Billy Wagner Avoids Death Penalty in Trial

Billy Wagner III, the last suspect in the Pike County massacre of eight family members, will not face the death penalty after a judge dismissed the specifications due to concerns over trial delays and potential retrials. The decision comes as Wagner's trial is set to begin on January 6, 2025, having been moved out of Pike County to avoid bias from pre-trial publicity. The murders, which occurred in April 2016, were linked to a custody dispute and involved Wagner's family, with his wife Angela and son Jake already pleading guilty. Judge Jonathan Hein emphasized the need for clarity regarding charges as the trial approaches, and the specific new venue for the trial has yet to be disclosed. Wagner faces eight counts of aggravated murder as the final trial in this high-profile case. The victims included members of the Rhoden family, whose deaths shocked the community and led to one of Ohio's largest criminal investigations.