NOVEMBER 13, 2018


NEWS AND VIEWS


WHICH SHALL I PICK, THE REVENGE OF CNN, THE NEXT TRUMP ASSOCIATE TO BE IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW, OR TODAY’S MURDERER, THIS TIME IN A HOSPITAL? I’M GOING TO USE THEM ALL MOVING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT.


THE REVENGE OF CNN

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/cnn-files-lawsuit-against-trump-administration-over-jim-acosta-s-n935621
TECH & MEDIA
CNN files lawsuit against Trump administration over Jim Acosta's press credentials
"The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acosta's First Amendment rights of freedom of the press," CNN said in a statement.
Nov. 13, 2018 / 9:31 AM EST / Updated 10:57 AM EST
By Kalhan Rosenblatt

CNN has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for revoking correspondent Jim Acosta's press credentials, the network said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acosta's First Amendment rights of freedom of the press and their Fifth Amendment rights to due process," a statement from CNN reads.

The network filed the suit in a Washington, D.C., district court, according to the statement, saying they have asked for "an immediate restraining order requiring the pass be returned" to Acosta.

Listed as defendants in the suit are Trump in addition to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, Deputy Chief of Staff Bill Shine, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, and the U.S. Secret Service and its director Randolph Alles and an unnamed Secret Service agent.

On Tuesday, Sanders responded to the suit, saying that CNN has nearly 50 other pass holders and that "Acosta is no more or less special than any other media outlet or reporter with respect to the First Amendment."

“We have been advised that CNN has filed a complaint challenging the suspension of Jim Acosta’s hard pass. This is just more grandstanding from CNN, and we will vigorously defend against this lawsuit," Sanders said.

Image: A White House staff member reaches for the microphone held by CNN's Jim Acosta as he questions U.S. President Donald Trump during a news conference in WashingtonA White House staff member reaches for the microphone held by CNN's Jim Acosta as he questions U.S. President Donald Trump during a news conference following Tuesday's midterm U.S. congressional elections at the White House in Washington on Nov. 7, 2018.Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

The lawsuit says that Acosta and CNN have been favorite targets of the administration, adding that they intend this suit to "ensure that the press remains free to question the government and to report the business of the nation to the American people."

A number of derogatory tweets and comments made by Trump about CNN are mentioned in the suit. The suit noted that Trump retweeted "a video depicting him tackling and punching a man with a CNN logo superimposed on his face, adding the comments '#FraudNewsCNN' and '#FNN.'"

Several historic court rulings are cited in the suit, including Sherrill v. Knight, which determined that content-based criteria for press passes violate the First Amendment, according to the American Bar Association.

Acosta has covered the White House for CNN since 2012 and has had press credentials, called a “hard pass” since 2013.

In a statement from White House Correspondents’ Association President Olivier Knox, the organization said it supported CNN’s lawsuit.

“Revoking access to the White House complex amounted to disproportionate reaction to the events of last Wednesday. We continue to urge the Administration to reverse course and fully reinstate CNN’s correspondent,” the statement read.

MEDIA -- CNN journalist Jim Acosta banned from White House after Trump calls him 'rude, terrible person'

Trump’s reasoning for removing the pass was that Acosta failed to “treat the White House with respect,” according to the suit. In a contentious back-and-forth with Trump during a press briefing on Wednesday, the president called Acosta "a rude, terrible person" as the correspondent tried to ask him a question.

Sanders claimed that Acosta's attempt to "monopolize the floor" did a disservice to the other reporters in the room.

Acosta tweeted Wednesday night that he had been denied access to the White House as he attempted to enter and showed video of him as he handed over his credentials to a Secret Service agent.

Sanders claimed in a statement that Acosta put "his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern" during the confrontation with Trump. A video of the exchange does not appear to support that accusation.

Kalhan Rosenblatt
Kalhan Rosenblatt is a reporter for NBC News, based in New York.


“LITTLE REPORTED” OR “EXTENSIVE REPORTING?" IT WAS COLD AND RAINY AND HE DIDN’T GET ENOUGH POSITIVE PRESS. BAH! HUMBUG!! THAT’S THE MESSAGE I SEE HERE. OH, YES, AND “FAKE NEWS!”

