Pike County Murder Trial of Billy Wagner Moved to Seneca County
Visiting Judge Jonathan Hein cited publicity taint, rural demographics and court facilities in transferring the capital murder trial to northwestern Ohio.
George 'Billy' Wagner III enters a Pike County courtroom during an October 2023 hearing.
Credit: WCPO 9 Image source
The aggravated murder trial of George "Billy" Wagner III—the final defendant awaiting trial in the 2016 Pike County massacre of eight members of the Rhoden and Gilley families—will be held in Seneca County in northwest Ohio, according to Pike County court filings confirmed Tuesday, Oct. 13 court filings confirmed.
The transfer moves the proceedings more than 150 miles north from Waverly to Seneca County, nearly three hours away nearly three hours away. Jury selection in the case is scheduled to begin Jan. 11, 2027 scheduled for Jan. 11, 2027.
Legal Standard and Venue Rationale
Visiting Judge Jonathan Hein previously ruled that widespread media coverage and community awareness in Pike County precluded seating an impartial jury too much public and media interest. Under Ohio criminal procedure, a change of venue is granted when fair trial guarantees cannot be secured in the county where the alleged offenses took place due to pervasive pre-trial publicity.
In his transfer order, Hein concluded that Seneca County offered both geographical detachment and community characteristics comparable to Pike County rural demographics.
Hein noted that Seneca County shares rural demographics, an agricultural background and remoteness from major metropolitan centers, while lying outside the print and broadcast markets that have saturated southern Ohio with coverage of the killings and previous trials taint from prior publicity should be lessened. The judge also determined that Seneca County possesses superior courtroom facilities, correctional resources, and adequate space to accommodate defense attorneys, prosecutors, witnesses and the victims' representative available facilities.
Case Transfer and Jail Housing Logistics
Under Hein's order, the Pike County clerk of courts must transfer the official case file to Seneca County, where all subsequent motions, hearings and proceedings will be docketed transfer the case file.
Wagner, 55, is currently detained in the Pickaway County Jail in central Ohio Pickaway County Jail. Rather than ordering an immediate transfer north to the Seneca County jail in Tiffin, Hein deferred the relocation timeline to the Pike and Seneca County sheriffs, finding that keeping Wagner in Pickaway County preserves practical proximity between him and his legal defense team benefit of his current proximity to his attorneys.
Wagner faces 22 criminal charges, including eight counts of aggravated murder with death penalty specifications 22 charges. The capital specifications remain active after the Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear Wagner's appeal challenging them Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal.
Family Charges and Co-Defendant Status
The charges stem from the April 22, 2016, execution-style killings of eight victims across four homes: Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; Kenneth Rhoden, 44; Gary Rhoden, 38; Dana Lynn Rhoden, 37; Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 20; Hanna May Rhoden, 19; Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16; and Frankie Rhoden's fiancée, Hannah Gilley, 20 eight members.
Wagner is the only indicted family member whose case remains unresolved. His older son, George Wagner IV, was convicted by a Pike County jury on Nov. 30, 2022, of eight aggravated murder counts and 14 other offenses, receiving eight consecutive life terms without parole plus 121 years, a conviction he continues to appeal convicted.
Wagner's wife, Angela Wagner, and younger son, Edward "Jake" Wagner, both pleaded guilty to charges related to the homicides and agreed to testify for the state pleaded guilty. However, on June 1, 2026, Ohio's Fourth District Court of Appeals ordered new sentencing hearings for both, determining that Jake Wagner should not have been sentenced before testifying at his father's trial Fourth District Court of Appeals determined.
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Supporting evidence (9)
The aggravated murder trial of George "Billy" Wagner III—the final defendant awaiting trial in the 2016 Pike County massacre of eight members of the Rhoden and Gilley families—will be held in Seneca County in northwest Ohio, according to Pike County court filings confirmed Tuesday, Oct. 13 court filings confirmed.
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The final suspect awaiting trial in the 2016 Pike County massacre will go on trial nearly three hours away in Seneca County.
The transfer moves the proceedings more than 150 miles north from Waverly to Seneca County, nearly three hours away nearly three hours away.
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The final suspect awaiting trial in the 2016 Pike County massacre will go on trial nearly three hours away in Seneca County.
Jury selection in the case is scheduled to begin Jan. 11, 2027 scheduled for Jan. 11, 2027.
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His murder trial is scheduled for Jan. 11, 2027, after being delayed several times due to various legal challenges.
