Pike County Massacre: Jake, Angela Wagner moved from state prison to county jails ahead of resentencing

CINCINNATI (WXIX)— Jake and Angela Wagner have been transferred from state prison to county jails in Ohio after an appeals court last month ordered new sentencing hearings in connection with the 2016 Pike County massacre.

Jake Wagner is being held at the Gallia County Jail, roughly two and a half hours east of Cincinnati. Angela Wagner is being held at the Highland County Jail in Hillsboro.

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Court ruling

Ohio’s Fourth District Court of Appeals ruled in June that a visiting judge had sentenced the two too early before they completed their cooperation with prosecutors. The ruling does not vacate their guilty pleas.

Jake Wagner entered a guilty plea in 2021. The appeals court noted his testimony remains necessary in the ongoing case against his father, Billy Wagner, who has pleaded not guilty. Angela Wagner entered her guilty plea shortly after her son.

Next steps

Both cases are expected to return to Pike County Court for resentencing once the Wagners complete their remaining testimony.

Billy Wagner’s trial is not expected to begin until as late as spring 2027, more than a decade after the killings.

Officials said the sentence reversals prohibit Jake and Angela from being held in a state prison in the interim.

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