Family arrested for murder of another family

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Four members of a family have been arrested in the fatal shootings of seven adults and a 16-year-old boy that rocked Southern Ohio nearly three years ago, state officials said.

The brutal killings in the intimate Pike County community made national headlines after the discovery of the bodies in 2016. Rumors of potential motives swirled as police undertook one of the largest investigations in Ohio’s history, leaving many to wonder when — or if — the suspects responsible would be apprehended.

On Tuesday afternoon, answers finally arrived.

“We promised that the day would come when the arrests would be made in the Pike County massacres,” Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine told a crowd of reporters Tuesday. “Today is that day.”

George “Billy” Wagner III, 47, Angela Wagner, 48, George Wagner IV, 27, and Edward “Jake” Wagner, 26, all of South Webster, were each charged with eight counts of aggravated murder with death penalty specifications, among other related charges in connection with planning and carrying out the killings, DeWine said.

Rita Newcomb, 65, and Fredericka Wagner, 76, the mothers of Angela and Billy Wagner, were also charged and accused of attempting to cover up the crime to mislead authorities, DeWine said. All of the suspects were arrested without incident. It is unclear whether they have retained attorneys.

Early reports of the deaths describe a devastating scene in rural Pike County. An initial call to police on April 22, 2016, cited two male victims, possibly deceased, at a home on Union Hill Road in Piketon, a village in Pike County, Ohio, authorities said at the time. As they were traveling there, deputies were flagged down and given additional information on reports of bodies.

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Picture of the family

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DeWine called it one of the “longest and most complex” investigations in the state’s history. Tens of thousands of hours went into the investigation, spanning 2½ years over 10 states, including Alaska, where the Wagner family moved briefly before returning to Pike County. Police received more than 1,100 tips from the public, tested more than 700 pieces of evidence and conducted nearly 600 interviews over the course of their investigation. DeWine likened the case to a complex puzzle with hundreds of pieces.

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How the hell you get Billy from George and Jake from Edward?

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