1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to the piked In Massacre, a production of iHeartRadio 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: and Katie Studios. 3 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 2: Nine nine one. 4 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 3: Okay harn Hongstead. 5 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 1: It was an unimaginable crimes all over the house. It 6 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: was the second biggest mass murder in twenty sixteen, behind 7 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 1: the Pulse night Club shooting. 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 4: Eight people dead, all from the same family. 9 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: It would become the largest criminal investigation in Ohio's history. 10 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 4: Pike County Sheriff's requested state help immediately after they got word. 11 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: In the early morning of April twenty second, twenty sixteen, 12 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: eight members of the Rodent family were brutally murdered, shot 13 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: to death execution style in their homes. Eight victims, thirty 14 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: two gunshot wounds, three children left alive. At the scenes 15 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: in This Is the piked In Massacre. 16 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 3: Believed there was a shooter or shooters out there somewhereever 17 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:02,959 Speaker 3: they are. 18 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: They were trying to possibly white out something. Family episode 19 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: one Daddy's Playing Zombie. Piked In, Ohio is a rural 20 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: town located on the Seyota River just sixty miles south 21 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,320 Speaker 1: of Columbus. It's home to twenty two hundred residents and 22 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: the people of piked And say that because the town 23 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: is so small, neighbors really look out for each other 24 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: and treat each other like family. 25 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 5: It was just it was a good, wonderful area to 26 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 5: grow up in. It was we lived in the country, 27 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 5: and you know, we rode horses on the road, We 28 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 5: rode bikes to each other's houses, and we played. You know, 29 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 5: the kids in the neighborhood played together all the time. 30 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 6: I slept the whole time I was a kid with 31 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 6: my window wide open. There's no way you could do 32 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 6: that now, there's no way. This place was one wonderful 33 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 6: everybody took care of everybody, and now it's like a 34 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 6: whole different place. 35 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: The Roden family lived in piped In for generations. In fact, 36 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: this close knit family all lived within miles of each 37 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 1: other and were a beloved fixture in the community. It's 38 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: part of what makes this story so heartbreaking and disturbing. 39 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 1: Eight members of the Rodent family, ranging in age from 40 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 1: sixteen to forty four, were murdered, each killed execution style 41 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:36,399 Speaker 1: over one night in four different locations. The only known 42 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: witnesses the three small children left alive at the scenes, 43 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: the Rodent family was literally being hunted. I'm Courtney Armstrong, 44 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: a television producer who helped make a documentary about the 45 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: case for NBC Universal's Oxygen Network in twenty nineteen. Since 46 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 1: it aired, the team and I at Kat's Studios haven't 47 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: stopped thinking about the case. With trials on the horizon, 48 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: there are new details and theories to explore. By all accounts, 49 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 1: April twenty second, twenty sixteen, was an ordinary spring day 50 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: in rural Pike County, but that would be far from 51 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: the truth. Here's Barbara longtime picked in resident. 52 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 5: I'll never forget that day. I'll never forget that day. 53 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 5: I had gone into the office at the high school 54 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 5: to pick Brittany up for an appointment. And when I 55 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 5: walked in, they had a TV on and everyone in 56 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 5: there was sitting with their mouths hanging open, and I 57 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 5: was like, what's going on in here? And the secretaries said, 58 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 5: my god, there's been a shooting. They said six people 59 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 5: were killed, and she said, we are very worried because 60 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 5: little Chris Rodent didn't show up today and we think 61 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 5: he might be one of them. Everyone was just in shock. 62 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 7: So little Chris law enforcement because I couldn't find him. 63 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 7: There was some speculation early on that he might have 64 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 7: been involved. 