The gruesome findings emerged as investigators reportedly examined a potential Mexican drug cartel connection for the executions on properties used for marijuana growing operations.
Local station 10TV, citing anonymous law enforcement sources, said authorities are examining whether a cartel turf war or family feud sparked the slaughter of eight members of the Rhoden family.
The victims — seven adults and a 16-year-old — had gunshot wounds to their heads, torsos and other parts of their bodies, according to autopsy results. With one exception, each victim suffered at least two gunshot wounds, and one was shot nine times. Some bodies also were bruised from apparent beatings.
The autopsy results did not identify any of the victims.
Police have not made any arrests or identified any suspects for the massacre, which authorities called “pre-planned executions.”
Three of the four crimes scenes held several hundred marijuana plants, prosecutors said.
"It wasn't just somebody sitting pots in the window," Pike County Prosecutor Rob Junk told the Columbus Dispatch.
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| (L-R) Christopher Rhoden Jr., Christopher Rhoden Sr., Dana Rhoden, Kenneth Rhoden, Gary Rhoden, Hanna May Rhoden, Frankie Rhoden and Hannah Hazel Gilley were victims of the April 22nd shooting. |
The eight victims were Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16; Gary Rhoden, 38; Kenneth Rhoden, 44; Dana Rhoden, 37; Clarence Rhoden, 20; Hannah Gilley, 20; and Hanna Rhoden, 19.
Two children, and an infant sleeping with one victim, were unharmed and are now under the care of extended family member.
In 2012, authorities seized more than 1,200 marijuana plants, with suspected ties to a Mexican drug cartel, in Waverly, a town about five miles away from the Rhoden farms.
Mexican Cartels have no influence or power in US soil. Look at the Tijuana and Juarez cartels. Gone to dust. The Italian Mafia would demolish these "syndicates".
ReplyDelete6:22 You're obviously living in the past. Italians were so decades ago. No need to glorify old ass has beens.
DeleteLol maybe during the Prohibition. Those days are long gone.
DeleteHahaha! You watch too many movie my friend. The Italian mafia although still around is only a fraction of its former self. Sheer numbers of Mexicans would by itself overwhelm the Italians. And FYI there are Mexican Cartels in the U.S. they just happen to keep a low profile because it makes business sense. Italians and Mexicans also work together in the U.S. troll.
DeleteThe difference between this being here and being in Mexico is they will be caught and soon. We don't let it go . Look at Genaro Camacho . I knew of agents trying to kidnap him out of Mexico . If all else failed they would have do it . They managed to get him otherwise . He got his day in court to plead for his evil life . Then got to rot on death row a few years before we poisoned that vermin .
DeleteSame for the dumb bastards . They aint smart . Their tools aren't intelligence , their tool is brutality . Soon they will live out their short lives ion a cage far from their people and get the the death shot . Wish we could bring back hanging .
No influence on US soil? I hope you're kidding.
Delete@ 6:22- The Italian mafia depends on the Sinaloa Cartel and does not have the strength to handle the cartels. Maybe in Italy....The Italian mafia is in Italy and no longer thriving here and if it is, its tiny cells operating prostitution and gambling rackets. Maybe even selling drugs.... Ask the Cosa Nostra my friend. In Italy, they get their meth and maybe the cocaine from Mexican cartels. They also run the sanitation businesses which is a mess. I know that Cosa Nostra gets a lot of their heroin from the Middle East but all the other stuff comes from Mexico and Columbia.....
DeleteProhibition? I dont agree with what he said bout mafia whoopin cartels but the mob was extremely powerful up until the 90's. Im italian n kno ppl around that life n its nothing like it used to be. But in there prime they were feared and on usa soil they were not to b fucked with but this day n age they would be crushed by the cartels
DeleteWe have a new Prohibition now. and it is not working.
DeleteWhat planet are u on?
DeleteMexican cartels have more influence in U.S. soil than the Italian mafia could ever dream of having.
DeleteAre u kidding? Some of the mexican cartels work with the italians! Theyre all in it together as far as greed goes! A u scratch my back i scratch yours mentality! The italians are still around in the u.s just not as notorious!
DeleteSorry to burst your bubble but the Italians hear in the US are practically finished. Not saying their finished but they moved on to less violent crime/white collar crime the Mexicans/Colombians/Central Americans/Russians/Chinese/Japaneses would eat them alive.
DeleteFor 2:31pm Also sorry but the Italians were not powerful up until the 90's. I'm old enough & have read enough to know what is bull. I know in the SW of the US Italian mafia would pay mainly Mexican prison gangs for protection as far back as the early 60's. They also worked together And when cretin Italians would rat guess who killed them. Sorry but even in the prime of the Italian Mafia 20's-60's they don't compare financially/ manpower/power/influence/brutality.
Delete4:34 lets not forget the Albanians in nyc who have been known to challenge italians power and moved into some of their areas to conduct business.
