Murder trial of George Wagner IV in Pike County wraps for the week

Update, 4 p.m.: The murder trial of George Wagner IV wrapped up another week with the prosecution telling the judge "we have no further witnesses."

The prosecution Thursday in the trial presenting evidence from the largest homicide investigation in Ohio's history ended its version of how eight members of the Rhoden family were killed the night of April 21 and morning of April 22, 2016.

Has the prosecution rested? Not exactly. While no proceedings will occur Friday due to Veterans Day and jurors will also not be at the courthouse Monday, the attorneys will be in the courtroom as the prosecution submits its exhibits to the Pike County Common Pleas Judge Randy Deering. In order to rest its case, the prosecution will first need to work to get all its evidence accepted and for the case to continue.

Even with the prosecution yet to formally "rest" its case, jurors have already seen testimony from the defense due to traveling and scheduling constraints. But the jury, assuming it follows Deering's daily admonitions about not following the case at all, won't be hearing more from the defense until 9 a.m. Tuesday morning.

The prosecution's case consisted of witnesses from the Ohio Bureau of Investigation, the coroner who performed the Rhoden family autopsies, and current and family members. Of the family members who testified, two Wagners − Jake Wagner and Angela Wagner each − have pleaded guilty and took the stand to speak of Wagner IV's role in the killings.

Wrapping up its presentation, the prosecution had jurors listen to audio recordings from wiretaps and bugs of the Wagners. This was some of the most dramatic of the weeks of testimony with audio of Jake Wagner, his ex-wife Elizabeth Armer, George Wagner IV, George "Billy" Wagner, Angela Wagner and Rita Newcomb (mother of Angela). Accusations of molestation, travel, legal representation, poor parenting, religion, sex and finances all came into play.

What's up for the defense once it's in full swing?

Here are 10 other witnesses the defense may call on to testify:

• Samantha Staley, of Waverly, earlier testified that her father worked for Wagner IV’s grandmother, Fredericka Wagner. She was friends with both Wagner boys growing up. Alex Staley, with an address in Chillicothe, also got a subpoena. They were once married, according to a Facebook post.
• Jeff Tackett, of McDermott, earlier testified about the criminal lifestyle of Wagner IV’s father.
• Bernard Brown allowed the Wagners to store trucks and trailers filled with their possessions at his Peebles car business from mid-2017 to mid-2018, the year the family spent in Alaska.
• Skid Montgomery, of Piketon, and Vance Walls, of Bainbridge, have both been convicted on marijuana charges. Also subpoenaed were Shawn Walls, with the same address as Vance Walls and Nathan Walls, of Waverly.
• The defense also sent subpoenas to West Chester police Capt. Seth Hagaman, who questioned Wagner IV in the Rhoden case in 2017 when employed by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and Clinton Canter, a former corrections deputy in the Ross County Jail in Chillicothe where Wagner IV was held from his arrest in November 2018 until late 2021 or early 2022.

Update, 1:45 pm.: Testimony in the murder trial of George Wagner IV is set to resume this afternoon after a lunch break.

Jonathyn W. Priest, a blood splatter analyst called by the defense, provided his report of the Rhoden family homes that became crime scenes after they were killed "execution-style" as current Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine put it at the time of the killings on April 21/22, 2016.

Priest testified from his analysis that the crimes could have been carried out by a single individual, a key part of the defense's plan.

The defense had previously said Wagner IV's brother Edward "Jake" Wagner killed all eight members of the Rhoden family while Jake himself testified earlier in the trial he killed five.

Waverly, Ohio − Thursday will see the last day of testimony this week in the murder trial of George Wagner IV and once again the defense will be skipping in line.

Wagner IV attorney John P. Parker has witnesses who need to take the stand due to scheduling difficulties. He said he’s got an expert witness flying in to appear on Thursday morning, with two other witnesses to follow.

Special Prosecutor Angela Canepa said the prosecution will cede the floor on Thursday for the defense even if it does not rest its case by the end of Wednesday. They did not rest their case. The switch to having defense witnesses called before the prosecution has rested also happened Monday, with the defense having scheduled three witnesses from Alaska along with three local witnesses.

Canepa expressed confidence she can move through the audio evidence quickly on Wednesday, since lawyers settled objections on Tuesday. “We can get it done,” she said.