Four Day Old Baby, Two Toddlers Found Alive Among Ohio Execution Slaughter

Details

Category: Crime

Published on Friday, 22 April 2016 20:33

Written by Janet Walker

Eight members of a rural Ohio family were found dead, early Friday morning, shot execution style as they lie sleeping, in multiple locations across a small area of Pike County. None of the victims appear to be the shooter.

Three small children, a four day old infant, a six-month old baby and a three-year-old toddler survived the gruesome killings unharmed. All the victims are members of the Rhoden Family, locally well-known in the small tight knit community.

A televised press conference included Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. Reader acknowledged during the press conference that he knew the family.

Mike DeWine, Ohio Attorney General, used social media to report from the scene in southern Ohio indicting one of the victims was killed with her four-day old baby beside her.

DeWine also indicated he had telephoned GOP Presidential Candidate Ohio Governor John Kasich to discuss the deatils as they became known. He said the Governor was as stunned as everyone and trying to process the senseless horror that was unfolding. 

Six of the murdered victims were adults, one a 16-year-old boy. The crime scenes were spread out across four separate locations primarily along Union Hill road and within a mile of each other.

Family members lived in the four properties, with three properties within a very large scrap metal yard, separated by old, broken down vehicles, tires and car parts and bordered with dense woods. The first property a well-cared for ranch house with red barn and wooden fence was also bordered by think woods.

The shooter has not been identified as any of the victims. None of the victims were killed by self-inflicted wounds.

Several individuals on the short list to be interviewed are in Chillicothe Correctional Institution. No motive or speculation of illegal activities, drugs, debt or money kept at the home has been discussed as a possible motive. The investigation remains in the early stages.  

Both Sheriff Reader and Attorney General DeWine has indicated they believe the community at large is not in danger. The target and threat, they both believe, is the Rhoden Family. The surviving family members have been offered police protection.

Both men, who updated the public within the last half hour, stated the murderer or murderers are still out there.

DeWine stated, the investigation would go where it goes. The crime scenes are currently being processed with and expectation that investigators will complete the process by morning.  

Whomever is responsible would have to have some knowledge of the scenes, especially the second, third and fourth locations, which were scattered, separate and across a field cluttered with heavy equipment.

Sheriff Reader said the level of violence was shocking for this area. He indicated he had lived in the area all his life and this type of carnage have never taken place nor has his office ever lost eight members of his country in one day.

Precautions were taken throughout the day across the county with the local high school on Lock Out, which is defined as keeping all doors locked, no one comes in and no one goes out.

This is a developing story.