8 relatives shot dead execution-style in Ohio: Authorities
Jon Herskovitz, REUTERS
First posted: Friday, April 22, 2016 01:37 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, April 22, 2016 10:55 PM EDT
Eight members of the same family were shot to death execution-style in four homes in Pike County, Ohio, and more than 30 people have been questioned in the search for the killer or killers, officials said on Friday.
The victims included seven adults and one juvenile, all shot in the head, Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said. Reader identified them as members of the Rohden family.
Asked about possible suspects, DeWine told a news conference: "We don't know whether we're talking about one individual, or two, or three, or more."
An infant less than a week old, a 6-month-old and a 3-year-old survived the shootings in Pike County, in south-central Ohio.
Some of the victims appeared to have been murdered in bed, including the mother of the infant who survived, DeWine said.
He played down media reports that a "person of interest" had been detained in Chillicothe, in nearby Ross County.
"I would not use the term person of interest. I will confirm that a number of people are being interviewed and there are several of those who are in Chillicothe," he said.
DeWine said his office had interviewed more than 30 people, with more set to be questioned.
Reader said anyone involved in the shootings should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.
DeWine said that none of the deaths had resulted from suicide. He said processing the four crime scenes likely would continue through Friday night into Saturday morning.
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Police search for answers after 8 Ohio relatives shot in the head
Kantele Franko, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Saturday, April 23, 2016 03:26 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday, April 23, 2016 10:31 PM EDT
PIKETON, Ohio -- An out-of-breath caller who found two of the eight slain members of an Ohio family told a 911 dispatcher in a quavering voice that "there's blood all over the house."
"I think my brother-in-law's dead," she said, her voice rising as she adds later that it looks like someone has "beat the crap out of them."
"I think they're both dead," she said before breaking down into sobs, according to one of two 911 call recordings released Saturday by the state attorney general's office.
The calls were released a day after eight family members were found dead with gunshots to the head at four properties in rural southern Ohio.
Authorities continued the scramble to determine who targeted that clan and why. Investigators said they interviewed more than 30 people in hopes of finding leads in the deaths of the seven adults and the teenage boy whose bodies were found Friday at homes southwest of Piketon. They completed work at the crime scenes Saturday.
"It's a very active and ongoing investigation," said Lisa Hackley, a spokeswoman for Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. "We're looking for the person or persons who did this."
The victims, all members of the Rhoden family, were identified Saturday as 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden Sr.; his 16-year-old son, Christopher Rhoden Jr.; 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden; 38-year-old Gary Rhoden; 37-year-old Dana Rhoden; 20-year-old Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden; 20-year-old Hannah Gilley; and 19-year-old Hanna Rhoden.
It appeared some of the family members were killed as they slept, including Hanna Rhoden, who was in bed with her newborn baby nearby, authorities said. The infant was 4- or 5-days old, authorities said. The baby and two other small children were not hurt.
Authorities said none of the injuries appeared self-inflicted; they believed there was at least one assailant. A search for the perpetrator or perpetrators continued Saturday as surviving members of the Rhoden family were urged to take precautions. Authorities offered them help, and recommended that area residents also be wary.
Phil Fulton, the pastor of Union Hill Church up the road from where some of the victims were found, described the family as close-knit and hardworking. He said they were previously part of his congregation, though not recently.
"We're just doing everything we can to reach out to the family to show them love and comfort," Fulton said.
Reading a statement from the family, Kimberly Newman of the Ohio Crisis Response Team, told reporters gathered alongside the barricaded road that leads to some of the crime scenes that they appreciated "the outpouring of prayers and support."
"They ask that you continue to keep them in your prayers," Newman said.
The exact timing of the shootings remained unclear. Authorities got the first 911 call shortly before 8 a.m. Friday; the second call came several hours later from another location, where the caller said he found his cousin.
"I just went in hollering at him ... And I looked up at him and he had a gunshot wound," he said.
