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| Ohio family were killed in 'sophisticated' planned execution | |
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| Eight family members found shot dead at four homes in rural Ohio were targeted for execution in a planned “sophisticated operation”, authorities have said as their investigation entered a third day. | |
| They said that remaining members of the tight-knit Rhoden family and other residents of Pike county should arm themselves if they feared further attacks from the killers, who were still at large. | They said that remaining members of the tight-knit Rhoden family and other residents of Pike county should arm themselves if they feared further attacks from the killers, who were still at large. |
| Charles Reader, Pike county sheriff, and Mike DeWine, Ohio attorney general, said on Sunday it was clear the victims, ranging in age from 16 to 44, were deliberately singled out for attack, most of them while they slept, rather than killed at random or in a crime of passion. | Charles Reader, Pike county sheriff, and Mike DeWine, Ohio attorney general, said on Sunday it was clear the victims, ranging in age from 16 to 44, were deliberately singled out for attack, most of them while they slept, rather than killed at random or in a crime of passion. |
| Several marijuana-growing operations were found at the crime scenes, they added, although it was unclear what, if any, role the operations had played in the killings. Marijuana, both recreational and medicinal, is illegal in the state. | Several marijuana-growing operations were found at the crime scenes, they added, although it was unclear what, if any, role the operations had played in the killings. Marijuana, both recreational and medicinal, is illegal in the state. |
| The officials declined to comment on any possible motive or say whether they had identified any suspects. DeWine said it was not clear whether they were seeking one or more perpetrators. | The officials declined to comment on any possible motive or say whether they had identified any suspects. DeWine said it was not clear whether they were seeking one or more perpetrators. |
| “I don’t know if it’s a bad guy or bad guys – it could be one, two, three, four,” he said in a televised news conference. He said 18 pieces of evidence had been sent to a state crime laboratory for analysis and that 50 to 60 people had been interviewed in the case, with more expected to be questioned. | “I don’t know if it’s a bad guy or bad guys – it could be one, two, three, four,” he said in a televised news conference. He said 18 pieces of evidence had been sent to a state crime laboratory for analysis and that 50 to 60 people had been interviewed in the case, with more expected to be questioned. |
| “This was a pre-planned execution of eight individuals. It was a sophisticated operation. And those who carried it out were trying to do everything they could do to hinder the investigation and their prosecution,” DeWine said. | “This was a pre-planned execution of eight individuals. It was a sophisticated operation. And those who carried it out were trying to do everything they could do to hinder the investigation and their prosecution,” DeWine said. |
| “We would anticipate that this could be a lengthy investigation,” he added. “This is not your case where someone got mad at somebody else, and shot them, (and) there’s a witness, two witnesses. It is a very, very different type of case.“ | “We would anticipate that this could be a lengthy investigation,” he added. “This is not your case where someone got mad at somebody else, and shot them, (and) there’s a witness, two witnesses. It is a very, very different type of case.“ |
| The sheriff, who said that in his 20 years in law enforcement he never interacted with the Rhoden family “in a criminal nature”, urged surviving members to arm themselves for protection. He did not believe that other residents were in danger but he said: “If you are fearful, arm yourself.” | The sheriff, who said that in his 20 years in law enforcement he never interacted with the Rhoden family “in a criminal nature”, urged surviving members to arm themselves for protection. He did not believe that other residents were in danger but he said: “If you are fearful, arm yourself.” |
| The victims, all previously identified as members of the Rhoden family, were found shot in the head in four separate homes on Friday in or near Piketon, a town of some 2,000 people about 95 miles east of Cincinnati in south-central Ohio. | The victims, all previously identified as members of the Rhoden family, were found shot in the head in four separate homes on Friday in or near Piketon, a town of some 2,000 people about 95 miles east of Cincinnati in south-central Ohio. |
| The victims included a mother who was murdered in bed with her four-day-old infant in her arms. That baby and two other small children present during the killings – a six-month-old and a three-year-old – all survived, officials said. | The victims included a mother who was murdered in bed with her four-day-old infant in her arms. That baby and two other small children present during the killings – a six-month-old and a three-year-old – all survived, officials said. |
| The victims were identified as 37-year-old Dana Rhoden; 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden Sr; his 16-year-old son, Christopher Rhoden Jr; 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden; 38-year-old Gary Rhoden; 20-year-old Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden; 20-year-old Hannah Gilley and 19-year-old Hanna Rhoden. | The victims were identified as 37-year-old Dana Rhoden; 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden Sr; his 16-year-old son, Christopher Rhoden Jr; 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden; 38-year-old Gary Rhoden; 20-year-old Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden; 20-year-old Hannah Gilley and 19-year-old Hanna Rhoden. |
| Autopsies were completed on seven victims on Sunday afternoon. The sheriff also said he had sent additional investigators to scour the wooded areas surrounding all four crime scenes in search of any additional evidence. | Autopsies were completed on seven victims on Sunday afternoon. The sheriff also said he had sent additional investigators to scour the wooded areas surrounding all four crime scenes in search of any additional evidence. |
| A local restaurateur, Jeff Ruby, offered a $25,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. | A local restaurateur, Jeff Ruby, offered a $25,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. |