US Politics | Gunman claims he ‘had no choice’ but to shoot dead five members of same family in chilling court admission
AN OHIO man convicted of fatally shooting five family members has claimed in court that he had no choice but to kill them. Jake Wagner pleaded guilty last year to shooting five of the eight family members who were killed in the 2016 massacre. 
FacebookThe mother of his child, 19-year-old Hannah Rhoden, is among the family members he killed '/ ' 
APSix years after the murders, the trial of Jake Wagner's older brother, George Wagner IV, has entered its eighth week and he faces the death penalty '/ ' Investigators said the shooting resulted from a custody dispute between two families. Victims included 19-year-old Hannah Rhoden \- the mother of Wagner's child. At his older brother's trial on Monday, which has entered its eighth week, Jake Wagner said he decided he had "no other choice but to kill Hanna" to protect their daughter. Jake Wagner said he still loved his former girlfriend but believed she was dating men who would molest Sophia. Read more about murder 
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TRAGIC END Final selfie of girl, 18, taken hours before she was 'murdered by boyfriend' "I was not going to let that happen," he said. Jake Wagner agreed to testify against his brother, George Wagner, 31, in exchange for being spared the death penalty. George Wagner is the first person to go on trial for the killings. Angela Wagner, their mother, also pleaded guilty to helping plan the killings and is expected to testify. Most read in The US Sun VLAD'S BARRAGE Putin oversees 'nuke strike on West' during 'Operation Thunder' WW3 drills TOO TRAGIC Teen Mom fans sob as Gary Shirley's wife bawls over Amber Portwood custody loss 'SCARED I WAS NEXT' Foul-mouthed haunting confession of Kristin Smart's killer revealed WASH TRAGEDY 'World's dirtiest man' dies just months after taking first shower in 67 YEARS CASHING IN Direct payments worth up to $1,050 will start going out to millions in days NO MORE Kanye 'loses billionaire status' after being dropped for antisemitic remarks The Wagner brothers' father, George "Billy" Wagner III, pleaded not guilty and likely won't go on trial until next year, the Associated Press reported. The members of the Wagner family were not arrested until more than two years after the slayings. ...Tipping point' The special prosecutor in the case, Angela Canepa, hasn't accused George Wagner of shooting anyone but said he took part in the planning. She also said he helped carry out and cover up "one of the most heinous crimes in Ohio history." Canepa described the Wagners as being obsessed with gaining control over the child that Jake Wagner had with Hanna Rhoden. The Wagner family pressured Hanna Rhoden to hand over custody of the 3-year-old girl but the 19-year-old vowed in a Facebook message that "they will have to kill me first," Canepa said during the trial. She sent that message four months before the massacre and Jake Wagner testified Monday that Hanna Rhoden's statement was his "tipping point" when he decided he did have to kill her. George Wagner was with his brother and father when they drove to three separate locations where all eight victims were killed. He went inside with the pair and helped his brother move two of the bodies, according to Canepa. Jake Wagner said the other intended victims outside of his daughter's mother were Hanna's brothers Frankie and Chris Rhoden and their father, Chris Rhoden Sr. The family decided they had to kill everyone who could point the finger at them. Canepa said some of the victims were treated as "collateral damage.... "They knew that there might be other people there and agreed they would need to be killed too," she said. "People they had no issue with, they were willing to kill them indiscriminately." Jake Wagner testified that he initially planned to kill Hanna Rhoden and her then-boyfriend then attempt to make it appear to be a murder-suicide but his dad said they had to kill the whole family. Billy Wagner told him the Rhodens would take revenge – like "snipers on a hill" – if they suspected the Wagners' involvement in Hannah's murder. ...Not like the rest' Defense attorney Richard Nash has said George Wagner is not like the rest of his family and had nothing to do with the killings. "There are certain things in this life we can't control. One of those is your family name," Nash said. "George cannot help he's a Wagner. That does not make him a murderer." He said that Jake Wagner will testify that his brother didn't take part in the planning, didn't destroy evidence and didn't shoot anyone. "Everyone had a motive in this case except George," Nash said. Planning The Wagners spent three months planning the massacre, Canepa said. Read More on The US Sun 