65 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: For the residents of piked In there was little more 66 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: than confusion. At this point. People knew there was a 67 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: shooting and that Chris Roden Junior, the sixteen year old 68 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 1: freshman at Piketon High was missing. Where was the team. 69 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: It was at the home of Chris Roden Senior that 70 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: the nightmare began. Chris Rodin Senior was known to be 71 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: a strong, hard working family man. 72 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 8: He was, you know, a great father. He was a 73 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 8: good man, just like the rest of the guys you 74 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 8: know in that family. He would do anything for anybody. 75 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: He and Dana Roden were married for twenty two years, 76 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: and although they divorced, they remained close, so close that 77 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 1: Chris Senior had recently bought Dana a home on the 78 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: same road he lived on Union Hill Road. He did 79 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 1: it so they could stay close to their children. Chris 80 00:04:57,360 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: Senior's cousin, Gary Roden, was more like a brother to 81 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:04,160 Speaker 1: him and often stated his place little. Chris's aunt Bobby Joe, 82 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: who also lived nearby, was the first to make the 83 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 1: gruesome discovery at seven forty nine am when she came 84 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: to feed the dogs at Chris Senior's house. 85 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 3: Yes, yes, over, we walked to the no, boll Okay, 86 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 3: my brother Hall's dead, Yes, fly all over the house. Okay, 87 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 3: my brother, look like I'll beat the hell out of them. 88 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 1: Patriarch of the family, Chris Rodin was dead. He looked 89 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 1: like he'd been beaten to death. His cousin Gary, who 90 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:47,600 Speaker 1: was staying with Chris, was also dead. 91 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 2: Madam, Yeah, what's her name? 92 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 3: Chris Rodan gry Rode and Roman first und and it 93 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 3: looks like a dad. Think you're both dead, I think, 94 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 3: the boy said. If I told her speak to stalk 95 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 3: out of them. 96 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 2: Okay, did there anybody else in the house? I don't 97 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 2: know us Okay. 98 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 3: So dor when was on here? But I hope he 99 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,559 Speaker 3: found went in and then Leney on the floor. 100 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 2: Bobby, I needed to get out of the house. 101 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,799 Speaker 3: And the way he done the house now. 102 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:20,479 Speaker 2: Okay, just stay out of the house. So why anybody 103 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,279 Speaker 2: going in there? Okay? Yeah, all right, we don't take 104 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 2: any on the way. Okay, I thank you here, mother, Yeah, suspatch. 105 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,840 Speaker 4: This forty year old Christopher Roden was the only one 106 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 4: of the eight family members who was shot somewhere other 107 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 4: than they had. 108 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 9: He had multiple. 109 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 4: Gunshot ones to the head, torso and extrumins. 110 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 7: We found out. You know that the news broke over 111 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 7: night and saw the email. I saw the alerts, you know, 112 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 7: the initial news coverage, and I knew this was We 113 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 7: all knew this was a big deal. 114 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: James Pilcher as an investigative reporter who was assigned to 115 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: cover this story. 116 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 7: Chris Roden may have been awake when the intruders came in, 117 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 7: at least there's some indication of that. He was shot 118 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 7: nine times, but he was shot in the forearm, which 119 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 7: means which seems to mean that he may have raised 120 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 7: his arm in defense. His cousin Gary got shot twice 121 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 7: in the head and once in the face, and one 122 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 7: was execution style, and I had a muzzle stain. It 123 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 7: was that close to his temple. 124 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: Even for a multiple murder scene, this stood out as 125 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: being particularly violent. Wood fragments found on Chris's body indicate 126 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: he was dragged through the house. Blood was everywhere. Was 127 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: it a robbery, a serial killer, a random thrill kill? 128 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: And if it wasn't random, why were these two men targeted? 129 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: I spoke with Mike Allen, criminal defense attorney from Ohio. 130 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: Are you familiar? Are you able to talk about the 131 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: scenes themselves? 