WATCH: Jake Wagner returns for third day of Pike County massacre testimony - FOX19

WARNING - Trial sum could incorporate graphic images oregon language

WAVERLY, Ohio (WXIX) - Confessed Pike County slayer Jake Wagner volition instrumentality to the witnesser basal Wednesday and attest for the 3rd time successful a enactment against his brother, George Wagner IV.

On Tuesday, Jake Wagner told the assemblage however his member and their dada helped him get escaped of the guns and different things they utilized successful the execution-style killings of 8 radical successful April 2016.

Pike County massacre: Complete proceedings coverage

Jake Wagner volition instrumentality the basal astir 10 a.m. aft a proceeding archetypal connected witnesses similar him who privation to attest disconnected camera.

Jake Wagner, a confessed slayer of astatine slightest 5 radical who is simply a co-defendant successful his brother’s superior execution trial, has been allowed to attest off-camera each week.

Their mother, Angela Wagner, is expected to attest against George Wagner IV adjacent week.

Their grounds against George Wagner is portion of their plea deals with the state.

When witnesses opt-out, lone radical successful the courtroom tin spot and perceive it.

Multiple different witnesses person testified connected camera including some George Wagner and Jake Wagner’s ex-wives, immoderate relatives of the Rhoden household who cried connected the basal astatine times arsenic they recounted achy memories of their slain loved ones, each the agents from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the lawman coroner astatine the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office who performed autopsies connected each of the victims.

On Tuesday, Ohio’s Fourth District Court of Appeals released a determination ordering Pike County Common Pleas Court Judge Randy Deering to let each witnesser grounds to beryllium recorded connected camera unless helium archetypal holds a proceeding to see wherefore the witnesser should beryllium allowed to opt-out.

The prosecution and attorneys for the media tin contiguous their arguments for and against it astatine the hearing.

The determination from the appeals tribunal came aft Jake Wagner already testified disconnected camera each time Monday, describing successful vivid item however the massacre was planned and carried out, and continued to attest disconnected camera again Tuesday.

After a agelong luncheon break, the justice announced helium would clasp a proceeding astatine 8:30 a.m. Wednesday to see reasons for witnesser grounds disconnected camera.

Then, tribunal resumed for the day with Jake Wagner continuing to attest disconnected camera.

He told the assemblage his household agreed to archer instrumentality enforcement they were each astatine location watching TV erstwhile it happened.

“I judge my dada said don’t connection gains,” Wagner recalled connected the stand.

Under questioning from Special Prosecutor Angela Canepa, helium said helium and his household ne'er talked astir the killings oregon his daughter’s custody, which is believed to beryllium the motive successful what has go Ohio’s biggest and astir costly execution lawsuit to date.

“No. I couldn’t without having immense guilt ...I decided to erase the representation completely.”

On Monday, Jake Wagner nonchalantly described committing crimes specified arsenic arson and theft for years with his household and talked conscionable arsenic calmly astir gunning down astir of the 8 members of the Rhoden and Gilley families.

Jake Wagner describes massacre: ‘’She looked up and made a gasping sound and past I changeable her’

Prosecutors accidental the Wagners planned the execution-style murders for months truthful Jake Wagner could person sole custody of his daughter, Sophia, calved successful 2015 to 1 of the victims, Hanna May Rhoden, 19.

The different victims are her father, Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; his older brother, Kenneth Rhoden, 44; his cousin, Gary Rhoden, 38; his erstwhile wife, Dana Lynn Rhoden, 37, and their sons: Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, 20, Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16, and Frankie’s fiancé, Hannah “Hazel” Gilley, 20.

During a sidebar successful tribunal Monday, Jake Wagner looked astatine respective of the victims’ relatives successful the courtroom and appeared to rima the words: “I’m sorry.”

George Wagner IV, 31, is the archetypal of the Wagners to spell connected trial.

He has pleaded not blameworthy to 22 charges, including 8 counts of aggravated murder, on with his father, Billy Wagner.

George Wagner didn’t sprout and termination anyone, but prosecutors accidental helium tin and should beryllium convicted of aggravated execution due to the fact that helium conspired with his household successful the readying and carrying retired of the massacre.