Two of the crime scenes are within walking distance of each other along a sparsely populated, winding road that leads into wooded hills from a rural highway. The third residence is more than a mile away, and the fourth home is on a different road, at least a 10-minute drive away, said the investigation's leader, Benjamin Suver, a special agent in charge with Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
Investigators blocked off wide areas around the crime scenes, but aerial photos showed law enforcement vehicles parked outside the properties. One scene appeared to have a trailer home and several others buildings a short walk apart, with a school bus and numerous other vehicles parked in the grass around the property.
Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader and DeWine said in a joint statement Saturday that investigators worked through the night processing evidence at the scene. Officials said a Cincinnati-area businessman put up a $25,000 reward for information leading to the capture and conviction of the killer or killers.
Authorities refused to discuss details about the crime scenes, the type or number of weapons used, the evidence found, and the search operations.
The owner of at least two of the properties is listed as Christopher Rhoden, according to Pike County auditor's records.
Kendra Jordan, 20, said she often worked nights at a nursing home with Hanna Rhoden and described her as outgoing, funny and always smiling.
"If you were having a bad day, she'd be the first one to come up to you to question you about what was going on," Jordan said. "She was amazing."
Jordan said the town would have difficulty recovering from the loss of such a well-known family in the tight-knit community.
"Everyone knows that family, you can't not know that family," she said. "They're involved in everything, and they're at every event that's going on in town. Just about see them anywhere you went."
Police search for answers after 8 Ohio relatives shot in the head | World | News
Rural Ohio community rattled by killings of 8 family members
Kantele Franko, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Sunday, April 24, 2016 09:07 AM EDT | Updated: Sunday, April 24, 2016 09:23 AM EDT
PIKETON, Ohio -- Residents of the rural southern Ohio community of Piketon are rattled by a rare major crime that took the lives of eight members of a tight-knit family known in the area as hard workers.
Authorities were still trying Sunday to find out who targeted the seven adults and teenage boy and why. Their bodies were found Friday at four different homes near Piketon, about 60 miles south of Columbus.
Kayla Hay said she got to know one of the victims, 37-year-old Dana Rhoden, when they both worked as nurse's aides at a nursing home. Hay said she was shocked and saddened when she heard Rhoden was among those killed.
"I've never heard her say anything about being frightened or concerned about anything bad happening," said Hay, who described Rhoden as outgoing and friendly.
"She was always in a good mood and was very bright, both in her personality and her intelligence," Hay said.
All of the victims were members of the Rhoden family. The others were identified as 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden Sr.; his 16-year-old son, Christopher Rhoden Jr.; 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden; 38-year-old Gary Rhoden; 20-year-old Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden; 20-year-old Hannah Gilley; and 19-year-old Hanna Rhoden.
It appeared some of the family members were killed as they slept, including Hanna Rhoden, who was in bed with her newborn baby nearby, authorities said. The baby was 4- or 5-days old, authorities said. The newborn, Hannah Gilley's 6-month-old baby, and one other small child were not hurt.
Authorities said none of the injuries appeared self-inflicted. A search for the killer or killers continued Sunday, and investigators said they had interviewed more than 30 people.
Robin Waddell, who owns the Big Bear Lake Family Resort just south of Piketon, said Christopher Rhoden often did work for him as a carpenter and helped out with his excavation business. He said Rhoden was a nice guy whose kids sometimes visited him while he was working.
"It's a large family," Waddell said. "There's a lot of them and they've been in this community for generations. So this is affecting a lot of people."
Kendra Jordan, 20, said she often worked nights at a nursing home with Hanna Rhoden and described her as outgoing, funny and always smiling.
"If you were having a bad day, she'd be the first one to come up to you to question you about what was going on," Jordan said. "She was amazing."
Todd Beekman, who owns an outdoors shop a few miles from the crime scenes, said at least one customer came in to stock up on ammunition after hearing about the shootings. But Beekman and others hanging out there midday Saturday said they weren't concerned for their own safety because it's an area where residents know and look out for each other.
"The word spread pretty fast, as it does in any rural area," Beekman said. "Everybody's kind of their own brother's keeper down here."
