of her job the most as it allows her to gain insights into things that she wouldn't have known otherwise.

Anushree has also had the privilege of interviewing renowned author and television host Padma Lakshmi for the Hindu in 2017.

After signing off from work, Anushree loves to go on walks and hikes. She also enjoys reading and watching a lot of mass media content, especially reality television.

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