PAYNES CREEK — A tornado touched down in Northern California’s Tehama County on Friday, weather officials confirmed.
According to the National Weather Service, a tornado accompanied by quarter-sized hail was spotted around 5:22 p.m. in an unpopulated area near Paynes Creek and around 11 miles southwest of Shingletown.
The NWS said the tornado was recorded on an area webcam and radar. It was moving northeast at around 20 miles per hour and prompted a tornado warning to be issued, which applied to north-central and south-central Tehama County and expired at 6 p.m.
No damage has been reported.
Friday’s tornado comes as another winter storm moves through Northern California, bringing more rain and high winds to the interior portion of the state and snow to the higher elevations. A winter storm warning remains in effect through 10 p.m. for the Sierra.
Paynes Creek is located approximately 150 miles north of Sacramento.
Richard Ramos is a web producer for CBS Sacramento who was born and raised in Sacramento. He graduated with a BA in Journalism from CSUS.
Breaking News: Tornado touches down in Northern California’s Tehama County
Residents in Tehama County were stunned as a tornado touched down in the area earlier today, causing widespread damage and chaos. The tornado, which has been described as rare for the region, tore through homes, uprooted trees, and caused power outages in several communities.
Emergency services are currently on the scene, assessing the extent of the damage and providing assistance to those affected. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported so far, but residents are urged to stay indoors and take precautions as the situation unfolds.
Local authorities are urging residents to stay vigilant and heed any warnings or advisories issued by the National Weather Service. The tornado serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable and destructive nature of severe weather events, even in areas not typically prone to such occurrences.
We will continue to provide updates on this developing situation as more information becomes available. Stay safe, Tehama County.
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District 7 includes the town of Champion and part of the town of LeRay.
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Former town justice, John Smith, is considering a run for Jefferson County lawmaker in the upcoming election. Smith, who served as a town justice for over a decade, brings a wealth of legal experience and a dedication to upholding justice and fairness.
If elected, Smith plans to focus on issues such as improving public safety, supporting local businesses, and ensuring transparency in government. His background as a town justice has given him a unique perspective on the needs of the community and a deep understanding of the legal system.
Smith’s decision to run for Jefferson County lawmaker has been met with enthusiasm from supporters who believe he will bring integrity and a strong sense of ethics to the position. As a former town justice, Smith has already proven his commitment to serving the community and upholding the law.
Stay tuned for updates on John Smith’s campaign as he works to become Jefferson County’s newest lawmaker.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A family-led coalition advocating for the resentencing of Erik and Lyle Menendez will be meeting with Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman on Friday.
According to a statement released by the Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition, the meeting will include more than 20 members of Jose and Kitty Menendez’s family who fully support a resentencing process that “reflects Erik and Lyle’s abuse, trauma, and demonstrated rehabilitation over the last 35 years.”
“As we prepare to meet with DA Hochman, our family is hopeful for an open and fair discussion,” read the statement. “Despite the abuse they endured as children and the unfairness of their current sentence, Erik and Lyle Menendez have spent the last three decades taking responsibility for their actions and contributing positively to their community through leadership and rehabilitation. During our meeting with DA Hochman, we look forward to sharing our perspective on Erik and Lyle’s immense personal growth over the last 35 years, and the ways in which we plan to support them in their next chapters. We hope that this meeting will put us a step closer to spending next Christmas reunited as a family.”
The video featured in the media player above is the ABC7 Los Angeles 24/7 streaming channel
Hochman has told ABC News that he plans to review all the evidence in the brothers’ case.
In 1989, Lyle and Erik – who were 21 and 18 at the time – fatally shot their parents in the family’s Beverly Hills home.
The defense claimed the brothers acted in self-defense after enduring years of sexual abuse by their father, but prosecutors alleged they killed for money.
The first trial, which had separate juries for each brother, ended in mistrials.
In 1996, after the second trial — during which the judge barred much of the sex abuse evidence — the brothers were convicted and both sentenced to two consecutive terms of life without parole.
Last month, Bryan Freedman, the lawyer representing 24 relatives who support the immediate release of the brothers, said he intends to petition the Los Angeles Superior Court to transfer the case to the California Attorney General’s Office.
He claimed there’s a conflict of interest between Hochman and Kathleen Cady, a close ally and prominent booster of Hochman who was recently named the DA’s director of the Bureau of Victims Services.
Previously, Cady served as the attorney for Milton Andersen, the brother of Kitty Menendez, who pushed for the continued incarceration of the brothers.
She has resigned from that role.
