A new true crime podcast is taking listeners back to one of Ohio’s most shocking cases, marking a decade since the Pike County murders that devastated a small community and captured national attention.
“While They Were Sleeping” launched this month, offering an in-depth examination of the 2016 massacre that claimed eight members of the Rhoden family. The victims, including a mother with her 5-day-old baby nearby, were found shot execution-style in four separate locations across Pike County on April 22, 2016.
The podcast arrives as the ten-year anniversary of the killings approaches, bringing renewed attention to a case that took investigators more than two years to solve. In 2018, authorities arrested members of the Wagner family, who lived nearby and had a custody dispute with one of the victims over a shared child.
For Northeast Ohio residents who followed the case closely, the podcast promises new perspectives on the investigation that gripped the state. The series features interviews with journalists who covered the case, legal experts, and community members still processing the tragedy.
“This case changed Pike County forever,” said one local historian interviewed for the podcast. “The fear, the distrust, it lingered for years.”
George Wagner IV was convicted in 2022 and sentenced to life in prison without parole. His brother, Edward “Jake” Wagner, pleaded guilty and testified against family members as part of a deal to avoid the death penalty. Their mother, Angela Wagner, also pleaded guilty, while patriarch George “Billy” Wagner III awaits trial.
The podcast explores not only the crime itself but also the toll on the rural Appalachian community and questions about the justice system’s handling of the case.
“While They Were Sleeping” is available on major streaming platforms, with new episodes releasing weekly through the spring anniversary date.