The judge also determined that Seneca County possesses superior courtroom facilities, correctional resources, and adequate space to accommodate defense attorneys, prosecutors, witnesses and the victims' representative available facilities.
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Visiting Pike County Common Pleas Court Judge Jonathan Hein’s decision says Seneca County was selected for its rural character, distance from media markets that covered the case, courtroom and security resources, available facilities, and ability to accommodate attorneys, witnesses and the victim’s representative.
Under Hein's order, the Pike County clerk of courts must transfer the official case file to Seneca County, where all subsequent motions, hearings and proceedings will be docketed transfer the case file.
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Pike County’s clerk must now transfer the case file to Seneca County, where future filings and proceedings will take place.
Rather than ordering an immediate transfer north to the Seneca County jail in Tiffin, Hein deferred the relocation timeline to the Pike and Seneca County sheriffs, finding that keeping Wagner in Pickaway County preserves practical proximity between him and his legal defense team benefit of his current proximity to his attorneys.
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The judge deferred to the Pike and Seneca County sheriffs on when Wagner should be moved from his current jail in Pickaway County, noting the benefit of his current proximity to his attorneys, court records show.
Wagner faces 22 criminal charges, including eight counts of aggravated murder with death penalty specifications 22 charges.
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In all, he faces 22 charges—including eight counts of aggravated murder with death penalty specifications—in the April 2016 execution-style shooting deaths of eight members of the Rhoden and Gilley families.
His older son, George Wagner IV, was convicted by a Pike County jury on Nov. 30, 2022, of eight aggravated murder counts and 14 other offenses, receiving eight consecutive life terms without parole plus 121 years, a conviction he continues to appeal convicted.
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A Pike County jury convicted Billy Wagner’s oldest son, George Wagner IV, of eight counts of aggravated murder and 14 other charges, following his trial in the fall of 2022.
Wagner's wife, Angela Wagner, and younger son, Edward "Jake" Wagner, both pleaded guilty to charges related to the homicides and agreed to testify for the state pleaded guilty.
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both pleaded guilty to their roles in the killings and agreed to testify
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Visiting Judge Jonathan Hein previously ruled that widespread media coverage and community awareness in Pike County precluded seating an impartial jury too much public and media interest.
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Judge Jonathan Hein previously ruled to move Billy's trial out of Pike County because he said that there had been too much public and media interest in the case to seat an impartial jury.
In his transfer order, Hein concluded that Seneca County offered both geographical detachment and community characteristics comparable to Pike County rural demographics.
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According to court documents, Seneca County was chosen for several reasons, including that it possesses many similarities to Pike County, such as rural demographics, agricultural heritage and remoteness from urban areas.
Hein noted that Seneca County shares rural demographics, an agricultural background and remoteness from major metropolitan centers, while lying outside the print and broadcast markets that have saturated southern Ohio with coverage of the killings and previous trials taint from prior publicity should be lessened.
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"Seneca County is outside the media market for print and broadcast media which have traditionally covered this case and related cases; thus, the taint from prior publicity should be lessened," the court documents read.
Wagner, 55, is currently detained in the Pickaway County Jail in central Ohio Pickaway County Jail.
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Billy is currently being held in the Pickaway County Jail in central Ohio.
The capital specifications remain active after the Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear Wagner's appeal challenging them Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal.
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The death penalty is also back on the table for Billy's trial after the Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal on the matter.
The charges stem from the April 22, 2016, execution-style killings of eight victims across four homes: Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; Kenneth Rhoden, 44; Gary Rhoden, 38; Dana Lynn Rhoden, 37; Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 20; Hanna May Rhoden, 19; Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16; and Frankie Rhoden's fiancée, Hannah Gilley, 20 eight members.
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Found dead that day were 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden Sr., 37-year-old Dana Rhoden, 20-year-old Hannah "Hazel" Gilley, 16-year-old Christopher Rhoden Jr., 20-year-old Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 37-year-old Gary Rhoden, 19-year-old Hanna May Rhoden, and 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden.
However, on June 1, 2026, Ohio's Fourth District Court of Appeals ordered new sentencing hearings for both, determining that Jake Wagner should not have been sentenced before testifying at his father's trial Fourth District Court of Appeals determined.
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In the June appeals court decision for Angela and Jake, the Fourth District Court of Appeals determined that Jake should not have been sentenced before he fully fulfilled the obligations of his plea agreement by testifying at his father's trial.