If granted, Freedman and the family believe California Attorney General Rob Bonta is likely to be far more supportive of the brothers’ release efforts than Hochman.
Freedman recently sat down with ABC News Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman for an exclusive interview with “Good Morning America” and said the brothers’ family members have become increasingly concerned, accusing Hochman of “playing politics.”
“He should use that time wisely … meet with the family members,” Freedman said during the interview. “The family members are victims. They suffered loss. They have also seen the rehabilitation. They are the best people to talk to.”
In November 2024, a judge pushed back a scheduled hearing regarding the brothers’ resentencing recommendation from Dec. 11 to Jan. 30 and Jan. 31. The judge said he needs time to go through 17 boxes of files on the case and said he wanted to give Hochman ample time to get up to speed.
Hochman said he would speak with witnesses before weighing in the case. So far, according to ABC News, he has already taken the two deputy district attorneys who prepared the brothers’ resentencing off the case.
“It tells me that there’s a chance that the DA is playing politics,” said Freedman. “That politics are coming into play here, and it concerns me that what’s happening is there are favors being performed.”
ABC News also learned that Hochman’s first outreach to the Menendez family was to the single family member opposed to the release of the brothers: Andersen.
“It doesn’t feel good,” said Freedman when asked about what kind of message that sends.
Hochman recently addressed the claim that the state did not recognize the alleged sexual abuse that the young boys endured at the hands of their father, telling Deadline, “Erik Menendez was able to testify in great detail about all the sexual abuse he experienced. He was even able to testify about sexual abuse that Lyle experienced.”
“Do you feel that was the case?” Gutman asked Freedman about that remark.
“The evidence shows it wasn’t the case,” responded Freedman. “You have a number of witnesses, a number of family members, who weren’t able to testify about the abuse that they saw.”
Hochman has also said he’ll take a close look at the brother’s rehabilitation in prison. He has hinted that he might separate their resentencing cases, which could mean that Erik could be released before Lyle, who has a couple of minor infractions.
Supporters of resentencing for Menendez brothers are set to meet with the Los Angeles County District Attorney on Friday in hopes of securing a new trial for the infamous siblings. The Menendez brothers, Erik and Lyle, were convicted in 1996 for the brutal murders of their parents, but have recently gained support for a resentencing due to new evidence and changing attitudes towards juvenile offenders.
The meeting comes after years of advocacy and legal battles to have the brothers’ case reconsidered. Supporters argue that the Menendez brothers were abused and traumatized by their parents, leading to their violent actions. They believe that a resentencing would provide a more just outcome for the brothers, who were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The meeting with the LA County DA is a crucial step in the fight for a new trial for the Menendez brothers. Supporters are hopeful that the DA will consider the new evidence and circumstances surrounding the case, and ultimately grant the brothers a chance at a fair resentencing.
Stay tuned for updates on this developing story as supporters continue to push for justice for the Menendez brothers. #ResentencingForMenendezBrothers #JusticeForErikAndLyle
Members of the Wagner family will learn their sentences Friday morning in Ohio’s largest murder trial.Watch the hearings live in the video player aboveThey all pleaded guilty in connection to the killings of 8 members of the Rhoden and Gilley families back in 2016.The “massacre” was motivated by a child custody dispute.Angela Wagner, her mother, Rita Newcomb, and her son, Jake Wagner, are all being sentenced Friday. They all took plea deals in the case.During her sentencing, Rita Newcomb said “I’m sorry.” She testified for the State during the murder trial of her grandson George Wagner Jr. Newcomb was sentenced to 90 days in jail on an obstruction of official business charge, with 83 days suspended. Newcomb served her seven days already. She has also been ordered to be placed on probation for five years and pay a $750 fine, plus court costs. If she violates probation, she will be taken to jail. Newcomb’s other charges were dismissed. Angela Wagner spoke ahead of her sentencing, saying she knows the pain the Rhodens feel must be “unbearable.” She cited her personal brokenness for letting her get swept up in the murderous scheme.Angela was sentenced to the mutually agreed upon sentence of 30 years with 2,244 days for time served. She must register as a violent offender for 10 years when released. “You are the only person that could’ve stopped the whole thing with one phone call. All you had to do was call in, stop the whole thing. The depravity was that you didn’t see the moral need to shut the whole thing down. Clearly, any decent human being could have done that little bit to save so much,” Judge Jonathan Hein said during Angela’s sentencing. Jake was the only one to plead guilty to murder to get the death penalty thrown out.Jake addressed members of the Rhoden family during sentencing. “There’s nothing I can do to ease the pain you have, loss, anger, hate,” he said.Several members of the Rhoden family walked out as he spoke. Jake said he’s not asking for forgiveness but said “hate will not hear your heart,” saying “Jesus made him get caught.” The trial for his father, Billy, will begin next month.Jake’s brother George was convicted in 2022 and sentenced to serve life in prison.Andrea Shoemaker, the mother of murder victim Hannah Gilley, blasted Rita Newcomb, Angela Wagner and Jake Wagner during the sentencing hearing.”You are evilest mother to plan, carry out and take the lives of three other mothers,” Shoemaker said, directing her comment to Angela.She also addressed Jake and Rita, telling them they ruined her life and innocent children’s lives.”It’s a heartache that never goes away,” Shoemaker said.