DeleteTex, you're doing good reporting, both on Mexico and US stories. I remember you on Forum and you were kinda off-putting. But as a reporter here you've earned my (and I think everyone's) respect. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much my friend.
DeleteLoL, yea ok........ They said something like "several hundred plants". Like ANY Mexican cartel would kill 8 members of the same family in rural Ohio, USA for such a small amount...and yes, several hundred plants isn't a giant grow....
ReplyDeleteThey will kill for far less that here in Mexico. You are kidding are you not?
DeleteThat is a good way to get away with murder blame it on a cartel and yes marijuana plants the amount is not that big and this is not Mexico we actually invistigate and punish the criminals especially when the get on national news
DeleteThis was a systematic attempt to consolidate power in a profitable region for dealing drugs. The size of the grow doesn't matter, it's about power and authority. Cartels kill over far less than this. Wake up.
DeleteCrime like this will be investigated in USA.. crime like this will not be investigated in Mexico.. No Mexican cartel would want this much heat for several hundred plants..
Deletelets say you have 200 pounds of AAA that would be around 700k . More then enough to for someone to harm you over.
DeleteHahahah where you getting these numbers the police? Even as you call it "AAA" doesnt sell for your suggested $3.5k per. Hell thats higher then dispensary wholesale price (which for thise curious is about $2.8k/#) and these guys woulda with 200 plants at 3 locations thats 600 plants every 65 days in the very best circumstances. Lets say these indoor plants harvested 2 ounces per plant. 1200ounces or about 100#s per cycle. They would be lucky to get 5 cycles a year maybe 6. selling in bulk like that actually isnt your friend as you get way less per. So thats about 500#s a year to support 4 households, pay for the overhead on the grow and turn a profit? This is a family barely keeping outta poverty... not 700k every 2 months as most probably imagine... they were living off about a million a year. 4 households and who knows how many people..
DeleteI agree 3:52...while its true the cartels may have done something like this in mexico,its unlikely a Boss or Capo in mexico would order something like this in the us..All cartels would lose major money and their us salesman would face mass arrests until case is solved and maybe long after case is solved. If they wanted to be that brutal in the us they would have long ago and im sure it would have been over more than 100 plants of what was probably plain old GREEN..
DeleteWell.. at least they respected the children. I doubt this is related to mexicans because these people were white. Mexican+white= no go. White+white= most likely.
ReplyDeletewhere in the hell are you from??
DeleteWrong...
DeleteWOW... Please, stop.
DeleteIf you don't see the KU-KLUX-KLAN around there protesting against blacks, mexican illegal aliens, or other runaways it could be because they themselves did it...
DeleteWell, they're not smiling now!
ReplyDeleteWow possible Mexican cartel connection.
ReplyDeleteSpeculation? Or could it just be a group dealing with cartel after production of outdoor grows. Did see in 2012 same county--I believe--or close by outdoor 1,200 plant bust.
Would DEA and policy makers view the event--if Mexican cartel--a cause for upgrading offensive towards Mexican dope industry. They couldn't allow this to go unchallenged. We invaded Vietnam on a pre-text--that is big fat lie. Maybe time to really put the screws to Mexico. Some action is necessary. With the goal of bring peasce back to Mexican citizens. Mexican government is apparently powerless. And I love Mexico and its culture.
Apples and oranges not the same thing.
Delete8:02 you are a victim of a brainwashing like I ain't ever seen jumping on the blame train without a complete picshur, after invading Mexico, murdering millions of people and burning it all the way down to the pyramids foundation, you may find that Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with this gringo situation of
DeleteClampetts vs Ducktapeits...at least ask who done did it before yo go meddling on other people's countries and having to deal with a few more million war refugees...Dumbass
This crime has many similarities to the ones committed in the hills of Sinaloa for decades. Yes, it is speculation. That is why it says "possible connection," in the title. But as the saying goes: If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its probably a duck.
DeleteYes your right same area as the 2012 grow they found that was being cared for by mexican nationals. Very close to the murdered familys place actually.
DeleteTara....can you give me a link to that story? Because since the area is 98% white authorities said another skin color would draw great attention. they did speak of finding large farms in 2012 2 of them but said there were not Mexicans involved. So I am confused. is this a third bust? I want more info, please provide.
DeleteThat would be amazing, and the first. Usually cartel farming in the US are in remote areas like federal lands.
thanks
You play with fire, you might get burned
ReplyDeleteMat god have them in his arms....
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DeleteDoubtful that any cartel would green light a hit like that in the US.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the hit on 3 people who were killed on a basement and the lawyer?
DeleteYou may have a point here. Usually it would be another Mexican family as the outcry would be far less due to the bias US. A white family and that many? That is really a BIG risk.
DeleteBrad Sweet, Mexicans cartels have put hits and killed whites on U.S. soil going back to the 80s. That's business as usual. Even the Colombians did it back then. Learn the history of this and stop living in a dream world.
DeleteI'm saying a family of 8...
Delete8:39 do you have a few examples or links or newspaper clippings we can refer to?
DeleteA white family gets killed and it gets tons coverage!