132 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 9: You know, if you look at it, and it's all 133 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 9: from the autopsy reports. Chris Senior's autopsy report says that 134 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 9: they believe that he was awake when he was confronted 135 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 9: by at least one person with a gun. He got 136 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 9: nine gun shot wounds, and one of them apparently was 137 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 9: a defensive wound to his right forearm that shattered the bone. 138 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 9: He was also shot in the torso and cheek, according 139 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 9: to that report. Then Chris Senior's cousin Gary, and they're 140 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 9: all kind of related here. He was shot twice in 141 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,960 Speaker 9: the head and once in the face. One of the shots. 142 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 9: The reports indicate that the gun was pressed to the 143 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 9: side of his head, leaving a gunpowder mark that's called 144 00:08:55,480 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 9: a muzzle stain. I mean, those kind of injuries leaves 145 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 9: no doubt that this was an intentional or these all 146 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 9: were intentional killings, kind of designed to send a message 147 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 9: to someone. 148 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,560 Speaker 1: The muzzle mark sticks in my mind. You have to 149 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: be obviously arms reach, I mean, you are locking eyes 150 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: with the victim, it would seem Does that paint any 151 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: kind of picture to or indicate to officers or attorneys anything? 152 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 9: Sure it does, and maybe even closer than arm's length, 153 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:32,280 Speaker 9: I mean, maybe just inches. That indicates that the shot 154 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 9: was fired right on top of the person, and it 155 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 9: indicates to me, at least, especially when you have the 156 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 9: number of shots like that here, that somebody was trying 157 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 9: to send a message. I don't think there can be 158 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 9: any doubt about that. It's personal. I mean, it was personal, 159 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,679 Speaker 9: and I think that's what that demonstrates. 160 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 1: We're going to take a quick break here. We'll be 161 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 1: back in a moment. At this point, Bobby Chose sees 162 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: two people are dead by twelve gunshot wounds. While waiting 163 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: desperately for police to arrive, she makes her way over 164 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 1: to her nephew, Frankie's house. She wanted to get some 165 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 1: help and to tell him what had happened to his 166 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: father and uncle whose body she had just found. Frankie 167 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 1: Rodin was Chris Senior and Dana's oldest son. The twenty 168 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,319 Speaker 1: year old was a father to two boys, three year 169 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 1: old and six month old. Like his parents, Frankie was 170 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:40,559 Speaker 1: a hard worker. He loved fishing, hunting, and demolition derby, 171 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: but nothing so much as his family and his fiance, 172 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: nineteen year old Hannah Gilly. Hannah Gilly was on the 173 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 1: homecoming court in high school, and at that time she 174 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:52,319 Speaker 1: told friends she planned to go to college, get a 175 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 1: business degree, and open a daycare. 176 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 8: Frankie and Hannah wanted a lot of kids. They had 177 00:10:57,920 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 8: a bright future. 178 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 1: The young family lived together just up the street from 179 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 1: Chris Senior, also on Union Hill Road. They were looking 180 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: forward to getting married soon. Here's reporter Jeff Winkler recounting 181 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:12,959 Speaker 1: the details of what happened that night based on his reporting. 182 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:17,679 Speaker 4: So, after Bobby Joe made the call to nine one one, 183 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 4: she went to Frankie's house near right nearby, and the 184 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:24,200 Speaker 4: person who came to the door was Frankly's three year 185 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 4: old son and was as the police reports and newspaper 186 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 4: reports showed, he was, you know, covered in blood, and he, 187 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 4: like any three year old, he sort of didn't fully 188 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:40,440 Speaker 4: understand what was going on. And he told his aunt that, 189 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 4: you know, his father was playing zombie in the bedroom, 190 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 4: and that's because the family were fans of The Walking Dead, 191 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 4: so you know, was in there with his father playing zombie, 192 00:11:56,600 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 4: which is, you know, absolutely heartbreaking. 193 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 1: Bobby picked up her nephew and made her way inside. 