PIKE COUNTY, Ohio —
Members of the Wagner family will learn their sentences Friday morning in Ohio’s largest murder trial.
Watch the hearings live in the video player above
They all pleaded guilty in connection to the killings of 8 members of the Rhoden and Gilley families back in 2016.
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I’m back in Pike Co., OH, today, covering the sentencing hearings for confessed killer Angela Wagner & her son, Jake. She helped plot the deaths of 8 members of the Rhoden family in 2016 & he was one of the murderers. The courtroom is filled w/ loved ones of the victims. #WLWT
The “massacre” was motivated by a child custody dispute.
Angela Wagner, her mother, Rita Newcomb, and her son, Jake Wagner, are all being sentenced Friday.
They all took plea deals in the case.
During her sentencing, Rita Newcomb said “I’m sorry.” She testified for the State during the murder trial of her grandson George Wagner Jr.
Newcomb was sentenced to 90 days in jail on an obstruction of official business charge, with 83 days suspended. Newcomb served her seven days already. She has also been ordered to be placed on probation for five years and pay a $750 fine, plus court costs. If she violates probation, she will be taken to jail. Newcomb’s other charges were dismissed.
Angela Wagner spoke ahead of her sentencing, saying she knows the pain the Rhodens feel must be “unbearable.” She cited her personal brokenness for letting her get swept up in the murderous scheme.
Angela was sentenced to the mutually agreed upon sentence of 30 years with 2,244 days for time served. She must register as a violent offender for 10 years when released.
“You are the only person that could’ve stopped the whole thing with one phone call. All you had to do was call in, stop the whole thing. The depravity was that you didn’t see the moral need to shut the whole thing down. Clearly, any decent human being could have done that little bit to save so much,” Judge Jonathan Hein said during Angela’s sentencing.
Jake was the only one to plead guilty to murder to get the death penalty thrown out.
Jake addressed members of the Rhoden family during sentencing.
“There’s nothing I can do to ease the pain you have, loss, anger, hate,” he said.
Several members of the Rhoden family walked out as he spoke.
Jake said he’s not asking for forgiveness but said “hate will not hear your heart,” saying “Jesus made him get caught.”
The trial for his father, Billy, will begin next month.
Jake’s brother George was convicted in 2022 and sentenced to serve life in prison.
Andrea Shoemaker, the mother of murder victim Hannah Gilley, blasted Rita Newcomb, Angela Wagner and Jake Wagner during the sentencing hearing.
“You are evilest mother to plan, carry out and take the lives of three other mothers,” Shoemaker said, directing her comment to Angela.
She also addressed Jake and Rita, telling them they ruined her life and innocent children’s lives.
“It’s a heartache that never goes away,” Shoemaker said.
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You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Ms. Shoemaker called Jake Wagner and his convicted killer brother George Wagner Jr. spawns of satan.. She called the father of the two men, Billy Wagner (who’s yet to go on trial), satan himself. #WLWT
In a shocking turn of events, three family members have been sentenced in connection to the infamous Pike County massacre. The massacre, which took place in 2016, claimed the lives of eight members of the Rhoden family in rural Ohio.
The three family members, who have been identified as George Wagner III, Angela Wagner, and their son George Wagner IV, were found guilty of planning and carrying out the gruesome murders. The motive behind the massacre remains unclear, but authorities believe it may have been related to a custody dispute over a young child.
The Wagners were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, bringing some closure to the devastated community of Pike County. The brutal and senseless nature of the murders shook the small town to its core, and the sentencing of the perpetrators has brought a sense of justice to the grieving families.
While the details of the case are chilling, the sentencing of the three family members serves as a reminder that justice will prevail, even in the face of such heinous crimes. The community of Pike County can now begin the long process of healing and moving forward from this tragic chapter in their history.
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Family members sentenced in Pike County massacre case
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STORY TO BE UPDATED WHEN SENTENCES ARE HANDED DOWN.
