1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Pikedon Massacre, a production of iHeartRadio and 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:09,880 Speaker 1: KATI Studios. In April twenty sixteen, when eight members of 3 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: the Rodent family were murdered in their homes, the media 4 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: descended on the sleepy town of Piketon, Ohio. 5 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:19,320 Speaker 2: Community clearly shaken after this morning's multiple homicides. 6 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: People in this small community being told to be on 7 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: alert tonight as news of the unthinkable and gruesome killing spread, 8 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: The small rural community is left feeling and rumors begins swirling. 9 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 3: Discoveries the murder scenes are now advancing the theory the 10 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 3: killings could be related to a drug cartel. 11 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,480 Speaker 4: Authorities aren't commenting on whether they had any potential suspects. 12 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 5: Gooybody, thanks. 13 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 6: All the bad stuff happens in the big cities, but 14 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 6: the devil works at it everywhere. 15 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: But in the aftermath of the arrests of six members 16 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: of the Wagner family, attention turns to the very people 17 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: responsible for the investigation. 18 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 4: There was this belief among almost everybody I talk to 19 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 4: about incompetence when it came to law enforce in that county. 20 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 7: There's nobody watching the watchers in these small communities, and 21 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:10,559 Speaker 7: in many cases that can lead to major corruption and. 22 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: The dark secrets of a once quiet town are slowly 23 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:13,840 Speaker 1: brought to light. 24 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 8: There's been a lot of murders here that have not 25 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 8: been solved. But if I say what I think, I 26 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:21,959 Speaker 8: could probably end up in the river. 27 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: This is the piked In Massacre, Episode five, air and Opportunity. 28 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: In the days after the killings, the Rodent murders became 29 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: an international headline and it was a sensational story, a 30 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: series of murders, multiple potential motives, all taking place in 31 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: a small town in Ohio. I'm Courtney Armstrong, a TV 32 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: producer at Katie Studios, where I work with Stephanie Leidecker 33 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: and Jeff Shane. We've been following the case for a 34 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: long time and through the course of our investigation learned 35 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: that the town of piked In, Ohio has its own 36 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: story to tell. Journalist Jeff Winkler wrote about the story 37 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: for the website The Outline. He told me about his 38 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 1: impressions of the initial reporting coming out of piked In. 39 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 2: It was a big media story for about two weeks, 40 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 2: and you know, everybody from all over came to cover it, 41 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 2: all over the world, and a lot of people had 42 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 2: been similarly executed in the middle of Appalachia and no 43 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 2: one knew what was going on. I mean, I grew 44 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 2: up in the Ozarks in Arkansas, and these are people 45 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 2: I feel familiar with. You know, when I go up 46 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 2: to New York, California, that's like a Disneyland and it's 47 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 2: a strange, people daring place. These areas and folks like 48 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 2: this are not wildering to me in the same way 49 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 2: that they weren't the people who came down and covered 50 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 2: the story Originally. You get a lot of talk of 51 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 2: a book at these people smoking and you know, wearing camo, 52 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 2: and you know a lot of gwking. You know, it 53 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: was just these sort of quotes from sad sort of 54 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 2: back its people is how they're perceived, and that's that's just. 55 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 5: Not where I come from. 56 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 2: But I think this thing that stood out for me 57 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 2: was just how human everyone was. 58 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: Piked In Resident Angie Montgomery shared her view of the 59 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: media coverage with producer Jeff Sheane. 60 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 9: How do you think like piked In and the like 61 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 9: Pike County in general, I guess has been portrayed in 62 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 9: the media. 63 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 8: I don't think they've been very kind to us. I've 64 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 8: seen a lot of reports where they call this uneducated 65 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 8: kill billy just dumb. They think we're dumb, they think 66 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 8: we're a bunch of inbread. I've actually seen that in 67 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 8: some reports, and it's sad. 68 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 9: Well, it's easy for some to view the town of 69 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 9: piped In through this kind of provincial, almost stereotypical lens. 70 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 9: It's not what we found when we visited the area. 71 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 10: It's pretty far removed from the big cities of Olo. 72 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 10: It's about an hour and a half south from Columbus, 73 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 10: an hour and a half east of Cincinnati, and just 74 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 10: under thirty minutes from the Ohio River, which basically separates 75 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 10: southern Ohio from northeastern Kentucky. There's a Walmart, there's a restaurant. 