194 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: She finds two more victims. Frankie was shot three times 195 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:13,320 Speaker 1: in the head. His fiancee, Hannah Gilly, was shot five 196 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: times in total, with one shot to her left eye. 197 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: They were both in bed with their six month old baby. 198 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 1: Thankfully the infant was spared. Meanwhile, and this is all happening. 199 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 1: Around eight am on April twenty second, Bobby Joe calls 200 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: their brother James. She's in hysterics. There's now two murder scenes, 201 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:41,679 Speaker 1: four people dead, twenty gunshot wounds, two children left alive. 202 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 1: At the scenes, James immediately goes over to his sister 203 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: Dana's house to check on her and the remaining kids. 204 00:12:57,400 --> 00:12:59,959 Speaker 1: Dana Rudin was a nurse known for her gregarious nature 205 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: and loving smile. She'd met Chris Rhadin Senior when she 206 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: was just in high school and it was love at 207 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:08,959 Speaker 1: first sight. Even though they divorced twenty two years later, 208 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 1: they remained very close together. The pair had three beautiful children, 209 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 1: twenty year old Frankie, Hannah May and little Chris. 210 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 8: Good hearted, a lot of fun, you know, always laughing, 211 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 8: cracking up. 212 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 9: She was a very very good person. 213 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 8: She sent me a text she said, my grandbabies here 214 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:33,640 Speaker 8: and I said, well, congratulations, I said, she's beautiful. What 215 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:39,720 Speaker 8: did hanname name her? She said, Caylie May, and I said, 216 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 8: that's so pretty. And that was the last, you know, 217 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 8: the last thing I ever heard from Dana. 218 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 1: This particular April seemed extra special because Hannah Ma had 219 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:51,720 Speaker 1: just given birth to her second daughter five days prior. 220 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 1: Just weeks before that, Dana threw Hannah May a big 221 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 1: baby shower at their new house. The pictures from the 222 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 1: shower show what a happy celebration it was. Sadly, James, 223 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 1: Dana's brother, was about to enter yet one more unimaginable scene. 224 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 1: Dana and her nineteen year old daughter, Hannah May were 225 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: both dead. Like the rest of the family. They were 226 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: shot execution style, Dana three times in the right side 227 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,720 Speaker 1: of her head and once under her chin. Hannah was 228 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: shot twice in the head, lying in bed with her 229 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: new born daughter, just five days old. The infant was 230 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: spared alive, and thankfully, Hannah's older daughter, Sophia, just two 231 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 1: years old at the time, was not at the house 232 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 1: at the time of the murderers. This brings us back 233 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: to when Dana's son, the high school freshman Chris Junior, 234 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: was nowhere to be found. It took detectives several hours 235 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: to locate him, but Finally, little Chris was found in 236 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 1: the home with his mother, Dana and his sister Hannah May. 237 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 1: He'd been shot four times in the head. There's now 238 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: seven people dead, thirty one gunshot wounds, and three children 239 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 1: left alive. At the scenes, the once small and sleepy 240 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 1: town became the epicenter for grizzly crime and the subsequent 241 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: complex murder investigation. When it was all said and done, 242 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:16,840 Speaker 1: two families would be destroyed and the town would never 243 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:23,200 Speaker 1: be the same. Here's Jeff Winkler. It was a long 244 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 1: form article he'd written on the case that originally piqued 245 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 1: our interest. 246 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 4: I'm a writer and journalist based in Flyover, so I 247 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 4: cover a lot of stuff that happens away from the coasts. 248 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 4: The Rodent case. I remember seeing coverage of it in 249 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,360 Speaker 4: twenty sixteen as it was happening on live TV, and 250 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 4: there was a helicopter flying over the property, and it 251 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 4: was just one of those things that seemed like it 252 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 4: was straight out of southern noir. The crime is as 253 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 4: complex as it is gruesome, because all the victims except 254 00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 4: for one, were found on the same sort of back 255 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 4: road and piked him, and they were all found gunned 256 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 4: down on the same night and all had gunshots to 257 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 4: the head. This was an incredibly well executed execution of 258 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 4: several people. 