Phil Fulton, the pastor of Union Hill Church up the road from where some of the victims were found, described the Rhoden family as close-knit and hardworking. He said they were previously part of his congregation, though not recently. He said a crisis resource team was at the church to work with the family.
"They're not doing well with this situation at all," Fulton said. "A tragic situation like this ..."
The exact timing of the shootings remains unclear. Authorities got the first 911 call shortly before 8 a.m. Friday; the second came several hours later from another location.
Two of the crime scenes are within walking distance of each other along a sparsely populated, winding road that leads into wooded hills from a rural highway. The third residence is more than a mile away, and the fourth home is on a different road, at least a 10-minute drive away, said the investigation's leader, Benjamin Suver of the state Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
Authorities refused to discuss many details of the crime, including the search operations.
Officials said a Cincinnati-area businessman put up a $25,000 reward for information leading to the capture and conviction of the killer or killers.
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Daughter of man in Georgia shootings said he was a 'ticking time bomb'
Jonathan Landrum, Jr., THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Saturday, April 23, 2016 12:39 AM EDT | Updated: Sunday, April 24, 2016 12:23 AM EDT
ATLANTA -- The daughter of a northeast Georgia man suspected of shooting five people to death before killing himself says her father was a "ticking time bomb."
Lauren Hawes told The Associated Press on Saturday that she, her mother Angela Dent and her 1-year-old daughter hid in a neighbour's house -- barely escaping with their lives -- while her father, Wayne Anthony Hawes, 50, went on a bloody rampage and killed five people, including her grandmother and cousin.
"He made threats before, but we never thought it would be at this capacity," Lauren Hawes said. "He's been kind of a ticking time bomb if you want to put in a few words."
Capt. Andy Shedd of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that the Friday night shootings stemmed from a domestic dispute that left three men and two women dead at two separate locations within about a mile of each other. The body of shooting suspect Hawes was recovered Saturday by authorities in his home in Appling.
Lauren Hawes, 26, confirmed that the bloodshed was connected to a domestic dispute between her parents: her mother had walked out on her father just a week ago. Angela Dent had left before -- but this time, she took her possessions with her to prevent Hawes from destroying them as he had done in the past.
After Dent's departure, Wayne Hawes bottomed out emotionally.
"He's done things that were questionable in the past, but never to this extent. This is very surprising. We thought he could possibly hurt himself, but not others," said Lauren Hawes.
The rampage began Friday evening, when sheriff deputies responded to a home at about 8 p.m. and found three victims. Authorities then were called to a second home nearby, where two other victims were found.
"We believe the two shootings were related based on witness accounts," Shedd said. When authorities reached Hawes' house and entered, they found him dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. They also found evidence that he attempted to set the house on fire.
The victims were identified as Roosevelt Burns, 75; Rheba Mae Dent, 85; Trequila Clark, 31; Lizzy Williams, 59; and her husband Shelly Williams, 62. One of the female victims died on the way to the hospital, Shedd said. The others were dead at the scene.
"We believe some of the victims were related to the suspect's wife," Shedd said.
Lauren Hawes said her parents had known each since they were teenagers, and had a common law marriage.
Lauren Hawes said Rheba Mae Dent was her grandmother, and her cousin was Trequila Clark. She said her grandmother was retired and her cousin was a registered nurse, who graduated from Augusta State University in 2012. She said Roosevelt Burns was her grandmother's brother. She also said family knew the Williams family from church and while her dad wasn't much of a church-goer, he was neighbourhood friends with Shelly Williams.
Ola Murry of Appling in northeast Georgia said the neighbourhood is still devastated by the events. Murray said she thought Hawes was a nice guy, but he made a "stupid" decision.
She would see him around the neighbourhood and he would often say hello while passing by.
"I always thought he was a nice guy," Murray said. "I know he did what he did, but that doesn't make him a bad guy. You know, the devil gets into you sometimes and you do stupid stuff. You got to think. You always have to put the Lord in front of you, let him lead you and you won't go wrong."
An investigation is ongoing.
Daughter of man in Georgia shootings said he was a 'ticking time bomb' | World |
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