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| Ohio police begin manhunt after series of 'execution-style' killings | Ohio police begin manhunt after series of 'execution-style' killings |
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| Police have begun a manhunt in rural Ohio following the grisly murder of eight family members, with police advising surviving relatives to take extra precautions as no arrests have been made since the victims were found on Friday morning. | Police have begun a manhunt in rural Ohio following the grisly murder of eight family members, with police advising surviving relatives to take extra precautions as no arrests have been made since the victims were found on Friday morning. |
| Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy were shot dead “execution-style”, the attorney general’s office said, in four nearby properties in remote Pike County. A motive has not been determined and police are not sure how many people were behind the killing. | Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy were shot dead “execution-style”, the attorney general’s office said, in four nearby properties in remote Pike County. A motive has not been determined and police are not sure how many people were behind the killing. |
| “This really is a question of public safety, and particularly for any of the Rhoden family,” Mike DeWine, the state attorney general, said on Friday. | “This really is a question of public safety, and particularly for any of the Rhoden family,” Mike DeWine, the state attorney general, said on Friday. |
| More than 100 relatives and friends of the Rhoden family gathered in a church on Friday to meet with law enforcement, who offered protection to the families and advised all community members to be extra cautious while the killer, or killers, remained at large. | More than 100 relatives and friends of the Rhoden family gathered in a church on Friday to meet with law enforcement, who offered protection to the families and advised all community members to be extra cautious while the killer, or killers, remained at large. |
| Victims include a mother shot dead in her bed near her four-day-old baby who, like two other small children, survived the killing. Aside from the 16-year-old boy, authorities did not specify the ages and genders of the seven adults killed. | Victims include a mother shot dead in her bed near her four-day-old baby who, like two other small children, survived the killing. Aside from the 16-year-old boy, authorities did not specify the ages and genders of the seven adults killed. |
| A victim’s advocated made a statement on behalf on the family on Saturday. The family thanked law enforcement and encouraged people to send any information they had on the killings to authorities. | |
| “The Rhoden family would like to thank everyone for all the outpouring for prayers and support for their family,” the advocate said. “They ask that you continue to keep them in your prayers.” | |
| Authorities said more than 30 people had been interviewed in an effort to determine the assailant’s identity. A motive has not been determined, police said, but they have received an “overwhelming” number of tips. | Authorities said more than 30 people had been interviewed in an effort to determine the assailant’s identity. A motive has not been determined, police said, but they have received an “overwhelming” number of tips. |
| None of the wounds were self-inflicted, which is why authorities believe at least one assailant is at large. DeWine said early evidence suggests the victims were killed while in bed. | None of the wounds were self-inflicted, which is why authorities believe at least one assailant is at large. DeWine said early evidence suggests the victims were killed while in bed. |
| The family’s pastor, Phil Fulton, described them as close-knit and hardworking, and that relatives are “not doing well” in their grief. | The family’s pastor, Phil Fulton, described them as close-knit and hardworking, and that relatives are “not doing well” in their grief. |
| The Hamilton County coroner’s office will conduct autopsies on the eight victims on Saturday. | The Hamilton County coroner’s office will conduct autopsies on the eight victims on Saturday. |
| “I think what makes this particularly grisly is you have these children involved when these executions took place,” said Charles Reader, the Pike County sheriff. “This is all unthinkable.” | “I think what makes this particularly grisly is you have these children involved when these executions took place,” said Charles Reader, the Pike County sheriff. “This is all unthinkable.” |
| DeWine said authorities were alerted to the incident at 7.53am on Friday when someone called to report two males dead inside one of the properties. When police responded to the incident, people sent them to two other crime scenes, all on the same road. | DeWine said authorities were alerted to the incident at 7.53am on Friday when someone called to report two males dead inside one of the properties. When police responded to the incident, people sent them to two other crime scenes, all on the same road. |
| Hours later, the eighth victim was found in a property about 10-15 minutes from the other three homes. | Hours later, the eighth victim was found in a property about 10-15 minutes from the other three homes. |
| The killings took place in rural Pike County, about 90 miles south of Columbus. The county is best known as home to one of three uranium enrichment gas centrifuge plants in the US. But last year the federal government ended its contract with the plant, serving a crippling blow to the local economy. | The killings took place in rural Pike County, about 90 miles south of Columbus. The county is best known as home to one of three uranium enrichment gas centrifuge plants in the US. But last year the federal government ended its contract with the plant, serving a crippling blow to the local economy. |
| The Associated Press contributed to this report. | The Associated Press contributed to this report. |