The 2016 Rhoden family murders in Pike County, Ohio, gets national attention when Oxygen devotes two hours to The Piketon Family Murders at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 31.
Seven members of the Rhoden family, plus Hannah Gilley, the fiancée of one of the victims, were murdered execution-style on April 21-22, 2016.
Nearly two-and-a half years later, four members of the Wagner family were arrested and charged with the slayings: Jake Wagner, George Wagner IV, George "Billy" Wagner and Angela Wagner. The grandmothers and matriarchs of the Wagner family, Rita Newcomb and Fredericka Wagner, also were charged with allegedly helping cover up the crimes.
Beth Karas hosts the special which "delves into a complicated and horrific massacre" on Oxygen, "the (TV) destination for high-quality crime programming."
"Through the eyes of local community members, family, friends, local law enforcement and journalists, The Piketon Family Murders pulls back the curtain from the frantic 911 call all the way up to the pre-trial hearings as bombshell revelations are brought to light, the network announced.
The victims were Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; Gary Rhoden, 38; Dana Lynn Manley Rhoden, 37; Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16; Hanna May Rhoden, 19; Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 20; Kenneth Rhoden, 44; and Hannah Gilley, 20.
Here's a link to three video previews on the Oxygen site.
Here's the network announcement:
OXYGEN MEDIA DEBUTS TWO-HOUR SPECIAL "THE PIKETON FAMILY MURDERS" HOSTED BY BETH KARAS ON SUNDAY, MARCH 31 AT 7PM ET/PT
New York, NY – Oxygen Media, the destination for high-quality crime programming, presents a gripping two-hour special, "The Piketon Family Murders" premiering on Sunday, March 31 at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Hosted by Beth Karas, the special delves into a complicated and horrific massacre that stunned the small town of Piketon, Ohio, when in 2016 seven members of the Rhoden family as well as Hannah Gilley, the fiancée of one of the victims, were found murdered in a cold-blooded killing.
The special will take viewers inside the largest criminal investigation in Ohio’s history. For a sneak peek, please visit: https://www.oxygen.com/the-piketon-family-murders/season-1/episode-1/videos/the-piketon-family-murders-airs-sunday-march
For more than two years, the residents of Piketon lived their lives in fear, hoping day in and day out that law enforcements would find the individuals responsible for the killings as rumors started swirling the town.
Then, this past November, a series of arrests were finally made that further rocked the town. Shockingly, four members of a prominent family in Piketon, the Wagners, were charged with first degree murder. In this tight knit and private community, the residents became torn between a developing feud among two families no one saw coming.
Through the eyes of local community members, family, friends, local law enforcement and journalists, "The Piketon Family Murders" pulls back the curtain from the frantic 911 call all the way up to the pre-trial hearings as bombshell revelations are brought to light.
"The Piketon Family Murders" is produced by MadWest Content and KT Studios with Josh Murphy, Stephanie Lydecker and Anne Garofalo Paterno serving as Executive Producers.
