Mourning at the Church

the Wadeners. I hope they Yet everything comes. So this is the Pikes and Massacre returned to Pike County season four, episode five, Morning at the Church. I'm Courtney Armstrong, a television producer at Katie Studios with Stephanie Leidecker and Jeff Shane. Stephanie and I are currently in Pike County. All right, so here we are, wrote the courthouse in Waverley. The courthouse is not as busy as it was when court proceedings began. Now it's mostly media and the victim's family members.

It's important to note that George Wagner, the fourth currently on trial, has pleaded not guilty and has maintained he did not kill anyone. His father, Billy Wagner, whose trial is upcoming, has also pleaded not guilty to all charges. Today's testimony centered around the events leading up to the discovery of Kenneth Roden's body. He was found by his cousin, Donald Stone, and was the last of the victims to

be discovered. Here's Donald on the stand. How do you know Kenneth Roden's cousin his mother and my father, mother and sisters. Some cousins are close some Hart, would you consider yourself to have been close to Kenneth? Real? Quote? Okay, and tell us about that. Just you know, anytime that I was down and out, the man was there to help me. Their mother fed me when I was young, and they were just helpful people. Donald Stone is understandably emotional in the witness chair. How did you learn that

something had happened up on Union Hill Road? Well, I was a herd appointment that morning. I had talked to gentlemen while I was there, and he asked me if I heard what happened on Union Hill And I got word that there were some people meeting at a church. So you went to the church on Union Hill Road? And who I was there? It's just there is a lot of people there, amily, I mean, there is a lot of people there. Okay. At what point did you

learn how many had been killed on Union Hill Road? Actually, I hadn't known at the time how many there were. For sure. You indicated that you tried to call Kenneth at one time, and that was from your home after that appointment. Yes, okay. Did you personally ever try to call Kenneth hear that? Yes, well, when I tried to make the phone calls, I did try to call him once, okay. And while you read the church, did there become some concerns about Kenneth not responding to phone calls here? Okay?

And can you tell us did you decide to go to Kenneth at some point? Yeah? We was at the church and Luke mentioned that he wanted to go to his dad's place, and he asked me if I wanted to go, and we went. Here's Stephanie and I speaking about the testimony thus far. It's pretty powerful to be there. I also didn't realize that Donald Stone was not alone when he discovered Kenneth's body. I didn't realize Kenneth's son, Luke was also present. I didn't know that either. I

didn't know that either until today. How painful that must have been. Next, Antwo Kenepa begins the difficult process of walking the cousins through the discovery of Kenneth Rowden's body. Here again, Donald Stone, we'll go out there. We got Alacor. We walked up to the door, me and Luke, and once we got to the door, I told him, I said, this is your dad's place. You need to go in. First.

We walked into the supposedly the living room, and I noticed to the right, I didn't see him in there nowhere, So I've seen a stairway to the right, and I walked up the stairway and it was found him with and he's a bid And when you say you found to him, can you tell us what condition you found him in? Yeah? But resides and where was he located? And mad he's dead? Was it just you that walked

up those stairs and saw Kenneth. Yes, it was significant, just being in the courtroom and being close to family members. Kenneth Rowden is one of the victims that we really have known the least about. We know that he's a father, we know that he lived by himself and that he was extremely close with Chris Senior. Seeing these crime scene photos,

it was pretty excruciating. I believe what struck me so much in the courtroom is it's cliche, but how very different it is seeing these actual photos versus anything you see when you watch TV or a movie. Just the stark lack of life and these photos was so impactful and felt so permanent. We were sitting just feet away from Kenneth's family members and for them, I cannot imagine how excruciating it was for them to have to see that,

and imagine being Luke, this is his father. He had to see his father's body and this was a violent crime. So the trauma that they've been through just seeing a dead body, let alone of somebody you love so deeply, and for them to have to get up there and relive it step by step by step, the bravery it took, I don't know that I would be able to find

that level of courage. Because Donald Stone identified the body, Caneppa had no choice but to have him relive the dramatic events through crime scene photos showing you what's been marked as D one eighty two. Aback to do you recognize that photo. Yes, and can you tell us what you recognize that? As he breaks down here and grabs more tissues. Caneppa, knowing this is horrible, prefaces each question with an apology. Sorry, And is that how you saw Kenneth Lyne in his bed and you entered that d

way two? Mister Stone, can you look at that? I'm sorry? What do you recognize that as? And is that how you saw him on that day? Yes? And you indicated ned he had Does that imagine recollection of the blood that you saw him? Okay, here's James Pilcher, longtime investigative reporter in Cincinnati now with Local twelve. Everybody knows in