76 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 10: There used to be this great dive bar that has 77 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 10: since closed, I believe, and look for the twenty two 78 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 10: hundred residents piked In his home Native Barbara and Jeff 79 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 10: actually spoke of it about that when we were there. 80 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 11: Piked In's considered a village and it is a small 81 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,919 Speaker 11: just a small little town that has a grocery store 82 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:39,359 Speaker 11: and a pizza shop, and gas stations and there's a 83 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 11: tire shop. People sit and talk to the gas station, wherever, 84 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 11: wherever they go. They people know each other and they 85 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 11: just sit and talk. You know, at the tire shop 86 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 11: you're waiting for a or an oil change or whatever. 87 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:53,840 Speaker 11: You just sit there and chat with your neighbor or 88 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 11: whoever happens to come in. You probably know who it is. 89 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 11: You know somebody everywhere, or you know somebody that knows 90 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 11: somebody everywhere anywhere you go. 91 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 9: I imagine that is probably like sometimes kind of enjoyable, 92 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 9: and then other times it's probably pretty maddening. 93 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 11: Yeah, sometimes people know when when I spend the day 94 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 11: in my pool or when I skip a day. If 95 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 11: if there's a day goes by, I don't get in 96 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 11: my pool. Next time I see someone else, they'll say, 97 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 11: how come you weren't in your pool the other day. 98 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 11: So it's crazy. 99 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 1: The majority of people we spoke with depicted piked in 100 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 1: this way. Small town USA, everyone knows everyone, nobody ever 101 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 1: locked their doors growing up. But when we started to 102 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 1: pull back the curtain, it was clear that piked In 103 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 1: harbored some dark secrets, secrets that didn't start with the rodents. 104 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,479 Speaker 9: It seems like there's like two sides of piked In, 105 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 9: which is one is like the blue collar hard workers 106 00:05:57,160 --> 00:05:59,840 Speaker 9: who you know, want to raise their families the right way, 107 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:03,679 Speaker 9: and yet somehow something horrible still did happen to this town. 108 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 11: I think it's like every town, you're gonna find that 109 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 11: wherever you go, there's going to be the ugly part, 110 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 11: and piked In has it. 111 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: Jeff spoke to Stephanne, a former Pikedon resident who had 112 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 1: recently left town. She shared barber sentiments about the community. 113 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 9: I want to ask you, so you now you're in 114 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 9: Florida and you're away from Pikedon and all this, but 115 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 9: it still seems like it's very much a part of 116 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 9: your DNA, right. 117 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 12: I haven't been home since July a year before last, 118 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 12: since twenty eighteen, and I just I don't know if 119 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,280 Speaker 12: I'll ever really like go back and live there. Ever. 120 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 13: You know, if you look back through the history of 121 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,919 Speaker 13: piked In, you know there's quite a bit of things 122 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 13: that just happened that, you know, there's no explanation for 123 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 13: get swept under the rug. I don't know. 124 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 12: I think there's just more evil there than just what 125 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 12: happened to those eight. 126 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:08,280 Speaker 1: Stephan's remarks left us unsettled, but when we followed up 127 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: with investigative reporter Jodi Barr. He seemed to corroborate her 128 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: thoughts with some troubling stories he had heard during his 129 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: time covering the road in case. 130 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 4: This was national news the day after a few days 131 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 4: after it happened. 132 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 3: But you know, as it typically. 133 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 4: Happens with the news cycles, you know, the national folks 134 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 4: move on to. 135 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 5: The next big story. 136 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 4: We were left with that, and we would get emails 137 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 4: and constant questions or phone calls about new information. 138 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 5: Is there anything to know? And there was nothing to know. 139 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 4: So my boss came to me and said, hey, can 140 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 4: you go over and start digging into this and see 141 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 4: if there's anything at all that we could find out. 142 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 4: I was in Pike County a lot, and I kept 143 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 4: getting stories about other homicides in Pike County, and I thought, Man, 144 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 4: if there were that many homicides in a county, this 145 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 4: small man, there could be something here that we don't 146 00:07:58,000 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 4: yet know, and it's worth taking a look. 147 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: Through his research, Jodi discovered that there have been at 148 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: least three recent cases in By County involving multiple homicides. 