Jake Wagner:
Angela Wagner: Judge Jonathan Hein sentenced her to 30 years in prison. According to our media partners at the Cincinnati Enquirer, When Angela is released, she will serve two to five years of probation, and will have to register as a violent offender for 10 years
Rita Newcomb: Judge Hein sentenced her to five years of probation and a suspended sentence of 90 days of which she has already served seven. Newcomb asked the judge if she has to go to jail. Judge Hein said no unless she “acts out”.
PREVIOUS STORY BELOW
WAVERLY, Ohio (WXIX) – Three members of the same family who took plea deals years ago in the 2016 Pike County massacre case are finally being sentenced today.
That includes Edward “Jake” Wagner, 32, and his mother, Angela Wagner, 54.
The visiting judge overseeing the cases, retired Darke County Common Pleas Court Judge Jonathan Hein, filed court papers rescheduling their sentencing hearings for Friday at 10 a.m.
Angela Wagner’s mother, Rita Newcomb, also will be sentenced at that time, according to related court filings.
As part of their plea deals, Jake and Angela Wagner both testified for the state against the eldest Wagner son, George Wagner IV, at his 2022 murder trial.
Once they are sentenced, however, it’s not clear whether they will return to the stand to testify for the state again, this time against Jake’s father and Angela’s husband, George “Billy” Wagner III, 53.
Following Friday’s sentencing, a hearing is scheduled for Billy Wagner. It could be announced in that hearing if Judge Hein will move his trial to another county after saying he didn’t think that an impartial jury could be seated in Pike County.
The Wagner family from left to right: George “Billy Wagner III, Angela Wagner, George Wagner IV and Edward “Jake” Wagner.(FOX19 NOW)
The victims of the April 2016 massacre were Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; his older brother, Kenneth Rhoden, 44; his cousin, Gary Rhoden, 38; Chris Rhoden Sr.’s former wife, Dana Lynn Rhoden, 37, and their children: Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, 20, Hanna May Rhoden, 19, Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16, and Frankie’s fiancé, Hannah “Hazel” Gilley, 20.
Two infants and a toddler were spared by the killers and left behind at the murder scenes: a 5-day-old baby girl, a 6-month-old baby boy, and a 3-year-old boy.
Prosecutors have said the motive in the murders was the custody and control of the young daughter of Jake Wagner and one of the victims he confessed to shooting in the head twice, Hanna May Rhoden, 19.
The young couple began dating when she was 13 and he was 18. She became pregnant with their daughter at 15.
They broke up in 2015 after their daughter was born in 2013.
Jake Wagner testified during his brother’s trial he didn’t want the relationship to end.
Hanna Rhoden had a second child, a baby girl, with another man and was dating another man at the time of her murder.
Her baby was just five days old when the victims were found on the morning of April 22, 2016.
Jake Wagner testified during his brother’s trial that he shot most of the victims, including Hanna Rhoden as she was propped up in bed breastfeeding her new infant.
He said on the stand he positioned her body after he shot her so she could keep breastfeeding her newborn, whose life he spared.
He also testified he picked up the shell casings and cell phones and took them.
But, according to other testimony, he missed one shell casing that investigators found under the baby’s crib.
George Wagner IV, 33, was convicted of all counts including eight counts of murder even though the state and defense both agreed he never shot anyone and Jake Wagner also testified to that.
George Wagner IV is currently appealing his conviction and asking that his sentence be thrown out: eight life sentences and 121 years on 16 other charges.
Jake Wagner, meanwhile, is being held at the Gallia County Jail, state and county records show.
Billy Wagner’s trial was set to begin on Jan. 6, but a change of venue followed by a flurry of court filings has delayed that.
He has pleaded not guilty all all 22 charges, including eight counts of aggravated murder, from the execution-style slayings of his son’s ex-girlfriend and seven of her family members in April 2016.
Two key decisions remain pending in the appeals court:
Whether Judge Hein can dismiss the possibility of Billy Wagner facing the death penalty against the state’s wishes and without them requesting it in an official motion
Whether he can move the trial out of Pike County against the wishes of a victim identified only in court records as “T.R.”
“The judge has sort of knocked out the death penalty on his own,” explained FOX19 NOW legal advisor Mark Krumbein. “So, there’s so many things, you know, up in the air right now. Something like this case is really unique. It is in my career. In all of the homicides I’ve handled, I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
If and when the appeals court upholds the new venue decision, the judge has yet to announce the new location.
Jake Wagner pleaded guilty in April 2021 to eight counts of aggravated murder and 15 other charges including felony conspiracy, four counts of aggravated burglary and multiple counts of tampering with evidence.
