Sun Jan 05 11:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Wagner Family Members Sentenced in Ohio’s “Most Heinous Crime”
**WAVERLY, Ohio** – Two more members of the Wagner family received lengthy prison sentences Friday for their roles in the 2016 murders of eight members of the Rhoden family in Pike County, Ohio. The case, described as the most heinous crime in modern Ohio history, is nearing its conclusion.
Visiting Judge Jonathan Hein sentenced Edward “Jake” Wagner to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 32 years. This was a departure from a previous plea agreement that stipulated eight consecutive life sentences without parole. The judge cited Jake Wagner’s cooperation with investigators in solving the murders as a mitigating factor, along with the sentences handed down to other participants.
Angela Wagner, Jake’s mother and a key plotter in the killings, received a 30-year sentence, accounting for six years already served. Rita Holcomb, Angela’s mother, received five years of probation and a fine for lying to investigators.
The emotional hearing included angry outbursts from victims’ families, who condemned the Wagners. Jake Wagner, in a final statement, spoke of finding faith and repentance after the murders.
George Wagner IV, Jake’s brother, was previously sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences without parole. Judge Hein differentiated Jake’s sentence from his brother’s due to his cooperation, and highlighted Angela’s failure to stop the killings despite having the opportunity.
The killings, stemming from a custody dispute, involved the execution-style murders of Christopher Rhoden Sr., Dana Rhoden, their children Frankie, Hanna, and Christopher Jr., Hanna Gilley, Kenneth Rhoden, and Gary Rhoden. The investigation, costing millions of dollars, involved three mobile homes and a camper near Piketon.
George “Billy” Wagner III, the patriarch, is the only remaining family member awaiting trial. His trial has been moved out of Pike County due to the community’s close connection to the case.
First Piper 