Pike County how these people died. I would say they are trying to shock the jury at this point with the violence of it, for sure, because they showed the pictures of people dead in their beds or on the floor time and time and time again. The trial is reopening wounds that may have only just begun to heal. Traveling with us as investigative journalist Jeff Winkler Woll you'll remember previous seasons. It was his article about the Roden

family that first peaked her interest in the case. He's joined us for several trips to Pike County over the years. I think that's the weirdest thing is going into the courthouse as the trials going and starting for George, and the families still there, still grieving, still having the same kind of grief and trauma, then seeing the family having

just basically stuck in time of pain. Can you imagine, though, the level of grief and despair even just to have to sit there and look at these photos, which I might add were pretty graphic, and we've never actually seen those before. I think that's what struck me walking in there today was just the I mean, it's been six years, you know. Yeah, so you've got the core Warners and the core folks in the middle of the trauma. Everyone else is gone. I thought it was also interesting to

finally see the matriarch of the Roden family. She's Chris Senior's mother and the grandmother therefore of Hannahme Roden, Chris Junior Roden, Frankie Rodin, and I believe then her grandson would also be Luke. Chris and Kenneth were her sons, which yes, would make Luke her grandson. I was so sad for her, Geneva Roden, because I looked over at one point and there were just some horrific crime scene

photos being shown. Here's reporter Ajeanette Levy, who was also present in the courtroom, and Geneva Roden was consoling her daughters who were sobbing. She was sobbing. They were kind of consoling one another and just understandably falling apart having to see photos of their loved ones murdered and what is just an unbelievable amount of blood in some instances. Meanwhile, Kenneth Roden's son Luke had also caught wind of the murders on the morning of April twenty second, twenty sixteen.

Here he is testifying alone came into my bedroom and said that I mean to get up and Chris and everybody get out there shot up on the hill. Luke Rowden is an imposing man with a beard and short brown hair. He wears a blue shirt, lucas poised and speaks in a very matter of fact manner. As new spread around town of the murders, Luke tried to make his way to his uncle, Chris Senior's house, but police had already cordoned off the road. And then do you know how you knew to go to the church someone

who came on last nute that they all meet. Never, it's the church. While you were trying to get through there, right, they informed you to go to the church. Right, people were gathering at the church. Yeah, Luke Donald Stone his father's cousin and best friend at the church. During this time, do you make any attempts to contact your father? Yes, try to contact about a dozen times. Never seen anything back from him. Okay, is that normal? No? Okay? At

that point do you get concerned? Yes? Here again James Pilcher. Both of them talked about the chaos and all of the things that were happening when they didn't know where Ken was. They couldn't get a touch with them. The prosecution even showed a picture of the cell phone that Ken would put in his window to try to get a perception and he went down to your dad's What did you do when you got there? I've seen he's

try still and driveway so I'll get out. Special Prosecutor Angrew Kneppa shows Luke and the jury various exterior photos of Kenneth's property. There is an abandoned boat on one side of the driveway entrance. Nestled back in the woods are two trailers and an outbuilding. It's April, so there are no leaves on the trees, but you can imagine it's pretty secluded once things are in bloom. Kneppa spends

nearly thirty minutes dissecting each photo for the jury. Reporter James Pilcher noted the level of detail on the part of the prosecution. I don't mean this is a criticism towards a prosecution, because they gotta do what they gotta do. But this is going extremely, extremely slowly. It feels like they're trying to kill a natt with a ten pound sledge. They're pulling out every single piece of evidence they have for every single possible question that could come up. This

trial has slowed to a nail space. On cross examination, the defense questions Luke Roden about a local whose name we have heard come up in our investigation Big money. Mike can tell us, didn't tell you I've heard his name, book, didn't tell you who he is. You've heard his name from? Yeah,

I didn't hear about it until everything happened. So I can Stephanie and Jeff in Luke Roden's testimony, he made it clear that he hadn't heard the name Big Money Mike until after the murders and didn't know how it related to his family members being murdered. I'm curious where the prosecution is leading to because it's come up now twice. We started doing our own digging about Big Money Mike, and we have to assume that that stands for Michael Moran.