149 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 1: Cases like the January twenty sixteen murders of Candace Newsom 150 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: and her teenage daughter, Christina. They were both shot execution 151 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: style in their home. Police finally did arrest the Newsom's 152 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: neighbor for their murders in twenty nineteen. Neighbor Christian R. Davis, 153 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: was indicted by a grand jury, but did not plead, 154 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 1: nor has he been convicted, but there was plenty of 155 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 1: chatter on social media, none of which can be confirmed, 156 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: mentioning the possibility of an accomplice to the murders still 157 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: at large. Candace Newsom's sister, Darla has even spoken publicly 158 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: she thinks that her sister and niece's murder may be 159 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: related to the Rodents, stating that they ran in the 160 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 1: same circles. 161 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 9: What struck me about Candace and Christina and was just 162 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:58,080 Speaker 9: the fact the similarities between, Like just the idea that 163 00:08:58,080 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 9: in the middle of the night these people were gunned 164 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 9: down in the in their homes while they slept. Just 165 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,400 Speaker 9: it is striking, you know, before even reading any other details, 166 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 9: just hearing that when you're researching the road in case, 167 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 9: you're like, well, that's weird. You know, that's fifteen minutes away. 168 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 9: It's the same exact style of murder. 169 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 4: Yes, And it was just so odd that you had 170 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 4: that type of crime in happening in a place like that. 171 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 1: Then in April twenty sixteen, just weeks before the Rodents 172 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: were killed, Douglas Eatman and Carolyn and Tomlinson were shot 173 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 1: execution style in their home. According to Jodi Barr, one 174 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,840 Speaker 1: detail of the crime struck a familiar chord. 175 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 4: A double homicide, four children left alive. This is very 176 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 4: similar to the Rodent case. 177 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 9: I mean again, it's a striking coincidence that in the 178 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:48,960 Speaker 9: same area this is happening. In the same month, you know, 179 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:50,959 Speaker 9: the same month and year that the Rodents were murdered, 180 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 9: this has also happened. 181 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 5: That's what led us down. 182 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 4: The path of even looking at these cases, because we 183 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 4: had heard that there were other people who were shot 184 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 4: no the night, execution style in their home. 185 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 5: When you're looking at. 186 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:06,679 Speaker 4: The Rodent case and then you see these other cases 187 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 4: in a county that small, you start asking yourself what 188 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 4: the hell is going on, because it doesn't make sense 189 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:16,200 Speaker 4: that this is happening there unless there is some sort 190 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 4: of common denominator. And it's still hard to believe today 191 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 4: that there were these types of murders that took place 192 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 4: in a county so small, with so few people living 193 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:28,880 Speaker 4: in it. I mean, you don't hear about that in 194 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 4: big cities, and you sit back and you wonder to yourself, 195 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:33,800 Speaker 4: what is going on? 196 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 5: I mean, why is this happening. 197 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:42,199 Speaker 1: Fortunately, police arrested Douglas Eatman's uncle Charles and his cousin 198 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 1: James Allen, on suspicion of Douglas and Carolyn's murder. Each 199 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:49,560 Speaker 1: face is twenty to fifty years or life in prison, 200 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: with enhanced sentencing for capital offenses also a possibility. The 201 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: pair were indicted but have not pled or been convicted. 202 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: The case is ongoing. According to investigators, it was a 203 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: drug related killing. The motive for Candas and Christina Newsom's murders, however, 204 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: remains unclear. But beyond the methods of these killings, there's 205 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: another thing that Jody told us about that ties them 206 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:13,080 Speaker 1: all together. 207 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,320 Speaker 4: Then in some cases people get away with it for 208 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:21,600 Speaker 4: extended periods of time. Kendice Newsom and her teenage daughter Christina. 209 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 4: It took four years before investigators charged a neighbor and 210 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 4: family friend with murder in that And that's four years 211 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 4: and the alleged perpetrator in that case is what a 212 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,959 Speaker 4: next door neighbor, and it took four years a piece. 213 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 4: That together is just you wonder if Pike County if 214 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 4: people were getting good at committing crimes and potentially getting 215 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 4: away with it. 216 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: One case that remains unsolved is the two thousand and 217 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: six murder of thirty four year old Curtis Francis and 218 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:58,040 Speaker 1: thirty year old Jennifer Brigett. 