259 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 1: Here again is criminal defense attorney, former prosecutor and judge 260 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 1: Mike Allen. 261 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 9: Did this area like a ton of bricks. I mean, 262 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,640 Speaker 9: with the local media down here, we're all over this thing. 263 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 9: I mean, like white on Rice. So yeah, it's a 264 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 9: big deal. 265 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 1: Do you have any theories, because I've spoken to people 266 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: and they're all, I guess, just theories. But why do 267 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: you spare the children? Is that some line a killer 268 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 1: won't cross or what does that tell you? 269 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 9: Yeah, and it's a really good question. I guess it 270 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 9: shows that I don't know, the killers wanted to demonstrate 271 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 9: that they have some humanity left in and just would 272 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 9: not kill infants. I guess that's small consolation, but I 273 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 9: don't know. It probably is some kind of code thing. 274 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 9: But they did find it within their hearts to spare 275 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 9: the the infants and the children. You know, as brazen 276 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:11,400 Speaker 9: and as violent as these killings were, I guess they 277 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 9: just couldn't bring themselves to do it to small children 278 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 9: and an infant. 279 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, a five day old, I mean that's yeah, that's crazy. 280 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:32,600 Speaker 1: For the quiet town. The scene was unreal. Nearly seven 281 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 1: hours after the first bodies were found, at one twenty 282 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:41,159 Speaker 1: six pm on April twenty second, a final fatal discovery. 283 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:44,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, I need they as come out to blast of 284 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 3: seven ninety nine Black Force. 285 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:49,919 Speaker 1: Okay, it's all this stuff. 286 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:53,399 Speaker 3: It's on the news. I just found just found my 287 00:17:53,480 --> 00:18:03,640 Speaker 3: cousins with against yet one. Okay, I'll be saying out 288 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:11,800 Speaker 3: by the very white Donaldson, Donald Stone, Dolph Stone. Yeah, 289 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 3: I'm gonna what's his name, Kenneth. 290 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 2: Roden, Kenneth Roden dear. Okay, sir, are you out of 291 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 2: the house. 292 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:25,680 Speaker 3: I'm out of the house right now. I just went 293 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 3: in horr nighty and chick right up, and I was 294 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:32,479 Speaker 3: saying he had a gun shot win. 295 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 2: Okay, Sure we're gonna get repubing down thirteen. Okay, all right, 296 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 2: sick mare. 297 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:46,200 Speaker 1: A few miles down Union Hill Road was Chris Roden 298 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:49,840 Speaker 1: Senior's brother Kenneth. The forty four year old was shot 299 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: once through his right eye. Kenneth's cousin, Donald Stone, went 300 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 1: to check on Kenneth after hearing about the murderers of 301 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:02,360 Speaker 1: their six other family members. He'd failed to hear from 302 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 1: Kenneth that day here's Jeff Winkler. 303 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:09,119 Speaker 4: There were a lot of breaking news moments during the 304 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:13,439 Speaker 4: first day, and the details just kept piling up and 305 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:17,360 Speaker 4: piling up, and more police, more law enforcement would show up, 306 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:23,639 Speaker 4: and the body count got larger and larger. And then 307 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 4: I think the real sort of twist and the real 308 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:29,040 Speaker 4: sort of what the heck has happened in a moment 309 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:31,359 Speaker 4: was when, you know, nearly seven. 310 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:34,119 Speaker 10: Hours after the first bodies are found, at around one 311 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 10: point thirty pm, there is finally another body of Kenneth 312 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 10: and he was found as well as the others, as 313 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 10: you know, shot execution style, and in this case, he was. 314 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:50,040 Speaker 4: Covered with dollar bills that were strewn about his body. 315 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 10: And it's just sort of he just got it. 316 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 4: I mean, you can't, you can't make this up. 317 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:06,240 Speaker 1: Let's stop here for another quick break. We'll be back 318 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: in a moment. By the time officials released the names 319 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 1: of the eight victims piked in residence were reeling. 