Jake Wagner told the assemblage Monday that his member was expected to beryllium the 1 who changeable Chris Rhoden Sr., but helium froze truthful Jake pulled the trigger.

Jake Wagner and his parent pleaded blameworthy to their roles successful the massacre past year. Then, Jake Wagner led investigators to the weapons and vehicles utilized successful the killings.

On Monday, Jake Wagner told the assemblage helium utilized a Walther Colt 1911 .22 caliber pistol. His father, Billy Wagner, was equipped with a .40-caliber Glock. An SKS firearm besides was utilized successful the offense.

Jake Wagner testified Tuesday that helium chopped astatine slightest 2 of those 3 weapons successful fractional with a grinding tool. He said his member helped him, describing George Wagner arsenic “strong arsenic a bull ox.”

Jake Wagner told jurors helium utilized a torch to melt down the firing pins and serial numbers to forestall the weapons from being traced backmost to the crimes.

Jake Wagner disposed of the ashes successful a Rumpke Dumpster connected the Peterson Road property. He said helium besides burned respective items successful an aged metallic feeding trough. Everything was burned until determination was thing near and the ashes were disposed successful a Rumpke Dumpster connected the family’s property.

He said helium burned:

• The apparel and shoes they wore
• DVR they removed from a marijuana turn location connected Chris Rhoden Sr.’s property
• Cell phones collected from the victims’ rooms aft they were changeable to death
• Shell casings astatine immoderate of the shooting scenes

Prosecutor Canepa asked Jake Wagner if helium planned to destruct the weapons earlier the slayings.

“I did,” helium responded.

He besides admitted connected the witnesser basal that helium and his member dug a spread nether a caller barn connected their land, placed the broken-up weapon parts into a duffel container and buried it nether the barn.

Jake Wagner said helium and his begetter dug the duffel backmost up later, removed the weapon parts and enactment them successful 5-gallon buckets filled with concrete, on with Jake Wagner’s hunting knife. He utilized the weapon to effort to pry unfastened the doorway connected 1 of the victim’s locked trailers but the weapon broke off.

The buckets with the limb parts were past filled with cement and enactment into the h2o arsenic anchors for a goose location the brothers gave their gramps arsenic a Father’s Day oregon day present. Their gramps utilized it connected his water astatine Flying W Farms successful Lucasville.

Jake Wagner told the assemblage his member initially helped him physique the goose house.

Discovery filed successful the lawsuit successful Pike County Common Pleas Court connected June 21, 2021, shows the authorities submitted respective items arsenic grounds against George Wagner IV aft Jake Wagner helped them retrieve them.

The find study includes “concrete bucket contents,” “Glock comparisons,” “Walther comparisons” and reports from dive teams successful Franklin and Ross counties who searched the water astatine Flying W Farms.

Canepa showed Jake and the assemblage an aerial photograph of the water astatine Flying W Farms.

He pointed to the apical close information of the water and said the goose location was successful that location.

In her opening statement, Canepa concisely touched connected BCI weapon adept Matt White reassembling the weapons aft they were retrieved.

More grounds astir this grounds and however BCI’s weapon adept virtually pieced the weapons backmost unneurotic is expected successful the coming days.

The assemblage besides volition perceive 2018 wiretaps of the Wagners that prosecutors accidental volition corroborate their conspiracy complaint against George Wagner IV.

The justice overseeing this execution trial, Pike County Common Pleas Court Judge Randy Deering, has allowed each witnesser to determine earlier helium oregon she testifies nether oath if they privation to person it recorded connected camera oregon opt-out.

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Prosecutor Canepa asked him astir his ex-wife, who testified Friday, and George Wagner’s ex-wife, Tabitha Claytor, who took the basal earlier this month.

Both women told the assemblage they fled the household location aft abstracted episodes years isolated successful which they feared for their lives.

The ex-wives recounted disturbing details astir surviving with the Wagners, describing a household of changeless yelling and hitting. They said they were near retired of household meetings and had to contend a mother-in-law who ran the amusement and hurled unfounded accusations against them, resulting successful the last showdowns that ended some little marriages.

Claytor said she fled the household home successful 2014, leaving her young lad behind, aft George Wagner slapped her crossed the look and past her mother-in-law threw a ample woody committee astatine her and “told George she was going wrong to get a gun.”