219 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 4: Kurt Francis and Jennifer berg At. You know, they were 220 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 4: both shot and killed in their beds, in their homes 221 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 4: in the middle of the night. And you know, when 222 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 4: I'm looking through these incident reports of these murders and 223 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 4: I go, WHOA. 224 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 5: This sounds very similar to the road case. 225 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:16,079 Speaker 4: You know, two people shot in their bed in their 226 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 4: homes in the middle of the night, and I thought, 227 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 4: this is one we need to pursue. 228 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 5: But no one would talk. 229 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 4: We couldn't find out any information. All the search warrants 230 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 4: were sealed at the courthouse and there's absolutely no arrest. 231 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 4: Ten years later, there's nothing here. We are today still nothing. 232 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 4: We're in a dead end and it may never be solved. 233 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 4: And unfortunately there are other cases like that there that 234 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 4: just didn't get the attention. 235 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: We're going to take a quick break here we'll be 236 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: back in a moment. 237 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:07,560 Speaker 10: Let's take one quick step back for a minute and 238 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,560 Speaker 10: really look at the Curtis Francis and Jennifer Burguett case. 239 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 10: That's the couple who was also shot in their home 240 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 10: while they slept in two thousand and six. They only 241 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 10: lived about fifteen minutes down the road from the road 242 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 10: in property. Fifteen minutes and to this day, that case 243 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:23,839 Speaker 10: remains unsolved. 244 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 1: For Angie Montgomery, Curtis Francis's cousin, it remains a devastating 245 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: memory without closure. She spoke to Jeff about it. 246 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 9: I was shocked that I had never even heard of 247 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 9: Curtis and Jennifer's case, because it's a pretty it's egregious 248 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:42,320 Speaker 9: that this happened and it's unsolved, and it just seems 249 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:45,080 Speaker 9: crazy that another in such a small community that something 250 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 9: like this could happen again. And so what I would 251 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 9: would love to do, and maybe it would kind of 252 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 9: be to like walk through kurt and Jenny's case and 253 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 9: kind of like explain who they were and any of 254 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 9: the facts that you know about the case. 255 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 8: Well, Curtis was a very hard working, good guy, loved 256 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 8: his family, loved hunting and animals, and fishing and all 257 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:07,960 Speaker 8: that stuff, and he would help anybody. And he was 258 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,320 Speaker 8: very protective. That's one word I like to use to 259 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 8: describe him. Very protective of the people. We loved. Jenny 260 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 8: was a good girl. It's always taking care of others. 261 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:22,480 Speaker 8: I think they just got messed up with the wrong people. 262 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 1: The wrong people and he's referring to are local drug dealers. 263 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 8: The most of the crime that happens around here, like 264 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 8: carthev's and breaking and enterings and things like that, is 265 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 8: from drugs. There's a huge problem with opioids and methodmphetamine here, 266 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 8: huge and that probably does play a part in every 267 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 8: almost every murder that's happened, probably in the past ten years. 268 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 8: I think the people that killed my cousin lived I 269 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 8: think four or five minutes up the road from Curtain Jenny. 270 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 8: They were big druggillers, and Curtis owed in some money, 271 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 8: supposedly for marijuana. 272 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 9: So you feel like you know who did it. 273 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 8: Oh, yes, I don't want to be that person, but 274 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 8: I'm pretty blunt and upfront in the law enforcement here. 275 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 8: They have mishandled Curtain Jenny's case from the rip. 276 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:27,760 Speaker 1: When Angie says law enforcement, she's talking about the Pike 277 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 1: County Sheriff's Office, the same agency heavily involved in conducting 278 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: the Rodent murder investigation. In twenty sixteen, a plumber discovered 279 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 1: a well that had seemed to have been mysteriously hidden 280 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: with rocks and dirt. It was on a property that, 281 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: according to eyewitness statements, was the last place Curtis Francis 282 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 1: was seen on the night of his murder. The Pike 283 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: County Sheriff's Office was called in to investigate. Officers lowered 284 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 1: a plumber's drain camera into the well and discovered what 285 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: appeared to be burned clothes and a gun. 286 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 8: It was a thirty out six was at the bottom 287 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 8: of the well and Curtis's pistol that was taken in 288 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 8: nine of the murders, and that's what they were shot with, 289 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 8: a thirty out six. 290 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 9: Both of them. 291 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 1: Curtain Jimmy with a potential murder weapon line just thirty 292 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 1: feet down a well. The Pike County Sheriff's Office decided 293 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: to use a curious tactic to recover the gun. They 294 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 1: called in a fire truck to pump water into the 295 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 1: well to try and push the firearm back up out 296 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 1: of the well. Shaft so investigators could get their hands 297 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: on it. It did not go as planned. 