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/11/13/donald-trump-secret-service-cemetery-trip-france/1986252002/
President Trump blames Secret Service for canceling cemetery trip in France
David Jackson, USA TODAY Published 9:02 a.m. ET Nov. 13, 2018 | Updated 1:33 p.m. ET Nov. 13, 2018

Photograph -- More Hate Crimes are being committed in the US than in previous years -- 2017 marks the third year in a row that hate crimes increased.Buzz60

WASHINGTON – Still fighting political flaps that arose during his weekend in France, President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the Secret Service nixed a visit to a cemetery in the rain because the motorcade would have shut down Paris.

"When the helicopter couldn’t fly to the first cemetery in France because of almost zero visibility, I suggested driving," Trump tweeted. "Secret Service said NO, too far from airport & big Paris shutdown."

Trump took heat back home after the White House announced it had canceled a trip to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial near Paris "due to scheduling and logistical difficulties caused by the weather," including rain and fog.

By the way, when the helicopter couldn’t fly to the first cemetery in France because of almost zero visibility, I suggested driving. Secret Service said NO, too far from airport & big Paris shutdown. Speech next day at American Cemetary in pouring rain! Little reported-Fake News!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2018

The statement said nothing about a possible motorcade. Trump, who traveled to Paris for a series of events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, spent Saturday afternoon out of the public eye.

Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for the National Security Council for President Barack Obama, called Trump's second-guessing of the Secret Service "a lie."

The Secret Service "advises on security but the President makes the final call," Vietor said on Twitter. "He chose to skip the memorial."

Critics of the canceled visit included Winston Churchill's grandson.

World War I soldiers "died with their face to the foe and that pathetic inadequate Donald Trump couldn’t even defy the weather to pay his respects to The Fallen," said Nicholas Soames, the late former U.K. prime minister's grandson and a member of British Parliament.

Others pointed out world leaders such as Emmanuel Macron of France, Angela Merkel of Germany and Justin Trudeau of Canada managed to attend events Saturday despite the rain.

The Aisne-Marne commemoration Saturday featured an American delegation led by Chief of Staff General John Kelly and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joe Dunford.

Trump cited the canceled visit after a tweet storm directed at Macron, who over the weekend challenged the president's "America First" foreign policy.

In his cemetery tweet, Trump pointed out that he gave a speech – in the rain – at another cemetery, Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial in Paris, on Sunday.

"Speech next day at American Cemetery in pouring rain! Little reported-Fake News!" Trump tweeted.

That cemetery visit was reported on extensively.

More: Back in D.C., President Trump attacks France's Macron over trade, 'European army'

More: Post-Paris, President Trump again complains about NATO


THESE SUGGESTIVE FRAGMENTS FROM A LONG, COMPLEX AND, ON THE SURFACE AT ANY RATE, DAMNING ARTICLE ON THE NEWEST TRUMP-RELATED SMEAR ON JOHN KERRY, HILLARY CLINTON, AND OTHER PLAYERS SHOW THAT THIS MAN IS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN REPUBLICAN DIRT. THESE SMEAR CAMPAIGNS CONSTRUCTED FROM LIES TO ENTRAP HONEST POLITICIANS CERTAINLY SHOULD BE ILLEGAL, PUNISHABLE BY PRISON TERMS. DISRUPTING THE PROPER FUNCTIONS OF OUR GOVERNMENT IS A GREAT DEAL LIKE TREASON.

ALL OF THOSE “CAMPAIGN CONSULTANTS” SHOULD BE FORCED TO CLOSE UP SHOP, AND ALL THE DIRTY ACTORS TRIED FOR ELECTIONEERING CRIMES. OH, YOU SAY THERE IS NO SUCH THING? WELL, WE NEED TO WRITE SOME LAWS CRIMINALIZING ALL LEVELS OF POLITICAL ATTACKS, AND START PROSECUTING THEM. WHAT TRUMP AND OTHER “CONSERVATIVES” HAVE SURROUNDED THEMSELVES WITH ARE A POLITICAL MAFIA – NO, A BETTER WORD FOR THEM IS “MOB.”