Claytor testified she hid nether a truck, telling the jury: “I didn’t privation to get shot.”

Canepa asked Jake astir the nighttime George’s ex-wife left. He said helium was determination erstwhile the statement broke retired and remembered it occurred a time oregon 2 earlier his day astir Nov. 10 oregon Nov. 11.

He testified to the pursuing claims:

He was sitting successful the room astatine the clip and could spot straight into the couple’s bedroom, wherever Claytor claimed George Wagner IV struck her.

Jake Wagner said helium didn’t spot his member deed her.

“She was successful a hysterical state.” He besides described her arsenic being “in an affectional craze.”

He said she “stomped into the kitchen” portion helium was successful determination with Hanna Rhoden and Angela Wagner.

She tried to instrumentality her lad with George Wagner, Bulvine, retired of the precocious seat but coiled up pulling him out. She “stomped” again, this clip retired of the kitchen, and alleged she knocked her son’s caput into the doorway.

He said astatine that point, George Wagner took his lad from his wife.

Jake Wagner testified:

Claytor “stomped out” of the room and said she was leaving.

He told his member helium would spell look for her. He searched successful the barn and nether a motortruck helium was moving connected but didn’t find her.

The 2 brothers got into a conveyance and went looking for her.

They recovered her alongside the road successful Peebles astir a mile away

She was connected a bicycle. George Wagner was talking to her retired the conveyance model arsenic she pedaled distant and went to a state station

Once there, she went inside. George Wagner told his member helium thought she mightiness telephone the police.

Jake Wagner agreed and told George Wagner to telephone the constabulary archetypal “because the idiosyncratic who calls archetypal volition beryllium served first”

He said a home unit study was filed. He testified helium didn’t spot anybody battle oregon endanger George’s wife.

Jake Wagner testified that his ma threw her hands up successful the aerial and said “That’s it. I’m getting my gun.”

Canepa asked him astir Alaska and erstwhile BCI made interaction with Wagners.

Jake testified the household went to Alaska to prosecute occupation opportunities and property.

BCI asked for Jake’s compartment telephone voluntarily but helium declined, truthful they got it with a tribunal bid and took it earlier the Wagners moved to Alaska successful 2017.

As the Wagners traveled to Alaska, Jake Wagner said they were made alert BCI was searching their erstwhile location connected Peterson Road.

He said helium wasn’t tense but “we were each concerned” astir the search.

Jake testified they were trying to support their instrumentality to Ohio “low-key” erstwhile they moved backmost the pursuing twelvemonth and wanted to enactment retired of the “spotlight.”

They were fearful reporters would invade their privacy, helium added.

Angela Wagner and George Wagner told Jake Wagner helium should not marque his girl telephone his woman ‘Mom’ due to the fact that “of however it would impact Bulvine.”

Canepa astir Jake Wagner astir Bulvine’s narration with Angela Wagner.

“It was my reflection that Bulvine looked to my parent arsenic a parent figure,” helium responded.

Jake was asked if helium told his woman she couldn’t spot her family.

“I did not privation the household members of her household that has sexually abused her to cognize wherever we lived,” helium answered.

He said helium didn’t retrieve his woman being accused of nutrient poisoning Bulvine and Sophia (she was she testified, by his mother, aft making tacos for the children).

Canepa asked Jake Wagner if helium remembered his parent telling him his woman had inappropriately touched his daughter.

He said helium did and “covertly” asked his woman questions astir it implicit the adjacent fewer weeks.

He besides told his parent determination was a caller rule: His girl was not to beryllium retired of the enactment of show unsocial with his wife.

Canepa asked if helium had told his woman what helium would bash if helium ever recovered retired that had occurred.

He responded that if helium ever recovered anybody molesting his child, helium would “physically bushed the idiosyncratic to decease with my bare hands. I americium talking astir anybody, not conscionable Beth Anne.”

His woman called a friend, a pastor from a religion successful Alaska who Jake Wagner besides knew.

He told Jake Wagner the lone mode to get the information was to commune connected it.

Jake Wagner claimed connected the basal his girl told him his woman “was stealing her daddy from her and she conscionable wanted her daddy to leave.”

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