Man convicted in killings of 8 from another Ohio family seeks new trial
A man convicted of killing eight people from another Ohio family is seeking a new trial.
George Wagner IV filed the request Monday with the Ohio Court of Appeals. He claims several mistakes were made during the 2022 trial he sat in on found guilty of all 22 charges he faced, including eight counts of aggravated murder. He argues in his file that there is “a reasonable chance that jurors were influenced” by the alleged errors.
Prosecutors now have 60 days to respond to the petition.
Wagner was sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences – one for each victim – and an additional 121 years for other crimes. One of the alleged errors he cites in his appeal is that prosecutors were allowed to present evidence about crimes and weapons unrelated to Rhoden’s murders, which only served to link Wagner to his family’s criminal actions.
“It is impossible to state beyond a reasonable doubt that jurors were not lost and convicted George because they believed he was just like his criminal relatives,” the appeal states.
Prosecutors have said the killings, which initially sparked speculation about the involvement of drug cartels, stemmed from a custody dispute over Wagner’s niece. The deadly shootings at three mobile homes and an RV near Piketon in April 2016 terrified residents and sparked one of the state’s most extensive criminal investigations.
Wagner denied any knowledge of his family’s involvement in the murders and testified that he would not have let it happen if he had known about the plans.
Prosecutors argued that he knew, took part in the plans and therefore should be convicted of the murders. Although he was not accused of shooting anyone, they said Wagner was with his brother and father when they went to the homes, that he went inside with them and that he helped his brother move two bodies.
His younger brother, Edward “Jake” Wagner, pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and other charges and agreed to testify against George and their parents in a deal to help the family avoid possible death sentences.
Their mother, Angela Wagner pleaded guilty to helping plan the slayings. Their father, George “Billy” Wagner III, has pleaded not guilty to the murders, and his trial is set to begin on January 6.