298 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 8: They blew the water down the well, which in turn 299 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 8: made the ground break because of the force of you know, 300 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 8: a fire hose could blow the skin off of it. 301 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 8: So they did that. This is what they told us 302 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 8: that happened. When they did that, it busted the ground loose. 303 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 8: The guns went down into the ground, and that they 304 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 8: don't have the money or the equipment to get them out, 305 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 8: so they hired a guy to seal the well shut. 306 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 8: He's a welder. He welded the well shut and that 307 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 8: was it. I think after this fiasco with the guns 308 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 8: in the well, when the guns were found, and how 309 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:18,600 Speaker 8: they handled that situation and handled the possible murder weapons, 310 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 8: I think they're ashamed, and they should be. They took 311 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 8: probably the only hope we have of any type of 312 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 8: physical evidence and blew it to snotherings basically, and nothing's 313 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:32,920 Speaker 8: been done with it since. 314 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: With Curtis and Jennifer's case going cold, Angie decided to 315 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:40,360 Speaker 1: pursue the killers herself. 316 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 8: I've spent years and years. I've got file after file 317 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 8: after file of things I've done. I've actually went and 318 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:55,640 Speaker 8: got names I've went and talked to people. Well, I'm 319 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 8: just going to be honest with you. I've done with 320 00:17:57,359 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 8: the police. I've tried to do the police haven't done, 321 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:05,160 Speaker 8: which is talk to people, get information, you know, get date, 322 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 8: get time, get people talking. 323 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 6: You know. 324 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 8: All you've seen Kurt that day, Okay, who was with him? 325 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 8: What was his demeanor? Things like that. There's eyewitness statements, 326 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:21,160 Speaker 8: and I've tried my best to get somebody or anybody 327 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:26,199 Speaker 8: just to listen. It's pretty cut and dry, you know. 328 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:30,920 Speaker 8: It's I've had a few people out of state that 329 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 8: are like retired homicide investigators and stuff look at the 330 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,200 Speaker 8: case and tell me that they can't, for the life 331 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 8: of them, figure out why there hasn't been an arrest 332 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 8: made for the town that we you know, the size 333 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 8: of our town, there's been a lot of murders here 334 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 8: that have not been solved. It's ridiculous. But if I 335 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 8: say what I think, I could probably end up in 336 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:53,400 Speaker 8: the river. 337 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:01,679 Speaker 1: According to Jody barr Angie's thoughts about the Pike County 338 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 1: Sheriff's Office are shared by many in the community. 339 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:06,399 Speaker 4: The impression I got from the people in Pike County 340 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:09,040 Speaker 4: when I was working there covering the road and murders. 341 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 5: There was this belief among. 342 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 4: Almost everybody I talked to about incompetence when it came 343 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:19,200 Speaker 4: to law enforcement in that county and the lack of 344 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:24,960 Speaker 4: that sheriff's office ability to do a large scale murder 345 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 4: investigation and carry that through to a prosecution. 346 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:29,879 Speaker 1: And the man at the head of the Pike County 347 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:34,880 Speaker 1: Sheriff's office is none other than Sheriff Charles Reader. You've 348 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:38,119 Speaker 1: heard about Sheriff Reader before. He's the officer who stated 349 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:40,400 Speaker 1: he would stop at nothing to solve the Rodents case. 350 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:42,760 Speaker 5: I've got a message for the killers. 351 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 7: We will find you, the family and the victims will 352 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 7: have justice one day. 353 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,360 Speaker 1: To a lot of people watching these news conferences, Reader's 354 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 1: passionate campaign for justice was admirable, But to journalists like 355 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:01,480 Speaker 1: Jeff Winkler, Reader's determination, his mishandling of the road and 356 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: investigation from the very start. 357 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 2: It was the largest mass murder in Ohio's history, and 358 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 2: the law enforcement at the beginning, the local law enforcement 359 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:15,199 Speaker 2: was almost comically inept to handle such a large and 360 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:19,119 Speaker 2: bloody incident. They were just they weren't equipped to handle it. 361 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:22,440 Speaker 2: From the very beginning of the investigation, and they bungled 362 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 2: a lot of stuff right from the get go. It 363 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:27,440 Speaker 2: was one problem after another. 