In all, Jake pleaded guilty to 23 charges.
As part of the plea deal, he agreed to a sentence of eight life sentences without parole and to cooperate with prosecutors and testify against his family members.
We are fully satisfied,” Wagner’s defense said during the hearing on April 22, 2021. “He knows he’s going to die in prison without any judicial relief.”
Jake Wagner then testified for the state the following year against his own brother.
Jake Wagner shot and killed five of the victims, including the mother of his child, Hanna May Rhoden, 19, and shot and wounded a sixth, her father Chris Rhoden Sr., according to his confession and his testimony.
Special Prosecutor Angie Canepa has said Jake confessed and apologized for the crimes. In an interview, he led investigators to the weapons and vehicles used in the killings.
Community reacts to guilty plea in Pike County massacre
Angela Wagner pleaded in September 2021 to conspiracy to commit aggravated murder, several counts of aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, and other charges as part of a plea deal.
Eight counts of aggravated murder were dismissed.
The prosecution said at that time they were recommending she receive 30 years with no possibility of the death penalty.
Angela Wagner confirmed on the stand at her eldest son’s trial that her entire family, including herself, participated in the massacre. She was not present, however, when the slayings occurred, she stressed.
Jake Wagner backed that up in his testimony, saying on the stand that he and his father did all the shooting after the family plotted and planned the killings for months.
He said he had to talk his mom and brother into it.
One of George IV’s defense attorneys asked Angela at his trial if the goal of her plea deal was to try to get out of prison eventually one day and see her grandchildren.
Yes, she responded. She also testified she had regret and remorse and “I am more than sorry but that’s not enough.”
‘I have regret’: Angela Wagner cross-examination wraps up in Pike County massacre trial
Now 69, Newcomb withdrew her plea of not guilty in Pike County Common Pleas Court five years ago this month and entered a plea of guilty to an obstruction official business charge, a misdemeanor.
That crime is punishable by up to 90 days in jail, prosecutors said at the time.
She was accused of forging custody documents related to the case and then lying about it to a grand jury and to investigators.
When then-Judge Randy Deering asked Newcomb if she was coerced into pleading guilty, she responded: “It’s not a good, Christian thing to lie, so I didn’t want to do that anymore.”
One of the special prosecutors, Canepa, has said in court a handwriting expert determined Newcomb did not sign the custody documents herself.
Canepa also has said Newcomb admitted to falsely testifying before the grand jury and investigators because her daughter, Angela Wagner, told her to.
A pre-sentencing investigation was not ordered at the time of Newcomb’s plea hearing.
Judge Deering also never set her sentencing date.
He ordered Newcomb to comply with the conditions of her bond and to not have contact with any relatives in the case.
Judge Deering released her at that time on house arrest and ordered the removal of her electronic ankle monitor.
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Join us as we watch live coverage of the trial for the Pike County massacre, where eight members of the Rhoden family were brutally murdered in their homes in 2016. The trial is set to begin today and we will be providing live updates on the proceedings as they unfold. Tune in to follow along with the latest developments in this tragic case. #PikeCountyMassacre #JusticeforRhodenFamily
Update 11:25 a.m.: Judge Hein said he will impose the mutually recommended sentence of 30 years in prison for Angela Wagner. She has six years and six weeks of time she has already served.
When she is released, she will serve two to five years of probation, Hein said, and she will have to register as a violent offender for 10 years.
Hein said his decision is based on Angela’s willingness to cooperate.
“I could have gone higher,” Hein said. “You helped the state make its case. Jake helped the state makes it case.”
He said many people have overlooked her role in the killings. Hein said: “You’re the only person who could have stopped the whole thing with a phone call. The depravity is that you didn’t see the moral need to shut it all down.”
Update 11:15 a.m.: Angela Wagner’s lawyer argued that while his client was aware and assisted in the deaths of the Rhoden family, she did not directly take the lives of anyone.
He said she testified against her family. He added she’s completed about 50 programs since her incarceration started and has begun to help young incarcerated women.
Angela Wagner read a prepared statement after her lawyer placed reading glasses on her head.
She said all her life she strived for perfection and didn’t realize how broken she was. At the time of the killings, she said: “I didn’t consider the consequences.”
She said she has given her life over to God.
“God has opened my heart and my eyes,” she said. “This world needs no more pain, so I give back in any way I can.”
She said she knows the Rhoden family has suffered and she, too, has experienced “unbearable, suffocating pain” being separated from her family.
“I’ve committed myself to change,” she said. “Each day I work on being a better me.”
