by 
A man convicted of the deaths of 8 family members in rural Ohio has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A courtroom in Pike County, Ohio cheered after Judge Randy Deering read the life sentence of George Wagner IV, who had previously been convicted for his role in the massacre of eight members of the neighboring Rhoden family in their rural community.
“The court, quite frankly, finds that the defendant has shown no remorse. Just a denial,” Deering said in condemning Wagner.
Wagner was potentially facing the death penalty for his charges, which included eight counts of aggravated murder, conspiracy and tampering with evidence.
Wagner declined to make a statement after his sentence ended, and his lawyers said he maintained his innocence. He has already indicated his intention to appeal his conviction.
The shocking massacre took place in April 2016. Authorities discovered the eight dead family members in three mobile homes and an RV in different areas of Pike County.
The victims were all members of the Rhoden family and were killed the same way: shot in the head as they slept.
The victims included Christopher Rhoden Sr, 40, his ex-wife Dana Rhoden, 37, their and children Clarence Rhoden, 20, Hanna Rhoden, 19, Christopher Rhoden Jr, 16.
The other victims were Clarence’s fiancée, Hannah Gilley, Christopher Sr’s brother, Kenneth Rhoden, and his cousin Gary Rhoden.
A massive multi-million dollar investigation eventually identified the Wagner family as suspects. A family member, Edward ‘Jake’ Wagner, was embroiled in a custody dispute with Hannah Rhoden, the mother of his 3-year-old daughter.
Investigators eventually discovered that the Wagner family was convinced that a member of the Rhoden family was sexually abusing Jake and Hannah’s daughter. The Wagners then became “obsessed” with obtaining full custody of the child.
George was the first member of his family to stand trial for the murders. Her father, George ‘Billy’ Wagner III, is currently awaiting trial after pleading not guilty.
In October, her brother Edward Wagner pleaded guilty and took responsibility for five of the murders.
His mother, Angela Wagner, also pleaded guilty and confessed to planning the murder with her husband. Angela finally testified against her husband and sons in November.
You have a story? Contact our press team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and photos here.
For more stories like this, check out our news.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates. You can now also receive items from Metro.co.uk directly to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
