Four members of the Wagner family are accused of killing eight members of the Rhoden family in April 2016 in what has been called the Pike County Massacre.

Now, two of them, Jake and Angela Wagner, have been sentenced. 

In this episode of Season One of Cincinnati's Crime Vault Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt breaks down Jake and Angela Wagner's sentencing - including the victim impact statements, statements made by the Wagners themselves, and a decision from the judge that shocked many. 

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast. 

Jessica Schmidt gives an update on the Pike County massacre case, specifically related to the upcoming sentencings of Jake Wagner, Angela Wagner, and Rita Newcomb and the upcoming trial of George "Billy" Wagner III. She also addresses some unresolved issues related to the case, including the death penalty and a change of venue. 

Jessica Schmidt gives an update on the upcoming trial of George "Billy" Wagner III, who is set to go on trial in the Pike County Massacre case in January 2025. There are two significant developments: the judge issued rulings on the defense's change of venue request and the death penalty.

*Note: we encourage you to listen to part one of this two-part series, episode 23, before listening to this episode. 

At the Hamilton County, Ohio Coroner's Office, the investigators, analysts, and technicians are trained in a number of areas. They handle autopsies, even from other counties, help police with murder investigations, and identify Jane and John Does.  It can be challenging work, but they're hopeful that advancing technology will help them solve even more cases. 

In this episode of Season Two of Cincinnati's Crime Vault: Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt goes behind the scenes to see the latest technology at their disposal and talks with Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco about how they have already used some of the tools to return names to the unidentified. 

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast. 

TV Version of This Story

In 2018, an unidentified woman was discovered dead and partially buried near an apartment complex in Avondale, which is a Cincinnati neighborhood.

She became known as the "Avondale Jane Doe" or the "Rose Lady."

Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco and her team at the Hamilton County, Ohio Coroner's Office have never given up on the case. Since the day the woman was found, they've pursued every avenue they can to try to find out her identity.

And now, they're revealing that with help from the FBI and Ohio's Bureau of Criminal Investigation, they're closer than ever before.

In this episode of Season Two of Cincinnati's Crime Vault: Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt talks with Dr. Sammarco about the work they've done on this case and breaks down why it could be solved very soon.

In part two, episode 24, Jessica learns more about the latest technology and the newest tools being used in Jane and John Doe cases.

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast. 

TV Version of This Story

Jessica Schmidt gives an update on season one by explaining where the Pike County Massacre case stands right now, as of August 2024. She touches on George "Billy" Wagner's upcoming trial and George Wagner the 4th's pending appeal. 

According to the FBI, right now, there are multiple serial killers, who could be connected to dozens and dozens of unsolved murders, operating in the United States.  Investigators are actively working to track the murderers down by focusing in on a specific pool of suspects - long haul truckers - through the agency's Highway Serial Killings Initiative. 

In this episode of Season Two of Cincinnati's Crime Vault Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt talks with Frank Figluizzi, a former FBI Assistant Director, about his research on this topic. She also speaks with a truck driver and trucking instructor who offers perspective on the job, the industry, and the HSK initiative. 

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast. 

Even decades later, a case known as the Easter Sunday Massacre continues to haunt the Hamilton, Ohio community.

In 1975, James "Jim" Ruppert murdered 11 members of his own family.  Journalist Karen Holcomb first became familar with the case in the 1990s, when she was a reporter for the Journal News. She didn't know at the time that her coverage would lead to her marrying the prosecutor's son, and, decades later, taking her late father-in-law's words and crafting them into a book that details the trauma left behind after this tragedy.  Warning: some of the details in this episode may be disturbing to hear. 

In this episode of Season Two of Cincinnati's Crime Vault Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt talks with Holcomb and her husband about the horrific killings, the aftermath, and about how the case is still impacting people today. 

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast. 

TV Version of This Story

NOTE: We suggest listening to episode 19 before listening to this one.

In this episode of Season Two of Cincinnati's Crime Vault: Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt interviews Randy Hubbard, a high school teacher who has investigated Laney Gwinner's case and is writing a book about it. 

Hubbard's students have created a podcast of their own, where they talk about the cases they have been working on: Cold Case MHS: Monsters and Demons.

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast. 

More than 20 years after she disappeared and was later found dead, Laney Gwinner’s murder remains unsolved, and her vehicle is still missing. 

Police believe she vanished after she went to a bowling alley in Fairfield, Ohio with a friend in December 1997. She left sometime around 1 a.m. to go to her boyfriend's house, but she never made it there. 

In this episode of Season Two of Cincinnati's Crime Vault Beyond the Broadcast, Investigative Reporter and TV News Anchor Jessica Schmidt talks with a retired detective about why he believes Gwinner was abducted, details how a local teacher got involved with the case, and explains how volunteers have helped search for Gwinner's car. 

Cincinnati's Crime Vault is an award-winning news series on FOX19 Now. This audio podcast will take the stories featured in the news beyond the broadcast.