Pike County killings trial: Former sister-in-law describes life with Wagner family

WAVERLY, Ohio – Proceedings in the murder trial of George Wagner IV continued Friday with testimony from Wagner IV's former sister-in-law.

Wagner IV is facing eight counts of aggravated murder and 14 other charges in connection with the shooting deaths of seven members of the Rhoden family and one future member.

Elizabeth Armer, who married Wagner IV's brother Jake in March 2018 after the family moved to Alaska, took the stand Friday. She read from a journal she kept during the three months she lived with the Wagners. Armer married Jake Wagner on March 24, 2018, and left him and the Wagner family in early July, later filing for divorce.

In one journal entry, Armer said the Wagners did not allow for privacy and autonomy. "Nobody seems to understand basic ownership," she wrote.

Armer said she had little contact with Wagner IV himself and, in response to questions from Wagner IV's attorney, said none of the Wagners admitted guilt in the crimes to her.

Jurors heard 500 pages worth of text messages between Jake Wagner and Hanna May Rhoden on Thursday. The messages portrayed the couple as in love but also in constant conflict about where to live, how to live and how to raise the child they had together.

Wagner IV was mentioned just one or twice in the exchanges as "your brother." Wagner IV's attorney John Parker objected to the introduction of the texts. The prosecution said the texts go to the heart of their case: that the Wagners killed the Rhodens to win custody of Jake and Hanna's child.

The texts made clear that Jake Wagner "wasn't going to easily obtain custody of Sophia," Special Prosecutor Angela Canepa said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Pike County murder trial: Ex-sister-in-law Elizabeth Armer testifies