364 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 1: Nearly a month after the bodies were found, Sheriff Reeder 365 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 1: had key pieces of evidence, including the roadents, mobile homes, 366 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 1: and automobiles, moved to a warehouse in the nearby town 367 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 1: of Waverley. Jodie Barr was on the scene and told 368 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 1: Jeff what he saw. 369 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 4: So I'm out of the warehouse where they moved these vehicles, 370 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 4: the equipment from all the roadent properties where they moved 371 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 4: the four mobile homes where these murders happened. 372 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:58,400 Speaker 5: There's a large fence around this huge. 373 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 4: Outdoor lot and it is full of cars and ATVs, 374 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:08,480 Speaker 4: farm equipment, back hos, huge tractor trailers. So, as a 375 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 4: reporter with you know, at least a small knowledge of 376 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 4: the chain of custody of evidence. I know that with 377 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:18,879 Speaker 4: all this evidence just you know, fifty yards away from me, 378 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 4: that you've got to have it secured somehow. 379 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:25,080 Speaker 5: There's got to be a peace officer. 380 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:27,480 Speaker 4: Someone there with a gun and a bat swore who 381 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 4: swear an oath to uphold the laws in the constitutions 382 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:32,359 Speaker 4: of the state of Ohio. 383 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 5: They're guarding that that was not the case. Yeah. 384 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 9: So this it's the largest in criminal investigation in the 385 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 9: state's history, right, and the main evidence is not getting watched. 386 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 4: There was no one in that parking lot watching that evidence. 387 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:47,879 Speaker 4: So when you drive up to a warehouse and you 388 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 4: look and there's nothing between you and hundreds of pieces 389 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 4: of evidence except air and opportunity, if that doesn't raise 390 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 4: a red flag, I don't think you're doing your job. 391 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 5: I knew at that point time. 392 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:05,680 Speaker 4: That there was something to explore here because potentially this evidence, 393 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 4: if it's unguarded, they can't establish a chain of custody. 394 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:13,000 Speaker 5: This entire investigation could be jeopardized. So that's why we 395 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 5: took them. 396 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 4: We took Mike Allen, the former Hamilton County District Attorney. 397 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:18,920 Speaker 5: We took him to Pike County. I called him and 398 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:19,680 Speaker 5: I said, hey. 399 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:21,639 Speaker 4: I want to take you to Pike County. Here's what 400 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:23,680 Speaker 4: I found. I don't want to show you what I've 401 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:25,919 Speaker 4: found yet. I just want to take you to this 402 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,600 Speaker 4: warehouse and you give me your impressions of what we 403 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:32,160 Speaker 4: see there through the eyes of a prosecutor. 404 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 1: Here's Mike Allen. 405 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 6: Jody was on this thing like white on Rice, and 406 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:40,399 Speaker 6: I went up there living and that's when I noticed 407 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:43,679 Speaker 6: it too, and you know, you've got it. Seems to 408 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:47,119 Speaker 6: me it was close to thirty forty, maybe even fifty 409 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 6: vehicles that had a fence around them. Well that's fine, 410 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 6: but it would have taken an old man like me 411 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:58,440 Speaker 6: about ten seconds to climb over that fence and take 412 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 6: something out of one of those vas vehicles, plant something, 413 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 6: put something in one of the vehicles. 414 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 5: It just was not done right. 415 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 6: I mean, anybody involved in law enforcement, from the first 416 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 6: week that you're at the police academy, you learned that 417 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:17,159 Speaker 6: you must preserve the evidence, and you must preserve that 418 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 6: chain of custody of the evidence. And I don't know what, 419 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 6: if anything, they pulled out of any of those cars, 420 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:27,000 Speaker 6: but if I were defending this case and they tried 421 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:30,359 Speaker 6: to introduce any of that evidence, I would be all 422 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:32,400 Speaker 6: over it and I would move to have the evidence 423 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 6: excluded because it just was not properly secured. 424 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:43,400 Speaker 1: So Jody began preparing a report about the evidence fiasco 425 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:47,720 Speaker 1: for newstation Fox nineteen and Cincinnati. Soon after, Jody and 426 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 1: his crew were approached by Sheriff Charles Reader, who presented 427 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:54,479 Speaker 1: them with a curious offer. The Sheriff's office declined to comment, 428 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: but here is Jody's side of the story. 429 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 4: He tried to make a deal with us to not 430 00:23:58,680 --> 00:23:59,880 Speaker 4: hear that warehouse. 