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FacebookThe mother of his child, 19-year-old Hannah Rhoden, is among the family members he killed '/ ' APSix years after the murders, the trial of Jake Wagner's older brother, George Wagner IV, has entered its eighth week and he faces the death penalty '/ ' Investigators said the shooting resulted from a custody dispute between two families. Victims included 19-year-old Hannah Rhoden \- the mother of Wagner's child. At his older brother's trial on Monday, which has entered its eighth week, Jake Wagner said he decided he had "no other choice but to kill Hanna" to protect their daughter. Jake Wagner said he still loved his former girlfriend but believed she was dating men who would molest Sophia. Read more about murder 'SCARED I WAS NEXT' Foul-mouthed haunting confession of Kristin Smart's killer revealed TRAGIC END Final selfie of girl, 18, taken hours before she was 'murdered by boyfriend' "I was not going to let that happen," he said. Jake Wagner agreed to testify against his brother, George Wagner, 31, in exchange for being spared the death penalty. George Wagner is the first person to go on trial for the killings. Angela Wagner, their mother, also pleaded guilty to helping plan the killings and is expected to testify. Most read in The US Sun VLAD'S BARRAGE Putin oversees 'nuke strike on West' during 'Operation Thunder' WW3 drills TOO TRAGIC Teen Mom fans sob as Gary Shirley's wife bawls over Amber Portwood custody loss 'SCARED I WAS NEXT' Foul-mouthed haunting confession of Kristin Smart's killer revealed WASH TRAGEDY 'World's dirtiest man' dies just months after taking first shower in 67 YEARS CASHING IN Direct payments worth up to $1,050 will start going out to millions in days NO MORE Kanye 'loses billionaire status' after being dropped for antisemitic remarks The Wagner brothers' father, George "Billy" Wagner III, pleaded not guilty and likely won't go on trial until next year, the Associated Press reported. The members of the Wagner family were not arrested until more than two years after the slayings. ...Tipping point' The special prosecutor in the case, Angela Canepa, hasn't accused George Wagner of shooting anyone but said he took part in the planning. She also said he helped carry out and cover up "one of the most heinous crimes in Ohio history." Canepa described the Wagners as being obsessed with gaining control over the child that Jake Wagner had with Hanna Rhoden. The Wagner family pressured Hanna Rhoden to hand over custody of the 3-year-old girl but the 19-year-old vowed in a Facebook message that "they will have to kill me first," Canepa said during the trial. She sent that message four months before the massacre and Jake Wagner testified Monday that Hanna Rhoden's statement was his "tipping point" when he decided he did have to kill her. George Wagner was with his brother and father when they drove to three separate locations where all eight victims were killed. He went inside with the pair and helped his brother move two of the bodies, according to Canepa. Jake Wagner said the other intended victims outside of his daughter's mother were Hanna's brothers Frankie and Chris Rhoden and their father, Chris Rhoden Sr. The family decided they had to kill everyone who could point the finger at them. Canepa said some of the victims were treated as "collateral damage.... "They knew that there might be other people there and agreed they would need to be killed too," she said. "People they had no issue with, they were willing to kill them indiscriminately." Jake Wagner testified that he initially planned to kill Hanna Rhoden and her then-boyfriend then attempt to make it appear to be a murder-suicide but his dad said they had to kill the whole family. Billy Wagner told him the Rhodens would take revenge – like "snipers on a hill" – if they suspected the Wagners' involvement in Hannah's murder. ...Not like the rest' Defense attorney Richard Nash has said George Wagner is not like the rest of his family and had nothing to do with the killings. "There are certain things in this life we can't control. One of those is your family name," Nash said. "George cannot help he's a Wagner. That does not make him a murderer." He said that Jake Wagner will testify that his brother didn't take part in the planning, didn't destroy evidence and didn't shoot anyone. "Everyone had a motive in this case except George," Nash said. Planning The Wagners spent three months planning the massacre, Canepa said. Read More on The US Sun DECISION TIME Serena Williams' stepmom's bid to save childhood home to be decided in days JUSTICE AT LAST Parade killer found guilty of murder of 6 after crashing car into crowd They bought masks, ammunition and a device to jam phone signals. She said the two brothers even dyed their hair in the week leading up to the killings.
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