He is the attorney that has since died that we covered pretty extensively in season two, and he had a very checkered past. Maybe that's him, but again we don't know for sure. This is just another example of the prosecution building a narrative that we're not totally sure where it will lead until they rest. Andie Canepa asked Luke about what happened after he and Donald Stone entered his father's home. No, he stamped up in there and looked and a ramp path. Mean told we get out like

he'd been shot. He told you he had been shot, he said, but all over his face. When you were inside of your dad's home, did you stay pop at all? Into his bedroom? I don't believe I stand up doing his bedroom. I may stepped on the step right there, maybe, but I don't believe I stepped into the bedroom. Okay, Were you able to see any part of him from where you were? I able to see his leg and at the top of his head, and the blank was actually placed like he has been placed ony. Okay, there

was a blanket on him right, Okay? Were you able to see his face at that time at all? Now? I just see his forehead and his hair. At this point, Coulnepa asked Luke about the money that was found on Kenneth's body. I seem probably I don't know how much, but like a few ones and fives and stuff like that, some money, paper money, and his pants was laying there beside it. Here's Stephanie and Jeff Winkler. We always sort of had heard that he had almost like there was

money thrown all over his body. It was a rolled up dollar bill and some change, That's all. It wasn't there wasn't money lying everywhere. We always maybe thought that was such an interesting crime scene and very different than the others, and maybe that was a way of making it look like a hit, or make it look like the cartel had done it. It was a good reminder that in those first you know, first forty eight hours or whatever of just pure speculation, that's hard enough to beat.

But then those little bits of fantasy, hitch on for a rod and don't let go. We're going to take a break. We'll be back in a moment. For most of the morning, George wag knew the fourth it's motionless looking down. This is true, especially during Donald Stone's emotional testimony. George Wagner finally makes eye contact when questions turned to his family. Luke only had brief interactions with the Wagners over the years, but one with Billy stuck out in

his memory. I was out at his property one time. It was the one that pretty far off the grid, and my dad and Chris learning the backau for him to do something, and backhead went to start, so he got a hold of my dad and Chris. They brought out some tarps and space heater and all that to get the back I warmed up to in order to get us started. I was standing there on the trailer and he was standing beside me. Looked that he said,

csp he said, there's some really good people. He said that fair had to fuck with him that they had to shoot him if they ever had to what mess with him, if he had had a tussle with him, whatever, that he had had to shoot him. Did he explain why that was or did he say anything more? That was it, But he was telling you they were really great people. Yeah. First. Right at the end of his testimony, Luke was asked to point out George by both the

prosecution and the defense present today. Yes, if so, can you point where he is sitting? He described for us when he's married right there, the last one there has changed appearance was at all? Yes, he has. Wait, wise, he was much larger when you last saw him. Right, Yes, here again, Stephanie. I was struck just by seeing George Wagner in person, having never seen him before. In person, he was slighter than I imagined him being. He's got good,

a little ball going on. You know, roots are shined, just kind of looks regular, which is not what you you know, they're supposed to have some sort of like dark glow around them. Right. Media covering the trial immediately latched onto the story Luca told about his interaction with Billy Wagner, the son of one of the Pike County massacre victims testified Billy Wagner's right in the road and

family four or five years before the actual shootings. Luke said that while his dad and uncle were doing a good deed for Billy Wagner, Billy told Luke that a dust up between the three of them would not end well. After kenep as well planned line of questioning of Luke rowdon George's defense attorney has very little to add. He rests within minutes here again, James Pilcher queerly, they are cutting off any opportunity for the defense to ask why didn't you ask this? Why didn't you do that? Why

didn't you this? Now the defense is still trying to find its way to do that. The final witness of the day straits the prosecution strategy perfectly. Brett Hatfield was a friend and co worker of Kenneth Rod's. He opts out of media coverage, but we were there to follow his testimony. Brett Hatfield worked in Columbus at the same

company as Kenneth, so the pair very often car pool together. However, on the morning of April twenty second, twenty sixteen, they didn't, and when Hatfield arrived at Kenneth's home, probably around four am the morning of April twenty second. He said there were no lights on and that Kenneth's didn't come to

the door as he normally did. It turns out that the day before, Hatfield said that Kenneth had been complaining of high blood pressure, a condition that Luke explained sometimes made him sick and could cause him to miss work. So despite Kenneth's car being in the lot, Hatfield assumed that maybe somebody picked him up and took him to the hospital. So he just left. James Pilcher, he came in, saw Kenneth all the time, So you put him up