431 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:01,640 Speaker 5: Yeah, and the deal was that he. 432 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:03,679 Speaker 4: Was going to give us this unfettered access where we 433 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 4: could do this first hundred hours with Charlie Reider after 434 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 4: he learned the murders. If we wouldn't do this, that 435 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,639 Speaker 4: always That still sits for me today. It pissed me 436 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:16,119 Speaker 4: off then because I'm like, you know, what, what do 437 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:16,760 Speaker 4: you think we are? 438 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:20,399 Speaker 5: We don't make deals. My photographer, how're you know? We 439 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:22,119 Speaker 5: got back in the car after that, We're going, what 440 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 5: the hell just happened here? Never have we ever experienced that. 441 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:32,640 Speaker 1: Let's stop here for another quick break. We'll be back 442 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: in a moment. In June twenty nineteen, Reader was indicted 443 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:49,120 Speaker 1: on eight felonies and eight misdemeanors. These felony charges are 444 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 1: not directly related to the road and investigation. He was 445 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:55,640 Speaker 1: accused of conflict of interest, theft in office, and tampering 446 00:24:55,680 --> 00:25:00,560 Speaker 1: with evidence, among other nefarious activities. According to reports, we 447 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,840 Speaker 1: are also allegedly stole cash sees from drug arrest to 448 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 1: fund a gambling problem. Here's investigative journalist James Pilcher. 449 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:11,600 Speaker 7: Yeah, he had a gambling addiction and he decided, oh, 450 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:18,080 Speaker 7: I'll just use my own forces money to feed it. Yeah, 451 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:22,399 Speaker 7: uh huh. Man, in places like this, and I'm not 452 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 7: going to say it's necessarily a lack of journalistic outlets 453 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 7: keeping cabs or whatever, but there's no accountability. There's nobody 454 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:35,720 Speaker 7: watching the watchers in these small communities, and in many 455 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 7: cases that can lead to major corruption. 456 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 10: It's definitely worth noting that Sheriff Reader has pled not 457 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 10: guilty to all of these charges. However, to Jody Barr, 458 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 10: it's just another surreal event to what seems like a 459 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 10: never ending bizarre story. 460 00:25:54,359 --> 00:25:57,680 Speaker 4: Reader was, you know, shouldered to shoulder with Mike DeWine, 461 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:00,880 Speaker 4: the now governor who was then the attorney general when 462 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 4: these murders happened, that they together were updating the nation 463 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 4: about what happened here in those days after the murders, 464 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:10,200 Speaker 4: and where you going? 465 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 5: Is this real? 466 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:14,440 Speaker 4: Then you read what the indictment's alleged, and you read 467 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:17,440 Speaker 4: what the grand jury handed up, and then you know, 468 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 4: you just have to assume if a grand jury is 469 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 4: handing up an indictment, that there's been an investigation conducted. 470 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:27,200 Speaker 4: There have been facts gathered, a prosecutor has reviewed that, 471 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:32,640 Speaker 4: I mean evidence, tampering and tampering with records. You're talking 472 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:35,440 Speaker 4: about a guy who led the sheriff's office and who 473 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:38,160 Speaker 4: for a time, a moment in time when this first happened, 474 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:41,880 Speaker 4: these murders first happened, who was also leading that investigation 475 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:44,639 Speaker 4: until the state came in and took it over. You 476 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:46,760 Speaker 4: just sit back and go, man, let's see where this ends. 477 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:49,760 Speaker 4: I mean, Pike County has been a crazy ride so 478 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:52,920 Speaker 4: ever since the end of April twenty sixteen, and it's 479 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:58,000 Speaker 4: still right now. You've got people awaiting trial facing the 480 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 4: death penalty on eight murders. The sheriff and dited removed 481 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 4: from office. It has been an absolutely crazy half a decade. 482 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:11,320 Speaker 1: There still the people of pikes And are torn about 483 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:11,960 Speaker 1: Sheriff Reader. 484 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 14: He put this town before him, He cared about Pike County. 485 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 1: Here's roadin family friend Brittany talking to Stephanie Leidecker. 486 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:22,919 Speaker 14: If it wasn't for him, he for Charlie Reader, they 487 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 14: wouldn't have came close to even finding out about the Wagners. Honestly, 488 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:33,359 Speaker 14: that's my opinion. How Come because he worked his ass 489 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 14: off to find like that's all he did was investigate 490 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:42,399 Speaker 14: all of that. He didn't like, he didn't like he 491 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,720 Speaker 14: had done his job, Like he went and you know, 492 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:49,199 Speaker 14: like he was doing really well in Pike County, like 493 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:52,400 Speaker 14: keeping this, like getting the drugs off the streets and whatnot. 494 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:56,719 Speaker 14: But he's still made effort, a lot of effort into 495 00:27:57,400 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 14: the road In case. 496 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:01,640 Speaker 10: Charlie had dedicated himself to getting justice for the road 497 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:04,720 Speaker 10: and family, and then he was booted, not that that 498 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:05,320 Speaker 10: long ago. 499 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 14: Apparently he was taking the money from the Rodent case 500 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:14,399 Speaker 14: for gambling, But honestly, I don't believe it because I 501 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 14: don't know. I just don't believe that they just were 502 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:21,199 Speaker 14: finding reasons to get him out of office. 503 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:28,399 Speaker 1: Andrew Montgomery holds a much different view of Sheriff Reader. 