Update 11 a.m.: Rita Newcomb’s attorney asked the judge to consider sentencing Newcomb to time served and no fines. He said she has suffered from health issues and has little money.
Newcomb said: “I’m sorry.”
Judge Hein said the probation had reported nothing negative. He sentenced her to five years of probation and a suspended sentence of 90 days of which she has already served seven.
After the judge’s explanation, Newcomb asked: “Do I have to go to jail.”
“Not unless you act out,” Hein said.
Update 10:50 p.m.: A niece of the victims said she would be speaking on behalf of the Rhoden family.
She said the Wagners deserve no mercy because they did not offer any to her relatives.
“Jake, we are no longer family,” she said. “When those doors close behind you, you will be an afterthought.”
Update 10:45 a.m.: Hannah Gilley’s mother gave a victim impact statement wishing death upon Jake and Billy Wagner.
“You are the spawn of Satan and the Satan is Billy Wagner,” she said.
She called Jake Wagner greedy and said she wanted him and Billy Wagner to die so that Angela Wagner could feel the same pain she feels.
“I hate you,” she said. “You’ve ruined my life.”
Update 10:45 p.m.: Judge Hein is holding a hardline with prosecutors on the procedure for the day. Prosecutors are giving their recommendations for sentencing. Jake Wagner agreed to serve a maximum of eight consecutive life sentences. Angela Wagner agreed to serve 30 years with no chance of parole.
Prosecutor Angela Canepa is asking the judge to follow the recommendations a
Update 10:35 p.m.: Retired Darke County Common Pleas Court Judge Jonathan Hein emphasized that decorum should be maintained during this hearing.
“There won’t be any spirited debate. That can happen out on the street,” Hein said.
Hein will address the cases, then allow for victim impact statements, then proceed to sentencing.
Update 10:20 a.m.: The lawyers have arrived. Billy Wagner’s mother-in-law Rita Newcomb is seated at the defense table. She faces a maximum sentence of 90 days after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing officials business.Jake Wagner and his mother, Angela Wagner, have just entered the courtroom and are seated at opposite ends of the jury box. Both are in handcuffs.
Edward “Jake” Wagner, 32, who changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on the fifth anniversary of the Pike County deaths, admitting in court that he shot and killed five of the eight victims. At the time, he agreed to serve a maximum of eight consecutive life sentences without chance of parole and 160 more years on 15 related charges.
Jake Wagner’s mother, 54-year-old Angela Wagner, who likewise originally pleaded not guilty before taking a deal with the state. In September 2021, the state dropped eight counts of aggravated murder against her and she pleaded guilty to 14 other charges, including conspiracy, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence and obstructing justice. She agreed to serve 30 years with no chance of parole.
Rita Newcomb, 71, who originally pleaded not guilty to five charges related to helping daughter Angela Wagner create fake custody documents for Wagner’s two grandchildren. In 2019, Newcomb admitted her part in that scheme, pleading guilty to a single misdemeanor charge of obstructing official business. The maximum sentence is 90 days and a $750 fine.
George “Billy” Wagner III is scheduled to appear in the same courtroom at 1 p.m. for a pretrial hearing. The 53-year-old Wagner, father to Jake Wagner and husband of Angela Wagner, will face trial on eight counts of aggravated murder in the Pike County case, along with 14 related charges. The place and starting date of the trial, unknown since the judge in the case granted a change of venue Nov. 25, could be revealed during the hearing.
Watch live reports here.
Are you looking to catch up on the latest details of the Pike County case? Wondering where you can watch all the updates and developments unfold? Look no further! Here’s where you can watch the Pike County case:
1. Local News Channels: Keep an eye on your local news channels for live coverage and updates on the Pike County case. Channels like ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX often provide in-depth coverage of ongoing legal cases in the area.
2. Courtroom Livestreams: Some courtrooms offer livestreams of their proceedings, allowing you to watch the case unfold in real-time from the comfort of your own home. Check the official website of the court handling the Pike County case for any available livestream options.
3. Online News Websites: Stay updated on the Pike County case by visiting online news websites like CNN, BBC, or your local newspaper’s website. These platforms often provide detailed articles, videos, and analysis on high-profile legal cases.
4. True Crime Podcasts: If you prefer listening to podcasts, there are several true crime podcasts that cover the Pike County case in depth. Tune in to podcasts like “Sword and Scale” or “Crime Junkie” for a detailed look at the case.
Don’t miss out on any updates regarding the Pike County case – stay tuned to these sources for all the latest information!