ReplyDeleteThe gruesome violence, the in-depth planning necessary to pull the plan off, and the complete lack of suspects, make for a great news story. It's a real life murder mystery. Stop making everything about race. Its not that simple.
DeleteA mass killing of any kind in the US gets coverage.
Delete6:01 This is getting coverage but not tons. What about that white girl that was set on fire while she was still alive? Where's the "tons" of coverage? What about all the females being killed, dating back to the 70s, in what has been called the I-45 (or Texas killing fields) murders? Where's the tons of coverage? What about that whole scale murder that took place in an abscure New Mexican city that was drug related? Where's the tons of coverage? I could give you tons more of these examples if you like.
DeleteThe farm 5 miles away in Waverly was taken down and put out of the way in 2012 by the Rhoden? Or was it just put in to make us suspect them?
ReplyDeleteGood point. We need to find out.
DeleteThat was no hit from Cartels that was inner fighting that caused those murders, GREED!!
ReplyDeleteMaybe Biker Gangs!
DeleteThis was a in-bred hit....not a kartel hit quit blaming my mexiKAN people's
Delete@3:57 p.m. no one is blaming the mexican ppl as a whole just dogging cartel members! 99.9% of mexican ppl are NOT cartel members! Anybody of any race who gets involved in the drug business are no good to me at all!
DeleteHells Angels!!
Delete6:44 so that includes the 8 dead in this article i guess?
DeleteWhat hints at a cartel connection? Not be sarcastic or anything really trying to see if a missed something, looks like some white dudes growing weed out in Hicksville. And some other white dudes probably on meth since that's what doc is in those rural hick towns, decide to rob the local weed Kingpins and for some reason either where threatened or recognized during the robbery and killed everybody that could identify them or disgruntled family member.
ReplyDeleteSuspicious for cartel, as it has the same profile. They hit the whole family, and torture beating up before they kill. I suspected cartel, just from the way they were hit, even before I read about the drugs. Nothing says it could not have been another competitor or grudge, but mostly NOB they isolate and kill whoever they are mad at, but not the whole family, much less a 16 year old. In Mx they do home invasion or at a large party. So the pattern is more in keeping with MX.
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ReplyDeleteThis story is very similar to the family that just got killed at 57th and california in chicago.. killed almost the same way. And i HEARD that someone in the house didnt pay for 2 kilos and thats what happened.. sounds like someone is trying to collect their money and making examples for those who are thinking about not paying.. but im just a spectator , i dont know anything
ReplyDeleteThis wouldn't have happened if Ohio had the same marijuana policies as Colorado.
ReplyDeleteThere were also 22,000 plants found in the same county in 2010 that had two abandoned camps with supposed Mexican national evidence. The smaller 1200 plants in 2012 was found by air during routine patrols. It's a strange story but I don't know if I believe any cartels where involved.
ReplyDelete70 people killed every day by "gun accidents" get no attention. News just change you from un-informed to ill-informed.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest looking more in the direction of Canadian organized crime. Everybody knows Mexico crime groups are baby killers. I think the killers were actually Canadian. Mexian cartels would have shot those babies too.
ReplyDeletemost Canadian Organized crime guys have records and cant get in to the US (legally anyway) so that theory is less than 1% plausible
Delete8:23 that is stupid. Canadians have criminal records and can't get in? Yet Mexicans don't and can get in illegally and go through that many states to kill? Either scenario is possible. Cartel or Canadians. Yet it is correct that Mexican cartels don't give a darn about human life, infant or adult. Who would try to enter legally to kill? "Yes border patrol, I am here to kill someone. Here is my passport. Be back in 2 days." Love your percentage on possibilities. Whatever!
Delete8:23 lol..i am laughing at you..Not with you.
DeleteThis is very bad business if it is a Mexican Cartel. The US has been very laid back on doing anything. Don't throw fuel on a smoldering fire. This happen too many times and Mexico will have serious problems.
ReplyDeleteThis had nothing to do with cartels. This looks like some group eliminated them because of debt or competition.
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ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know what cartel(s) operate(s) in Ohio?
ReplyDeleteLaw enforcement
DeleteProbably Sinaloa. They controlled the midwest and their main desentation was Chicago
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ReplyDeleteSorry but this was totally a hillbilly event. unless there were several hundred kilos taken and not payed for.
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ReplyDeleteWhite on white crime
ReplyDeleteThink about this, Mexican drug cartel is violent and leaves no stone unturned when they perform a hit. They would have killed the two children that were found alive. Read about drug cartels and how they work. They do not leave people behind, even children. They just leave bodies! Now the Mafia on the other hand, their culture is a bit different. To take the life of a child during a hit (not sure how it works with women), is looked poorly upon. Again, look up some news stories about murders by both of these groups and you will see the "cultural" differences on how they carry out hits. The only reason I have personally shook my head about cartel from the very beginning is because the children were all left unharmed. BTW, 16 in the Italian culture is seen as the threshold of manhood.
ReplyDelete