504 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 8: You know, now he's blaming his gambling habits on because 505 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:36,879 Speaker 8: what he's seen is the Rodent crime scenes have on 506 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 8: iting so much he couldn't sleep, so he would go gamble. Well, 507 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 8: unknown Charlie for thirty years, and he's been gambling way 508 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:48,160 Speaker 8: before this happened. And that's just that just to me 509 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 8: shows you his character. You know, I'm going to use 510 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 8: the death of eight people to try to smooth over that. 511 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 8: I'm still in money off my county and gambling, and 512 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 8: that is discuss things to me. I just think there's 513 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:06,080 Speaker 8: a lot of dirty deeds that going around here, and 514 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 8: I think that they will do anything they can to 515 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 8: keep them covered up. Do we have a lot of 516 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 8: crime here, yeah, because of drugs. Do we have a 517 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:23,720 Speaker 8: lot of drug activity here? Yes, way more than there 518 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:28,960 Speaker 8: was fifteen years ago. Is it safe here? I'm more 519 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 8: scared of law enforcement than I am of the people 520 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 8: that killed my cousin. You're afraid to say anything when 521 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 8: in all reality, yeah, some things are out there that 522 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:43,640 Speaker 8: you think because you go down a ton of rabbit holes. 523 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:46,080 Speaker 8: When you talk to two and three hundred people like 524 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 8: I have over the course of two years, you find 525 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 8: out a lot of crap and it does take you 526 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:53,320 Speaker 8: down those rabbit holes. 527 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:54,200 Speaker 13: Is it true? 528 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:56,840 Speaker 8: You don't know, but by god, it looks like something 529 00:29:57,240 --> 00:30:08,160 Speaker 8: isn't right. Hike County is It's beautiful as far as landscapes, 530 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:11,600 Speaker 8: it's a beautiful place. You know. We're full of farmers 531 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 8: and just down to earth people. But there's a lot 532 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 8: of dirty people here too, and most of them are 533 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:19,600 Speaker 8: in power. 534 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: So with sheriff readers ethics being brought into question. Does 535 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:32,240 Speaker 1: this impact the charges brought against the Wagoners? Here's Jeff 536 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 1: wein Glare again. 537 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:36,480 Speaker 2: I would assume, you know, the charges against Reader, the 538 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:39,959 Speaker 2: felonies and the misdemeanors about being you know, through and 539 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:43,480 Speaker 2: through corrupt, and when it came to both law enforcement 540 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 2: and financial dealings. 541 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:47,400 Speaker 5: Yeah, I would assume this is going to affect a 542 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:48,080 Speaker 5: lot of things. 543 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:52,640 Speaker 2: In fact, the prosecutor for the piped in area also 544 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:57,400 Speaker 2: just resigned. This just sort of makes you start thinking 545 00:30:57,440 --> 00:31:01,280 Speaker 2: about everything that happened in the beginning. Now you're seeing 546 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:06,440 Speaker 2: these charges and these resignations, and you know, it doesn't 547 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:09,240 Speaker 2: speak well about finding any answers to this thing. 548 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: Every answer we get about what happened to the road 549 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 1: and seems to leave more questions. So how through all 550 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:19,920 Speaker 1: of these other crimes did official zero went on? 551 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 6: The Wagner's Police received over eleven hundred tips, They conducted 552 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 6: over five hundred interviews, tested about seven hundred pieces of evidence, 553 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:33,480 Speaker 6: served close to two hundred search warrants, subpoenas and other things. 554 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:36,080 Speaker 6: So this was something that was huge. 555 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 3: So when you read these indictments, you know they were 556 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:42,680 Speaker 3: talking about the Wagner's movements, even months before these murders happened, 557 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,680 Speaker 3: four months to plan this out. I mean, if that's 558 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 3: every day for four months, that's the full time job. 559 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:52,280 Speaker 3: You know, they're hacking computers and there were surveillance cameras 560 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:55,719 Speaker 3: on those properties. If we already believe that the prosecution 561 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:59,880 Speaker 3: as a leg you know, this paints a very dark pick. 562 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:07,240 Speaker 1: Everybody had started basically attacking them the community, accusing them 563 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 1: of murdering those people. 564 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:13,800 Speaker 13: One day, she was, I can't believe that they just 565 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:17,959 Speaker 13: won't leave us alone. They just will not leave us alone. 566 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:20,200 Speaker 13: We're starting to get really worried that we're going to 567 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 13: be arrested. 568 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 1: More to come next week. Piked In Massacre is executive 569 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:36,480 Speaker 1: produced by Stephanie Leidecker and me Courtney Armstrong. Editing and 570 00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:40,840 Speaker 1: sound design by executive producer Jared Aston. Additional producing by 571 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,280 Speaker 1: Jeff Shane and Andrew Becker. The piked In Massacre is 572 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:48,160 Speaker 1: a production of iHeartRadio and Kat Studios. For more podcasts 573 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:51,960 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 574 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.