WAVERLY, Ohio — Edward “Jake” Wagner, his mother, Angela, and his grandmother, Rita Newcomb, are all scheduled to be sentenced Friday for their parts in the 2016 murders of eight members of the Rhoden and Gilley families in Pike County.
You can watch the hearing live in the player below:
LIVE: Jake, Angela Wagner to be sentenced for Pike County murders
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.
Prosecutors filed a request on December 10 and again on December 30 asking the Supreme Court of Ohio to disqualify Judge Jonathan Hein from the Pike County cases.
Both requests were denied, paving the way for sentencing to continue as scheduled.
There will also be a hearing in George “Billy” Wagner III’s case that same day, scheduled for 1 p.m., court records show.
Both Jake and Angela made complicated plea deals with the state in 2021 and have yet to be sentenced, since those deals hinged on testifying during any trials tied to the murders — including Billy’s.
In the deal with Angela, prosecutors agreed to drop eight charges of aggravated murder in exchange for the plea, and recommended she serve 30 years in prison with no early release.
Jake’s guilty plea is more complicated: He pleaded guilty to 18 counts, including aggravated murder. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the possibility of the death penalty for all members of the Wagner family in exchange for Jake’s testimony at any trials. He could still receive up to eight consecutive life sentences for the murders.
Now, with the death penalty no longer on the table for Billy and the prosecution’s main witnesses scheduled for sentencing, it’s unclear whether Jake or Angela will still have to testify at Billy’s trial.
Newcomb, Angela’s mother, was charged with obstructing justice and forgery charges in 2018 and also took a plea deal in 2019.
Further complicating the case, Hein has also decided to rule in favor of defense attorney’s requests to move Billy’s upcoming trial out of Pike County. On November 25, Hein ruled there has been too much public and media interest in the case to seat an impartial jury.
“The court finds that the intense scope of media coverage in this case — and other closely related cases — was so pervasive that prejudice is presumed,” reads Hein’s decision. “The small population of Pike County and the intense media coverage leads the court to conclude that no jury could truthfully answer that they have no prior knowledge of the horrendous factors of this case.”
So far, where exactly Billy will face trial has not yet been announced.
In a shocking turn of events, Jake and Angela Wagner, the parents of one of the victims in the 2016 Pike County massacre, are set to be sentenced for their involvement in the brutal killings. This case has captured the attention of the nation, as eight members of the Rhoden family were found dead in their homes in a planned and calculated attack.
The Wagners were arrested in 2018 and have been awaiting their sentencing ever since. They have been charged with multiple counts of aggravated murder, conspiracy, and other crimes in connection to the massacre. It is believed that they orchestrated the killings in order to gain custody of their granddaughter, who was also a victim in the massacre.
The sentencing hearing is sure to bring closure to the families of the victims, as well as shed light on the motives behind this heinous crime. Justice must be served for the lives that were senselessly taken on that tragic day in Pike County. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
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Alexis Jones-McDaniel, the mother of Jailyn Jones, a Northwest High School student who was killed in 2022, is suing Montgomery County Public Schools, saying they could have prevented his death. (Photo courtesy of Alexis Jones-McDaniel)
County lawyers argued that the death of Jailyn Jones was not the school system’s fault, because he was not at school — he was suspended at the time — and school officials could not have predicted his assault and death.
“Plaintiffs fail to include any facts to plausibly indicate that the (Board of Education) knew or should have foreseen the January 21 assault and murder that occurred during Jailyn’s suspension, while off school grounds, by others,” states the motion to dismiss, prepared by Montgomery County Attorney John Markovs and three others.
“In short, the Complaint is completely devoid of any facts to support that the particular alleged harms at issue were foreseeable to the BOE or its unnamed employees.”
Jones had physical and emotional disabilities, PTSD, ADHD and severe anxiety, causing him to be placed on behavioral improvement plans and individualized education programs. His mother, Alexis Jones-McDaniel, who sued in October, says he was bullied at Clarksburg High School, and was beaten and robbed by classmates; on one occasion, her complaint states, he suffered a torn retina.
Jones’s behavioral improvement plan at Clarksburg High School “recognized that Jailyn instigated gossip and then negatively reacted when he was called names in return,” the county’s motion states. “Jailyn was also physically aggressive and was targeting other students.”
It says he was suspended twice from Clarksburg High School “for fighting and engaging in peer conflicts in the hallways,” then expelled after he brought a gun and loaded magazine to school. He was later reassigned to Northwest High School, where the county says he was “given a fresh start.”
At Northwest, he was suspended in December 2021 “for using threatening, offensive, abusive, and disrespectful language towards staff members,” and in January 2022 after a conflict with another student.
