Pike County Massacre: Death sentence back on table for Billy Wagner

WAVERLY, Ohio (WXIX) - The death penalty is back on the table as a possible sentence for the last member of the Wagner family to be tried in the Pike County Massacre.

George “Billy” Wagner III has been locked up in jail since his November 2018 indictment.

He pleaded not guilty to all 22 charges, including eight counts of aggravated murder, from the execution-style slayings of his youngest son’s ex-girlfriend and seven of her family members in April 2016.

It remains unclear when and where his trial will be held.

Now that Ohio’s 4th District Court of Appeals has reinstated the death penalty at the request of the state, the trial date can be set unless Wagner appeals.

“We are grateful for the decision out of the Court of Appeals,” Special Prosecutor Angela Canepa said Friday.

“This paves the way for the case to move forward again. We look forward to prosecuting this case so that the Rhoden and Gilley families can finally put this nightmare behind them.”

Wagner’s trial has faced multiple delays, mostly because a new visiting judge, Jonathan Hein, took over the case and repeatedly clashed with Canepa.

Hein dismissed Wagner’s death penalty specifications over her vehement objections and to the horror of the victims’ relatives.

Hein, however, cited concerns about trial delays and litigation.

Canepa went over his head to the higher court, alleging “judicial malfeasance.”

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The appeals court determined Judge Hein abused his discretion and found that “no sound reasoning process” supported his decision.

Canepa appealed another one of his controversial rulings: Change of venue.

It’s not clear when the higher court will issue a determination on that.

The original judge overseeing cases against Wagner and his family ruled that out and ordered it held in Pike County.

Wagner’s eldest son, George Wagner IV, was convicted by a jury there at the end of a three-month trial in 2022.

George Wagner is currently appealing his conviction and wants his sentence thrown out: Eight life sentences plus 121 years.

Judge Hein had the option to revisit the change of venue decision for Billy Wanger and did so at the request of the defense.