on the sand. They're going incrementally chronologically, and I think they're feeling in their way as they go through this trial. To let the jury know, we took every step to interview everybody we could. Legal analyst Mike Allan, who's speaking with Jeff, agrees, it just tells the story here. This poor guy, you know, he wants to pick up his buddy to drive to Columbus to go to work, but he's not there. That's something that's pretty strong and I

know the prosecution what the jury to hear that. Yeah, it definitely paints a picture, and that's what they need to do. That's what they're doing. Hours after Hatfield left Kenneth Roden's trailer that morning, a member of the road and family called to tell him about the murder. Hatfield immediately left work in Columbus and returned to Piketon. Here's Luke Rowden. Did he arrive at some point? Yes, he did. Whenever we were sitting down our way on the cops

to come and all that he showed up. One was full wheeler and just there's like a scammer my dad's property behindest trailer and stuff like okay, and do you know what he was looking for at the time, cameras, see if the camera was still around, to see if there was a footage or less. Many of the cameras were missing. The prosecution asked him about Kenneth's dog, Brownie

earlier in the day. Both Luke Rowden and Donald Stone testified the dog was inside the trailer when they arrived, but Hatfield adds a very telling detail about the dog here again Stephanie and Jeff. Interesting about Brownie is that Hatfield says the dog would bite anybody, didn't matter who you were. Unless you called the dog by name. And that's interesting because it was reported that the Wagoners didn't have any dog bites on them whatsoever, So why didn't

Brownie attack so Steph. That says to me that it seems pretty likely that whoever was there that night must have known the dog by name. And keep in mind that we have heard from numerous people that many of the Rodent properties had dogs like this on them, so that would be indicative that whoever was at all of these crime scenes knew all of the dogs. In theory, Hatfield added yet another chilling detail to the timeline of

April twenty, twenty sixteen. He said that when he found out about the murders, he tried calling everyone in the Rodent family. He even sent a DM to Hannah May on social media, who, as we know, was tragically already dead. Hatfield said that he never got a response, but he did get a notification that the message was read. So

what does that mean? I would imagine after the murder, the killers were probably cleaning up or figuring out what to do, and her phone was pinging and to silence that maybe they looked at it or opened the text message and shut it down. All we know is that Hotfield sent a message after she was already murdered, and somebody read that message, and it could not have been Hannah met Rodin. We know that it's come up that Jake Wagner took several phones from the crime scenes and

allegedly destroyed them the next day. Is this one of those phones? And think about this. Can you imagine being Jake Wagner and you're literally reading a text on the phone of the mother of your baby who you just murdered, and you have enough wherewithal to potentially check her phone and read her texts. With the trial underway, the Rodent family is inching towards closure, but not before some wounds are reopened for all the world else to see. Let's

stop here for another break. After court adjourned for the day, Luke was interviewed on the courthouse steps. Look, what was it like to be on the witness standing nor racking, seeing the photos and stuff and bringing the past up and their things really hard on my mental state? And Geneva's your grandmother, right correct? Talk about how this is an effect that we've seen her crying or just talking about her in the whole family house is effected her. She went through a lot and I wish you never

how to go through any of this. She's lost while her children at a young age, and and now she's deale with all her other children and her grandchildren murdered. And I think everything's getting closer to the end. I'm can't wait till Zager really, so rest of our family go on with our lives, and I can't imagine. Can you even put it into words what it's like worst nightmare living in hail Really? What are your thoughts about

the Wageners? My thoughts about the Wageners? I hope they Yet everything comes to when you examined that hat, did you find would you believed to be a bullet hole in the back of it? Yes, both sides agreed the traces of Gary Rowden's blood were found on the door knob, but not of the Wagoners. That seemed to make the

case for the defense. None of the evidence collected were examined with respect to that scene contained any DNA that was linked to George Wagner, this defendant Jake Wagner, Angela Wagner, or Billy Wagner. When are they all going to tie this together? When are they going to point to George being part of this conspiracy because none of the physical evidence presented so far hide any of the Wagoners to

any of these crime scenes. I can tell you the prosecutors are telling us behind the scenes, it's coming, it's coming, it's coming, that we're all going to tie it together. We're starting to see threads of it blade more on that next time. For more information on the case and relevant photos, follow us on Instagram at Katie Underscore Studios. The Piked and Masker is produced by Stephanie Lydecker, Jeff Shane, Scott DeGraw, Andrew Arnow and me Courtney Armstrong. Editing and

sound designed by Jeff Twa. Music by Jared Aston. The Piked and Masker is a production of iHeartRadio and Katie Studios. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the i Heart Radio app Apple Podcasts, wherever you listen to your favorite shows.