Jones-McDaniel said her son should have been allowed to attend a virtual school because it would have allowed him to improve his behavioral issues and perform better academically, but an MCPS official allegedly threatened truancy charges if he did not attend Northwest High School in person, the complaint says.
She argues school officials violated the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in suspending him, “failed to protect him despite the actual notice of the dangers of bullying and harassment based on his disability, and created a danger to him that was the proximate cause of his death.”
“Jailyn was treated like an aggressor instead of being treated like a victim,” Tonya Sweat, Jones-McDaniel’s lawyer, said in an October interview.
The complaint also names unspecified “Jane/John Does” as defendants. Sweat said that was included so that she could bring claims against Jones’s bullies or school personnel if they collect evidence in the discovery process that indicates liability.
One of Jones’s classmates was charged with murdering him, but a jury found him not guilty in 2023. The records of the trial are sealed because the defendant was a minor, even though he was tried as an adult.
In a recent court case, Montgomery County is arguing that it is not liable for the tragic death of a student who died off school grounds. The county’s legal team is claiming that the incident occurred outside of school property and therefore the county cannot be held responsible.
The student’s family is fighting back, arguing that the school should have done more to protect their child, even when they were not on school grounds. They believe that the school had a duty to ensure the safety of their students at all times, regardless of where they were.
This case raises important questions about the extent of a school’s responsibility for its students, both on and off school property. It will be interesting to see how the court rules on this matter and what implications it may have for future cases involving student safety.
On Sunday, December 29, 2024, the Mansfield Police Department requested assistance from the Wright County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division to investigate a suspicious death within the city limits of Mansfield. Since then, several interviews have been conducted, and numerous leads have been pursued.
During the investigation, the Wright County Criminal Investigations Division and Mansfield Police Department made multiple arrests related to drug crimes:
Joseph Bell: Arrested on December 29, 2024, for two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance. Bell is currently on Parole. Bell has been charged and is being held on a $1,500 cash-only bond with conditions.
Julie Barnes: Arrested on December 30, 2024, for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Barnes was later released.
Bradley J. Henry: Arrested on January 2, 2025, following a search warrant executed by the Wright County Special Operations Group. Henry has been charged with Distribution of a Controlled Substance and Keeping or Maintaining a Public Nuisance. He is being held on a $25,000 cash-only bond with conditions. Henry is a prior and persistent drug offender.
Daison Steffe: Arrested by Mansfield Officer Kase Sanders, January 2, 2025, for Possession of a Controlled Substance, shortly after the above search warrant had been cleared. Steffe is currently on Probation and Parole and on felony bond from a prior posession charge. Charges are pending.
This case remains an open and active investigation.
Sheriff Byerley stated:
“This is what fighting the drug epidemic in a rural county is about—law enforcement agencies working together to rid the county of dangerous drugs. I want to thank and commend Detective Sgt. Akers and Detective Ballard for their tireless dedication in pursuing, tracking down, and acting on all leads. It takes this kind of effort to put a case like this together.”
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In a shocking turn of events, five individuals have been arrested in Wright County as authorities continue to investigate a suspicious death. The identities of the arrested individuals have not been released at this time, but they are being held in custody pending further investigation.
The suspicious death, which took place in a rural area of Wright County, has left the community on edge as authorities work to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. The investigation is ongoing, and details are limited at this time.
Residents are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities. More information will be released as it becomes available. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
MANSFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – The Mansfield Police Department and the Wright County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a suspicious death.
The investigation began Sunday, December 29, when officers with the Mansfield Police Department responded to a call of a suspicious death. Investigators have not released the victim’s identity or how the victim died.
Investigators say interviews of witnesses in the case led to the arrests of five people wanted for drug offenses.
”This is what fighting the drug epidemic in a rural county is about law enforcement agencies working together to rid the county of dangerous drugs,” said Sheriff Sonny Byerly. “I want to thank and commend Detective Sgt. Akers and Detective Ballard for their tireless dedication in pursuing, tracking down, and acting on all leads. It takes this kind of effort to put a case like this together.”
This case remains an open and active investigation.
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In a recent development in Wright County, authorities are currently investigating a suspicious death that occurred in the area. The victim, whose identity has not been released, was found deceased under mysterious circumstances.
In connection to the investigation, five individuals have been arrested on drug-related charges. The arrests were made following a thorough investigation conducted by law enforcement officials.
The authorities are working diligently to uncover the circumstances surrounding the suspicious death and are urging anyone with information to come forward. The community is encouraged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
As the investigation continues, more details are expected to emerge. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
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