320 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:22,200 Speaker 5: You know, they had snuck in in the night and 321 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:28,359 Speaker 5: committed this these murders, and nobody had a clue. 322 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 8: About you know. 323 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:35,440 Speaker 5: Who or why, and that's really scary. 324 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 4: There were rumors about who had done the crime everywhere 325 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 4: online in the coffee shops. You know, amongst the police, 326 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 4: I mean everyone was talking about who could have done 327 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 4: it and why they would have done it. 328 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:55,879 Speaker 1: Within two days of the murder, officials make another shocking announcement. 329 00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 11: I'm all, let sure, thank you very much. 330 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,639 Speaker 1: This is Mike DeWine, then Attorney General of Ohio, at 331 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:06,640 Speaker 1: a news conference on April twenty fourth, twenty sixteen. 332 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:09,399 Speaker 12: Let me go ahead, and I think it's okay for 333 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 12: us to confirm that we did find marijuana in three 334 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:15,840 Speaker 12: three locations. 335 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 9: Well, there's a grow operations. 336 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:25,080 Speaker 1: Here's Jeff Shane. We worked together on the case, and 337 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:27,720 Speaker 1: he reached out to Jody Barr, an investigative reporter who 338 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:30,200 Speaker 1: was working in Cincinnati at the time of the murders. 339 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 12: Let's like run through some of the theories, like what 340 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 12: people were saying might have happened. 341 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 5: So there were a. 342 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:37,400 Speaker 11: Lot of theories. 343 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 1: Jody has followed the crime and investigation for years. 344 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:43,120 Speaker 11: We got all of these tips in and we're trying 345 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:45,320 Speaker 11: to make sense of these tips, vet them see if 346 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:48,239 Speaker 11: there's anything that could indicate who did it, why they 347 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 11: did it, what caused someone to kill eight people of 348 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:54,439 Speaker 11: the same family. So, you know, the one theory that 349 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:58,840 Speaker 11: sort of became the prevailing idea of what might have happened. 350 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:03,119 Speaker 11: Here was the drug cartail theory, and that came about because, 351 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:07,000 Speaker 11: you know, hours after the murders, Attorney General Mike DeWine 352 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,920 Speaker 11: and Pike County Sheriff Charlie Readers standing at a press 353 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 11: conference and the Wine tells the public that they found 354 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,639 Speaker 11: commercial grow operations at three of the four crime scenes. 355 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 1: Another theory was that the murders could have been the 356 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 1: result of a dispute with another family in the area. 357 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:23,600 Speaker 1: Here's Jodi Barr again. 358 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 11: We had gotten word that apparently Chris Junior had some 359 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 11: sort of road rage or some sort of incident with 360 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 11: another family in the area some days before this, and 361 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 11: there were some messages, social media messages exchanged that could 362 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 11: have indicated a possible motive. So that was one theory. 363 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,119 Speaker 11: As I got on the ground over there and you 364 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 11: started talking to some of these family members, and you 365 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:50,920 Speaker 11: talk to some of the neighbors, some of the people 366 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:55,359 Speaker 11: who knew the Rodents, it became clear that either people 367 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 11: knew or had a very good idea about what happened, 368 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:03,920 Speaker 11: but they absolutely would never say it because I think 369 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,800 Speaker 11: they were they were afraid because at that point in time, 370 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 11: whoever did this had not been arrested. There have been 371 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 11: no persons of interest named. So you know, if you 372 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:15,840 Speaker 11: lived in that area, man, it was hush hush, you 373 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:18,840 Speaker 11: were just kind of walking around looking over your shoulder. 374 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:22,159 Speaker 11: It's seeing with some of these people not knowing, you know, 375 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 11: who could be next? Who did it? 376 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:29,160 Speaker 1: This is again Jeff Winkler. 377 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:32,199 Speaker 4: The majority of those theories rested on, you know, as 378 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:34,920 Speaker 4: a cartel. It was a cartel hit because the family 379 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 4: was growing marijuana on their property. You know, was it 380 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 4: a rifle marijuana farm? 381 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 7: The area? 382 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:46,520 Speaker 4: Was it where the killings related to the family disputes 383 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 4: that were going on with various members of adjacent families 384 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 4: and no one, no one quite knew, but they all 385 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:55,200 Speaker 4: had a bunch of theories. 386 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: With the town living in fear, investigators worked around the 387 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 1: clock to bring the killers to justice. 388 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,960 Speaker 9: Mike Dwine is and again I know him, but he's 389 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:10,399 Speaker 9: not a friend or anything, but he really is a 390 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:14,520 Speaker 9: professional and he was a professional prosecutor. I mean that's 391 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:19,120 Speaker 9: how he started his political life. And he ran this 392 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:22,800 Speaker 9: thing like a prosecutor or a law enforcement officer would. 393 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 9: And I'll tell you what there is just no way 394 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 9: that the sheriff's office or the prosecutor's office up there 395 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 9: could have handled this thing by themselves. And that's no 396 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:39,280 Speaker 9: knock on them, It's just that they don't have the 397 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:40,960 Speaker 9: resources for something like this. 398 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:46,240 Speaker 1: There were in some of the news conferences sheriff reader 399 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: without telling people to arm themselves as a precaution. 400 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:56,640 Speaker 9: In a small county like that, and just the horrific 401 00:24:56,840 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 9: nature of these things, I don't know that that would 402 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:03,840 Speaker 9: have not been good advice. I mean obviously, and they'd 403 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 9: have to do it legally with a concealed carry license 404 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:11,119 Speaker 9: and the legal right to carry a firearm. But people 405 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 9: just didn't know what the heck was going on up there. 406 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 9: I mean, you know, you had all the different theories 407 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:20,119 Speaker 9: bouncing around, and it's a rural county up there. So 408 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 9: if I were living out there and I was legally 409 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:26,399 Speaker 9: able to carry a firearm, I think I would. 410 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:38,160 Speaker 1: For two years, not a single arrest was made. How 411 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,600 Speaker 1: could the largest massacre in Ohio's history, with so much blood, 412 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:45,639 Speaker 1: so many bullets, and so many victims still be unsolved. 413 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 1: The questions abound, Who's doing this? Is it many people? 414 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:51,640 Speaker 1: Is it won? How did they get away with it 415 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,480 Speaker 1: If the scene was so messy, how did they clean up? 416 00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:57,600 Speaker 1: The four crime scenes all had dead bodies, but the 417 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: ms were different. Chris and Gary is the most violent 418 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 1: and bloody. Two of the other ones had children left alive. 419 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:07,080 Speaker 1: And in the fourth, Kenneth was found with dollar bills 420 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 1: all over him, with the victims all being shot at 421 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:12,480 Speaker 1: close range. We know that the killers and victims were 422 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:16,080 Speaker 1: eye to eye. How did nobody hear anything? Could it 423 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:18,920 Speaker 1: be a cover up? And would another family be next? 424 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:25,960 Speaker 1: And then on November thirteenth, twenty eighteen, well, good afternoon, 425 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:27,720 Speaker 1: we finally got an update on the case. 426 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:31,280 Speaker 12: We promised that the day would come when the rest 427 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:34,240 Speaker 12: would be made in the Pike County massacred. 428 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: This is Mike DeWine, the state's then attorney general. He's 429 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 1: at a press conference yesterday. 430 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 12: A Pike County grand jury and died four individuals for 431 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 12: aggravated murder with death penalty specifications for leglarly committing this heartless, ruthless, 432 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:55,879 Speaker 12: cold blood and. 433 00:26:55,920 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 1: Murder for the town of piked In with the alleged 434 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:07,119 Speaker 1: killers behind bars, the nightmare may have been over, but 435 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 1: the mystery has just begun. Who is this family of 436 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:24,119 Speaker 1: alleged killers next time on the Piked In Massacre. Piked 437 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:27,119 Speaker 1: In Massacre is executive produced by Stephanie Leidecker and me 438 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 1: Courtney Armstrong. Editing and sound designed by executive producer Jared Aston. 439 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 1: Additional producing by Jeff Shane and Andrew Becker. The Piked 440 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:39,280 Speaker 1: In Massacre is a production of iHeartRadio and Kati Studios. 441 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 442 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:45,879 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.