IT IS A REAL PROBLEM FOR OUR NATION THAT SO MANY OF OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES ARE SO HIGHLY CORRUPTED THAT GOOD PEOPLE SUCH AS KERRY WILL BE MADE TO APPEAR TO BE LIARS, BY THOSE WHO ARE THE REAL PREVARICATORS. NOW OUR NATION IS LED BY “THE PREVARICATOR IN CHIEF, THE DONALD DRUMPF!” NOTE, THAT IS HIS OFFICIAL TITLE.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/special-counsel-witness-expects-charged-mueller-probe/story?id=59148352
Special counsel witness says he expects to be charged in Mueller probe
By ALI DUKAKIS Nov 12, 2018, 7:52 PM ET

WATCH -- Acting AG criticized Mueller probe, recounts possible for midterm elections

The former Infowars Washington bureau chief, who recently testified before a federal grand jury in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, tells ABC News that after two months of closed-door talks with investigators, the special counsel has now indicated he will be charged within a matter of days.

“I don’t know what they’re going to charge me with,” said Jerome Corsi in an interview with ABC News on Monday. “I think my only crime was that I support Donald Trump. That's my crime, and now I'm going to go to prison for the rest of my life for cooperating with them,” he later added.

Corsi is one of more than a dozen individuals associated with political operative Roger Stone -- a longtime and close ally of President Donald Trump -- who have been contacted by the special counsel. The witnesses, many of whom have appeared before the grand jury impaneled by Mueller’s team, have told ABC News they were asked about Stone’s dealings during the 2016 election and what if any contact he may have had with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange through an intermediary, which Stone denies.

Much remains unknown about Mueller’s interest in Stone. But Corsi has emerged as a central figure of interest to Mueller as he builds his case, sources confirm to ABC News. Corsi, who Stone told ABC News he has known for years, has frequently appeared with Stone on-air for Infowars, where Stone currently serves as a contributor.

Corsi described his experience with the investigation as “a horror show” and “a nightmare,” telling ABC News the special counsel’s probe, “Is an inquisition worthy of the KGB or the Gestapo. I feel like I've been through an interrogation session in North Korea in the Korean war.”

PHOTO: Roger Stone, a longtime political adviser and friend to President Donald Trump, speaks during a visit to the Womens Republican Club of Miami, May 22, 2017, in Coral Gables, Florida.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The special counsel’s office declined to comment on Corsi’s remarks to ABC News.

In recent weeks, ABC News reported that Corsi returned to Washington, D.C., again for more closed-door meetings with special counsel investigators, and was scheduled to make a second appearance before the federal grand jury in the probe. However, Corsi’s second grand jury testimony was ultimately canceled, and Corsi says prosecutors with the special counsel’s office told his attorney to expect forthcoming charges.

Reached by ABC News on Monday, Corsi's lawyer, David Gray, declined to comment on the matter.

Shortly after his interview with ABC News, Corsi hosted a live stream on his YouTube page in which he reiterated his expectation to be indicted, telling supporters; “I fully anticipate in the next few days to be indicted by Mueller.”

Mueller’s interest in Corsi is believed to stem from his alleged early discussions about efforts to unearth then-candidate Hillary Clinton’s emails. The special counsel has evidence that suggests Corsi may have had advance knowledge that the email account of Clinton’s campaign manager, John Podesta, had been hacked and that WikiLeaks had obtained a trove of damning emails from it, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told ABC News.

Corsi’s account to ABC News of his time spent with investigators also identifies Wikileaks’ release of Podesta’s hacked emails as key to the special counsel’s inquiry of him.

In response to ABC News’ interview with Corsi, Stone defended Corsi as “a man who has been squeezed hard but refuses to do anything but tell the truth,” and called into question both his and Corsi’s alleged connections to Wikileaks.

“They seem to think you know that I knew in advance what Assange was going to do; I'm not going to go into details at this point, but that was the basis of it,” said Corsi. “And as far as I can recall, I had no contact with Assange. And that didn't seem to satisfy them.”

Corsi said he was first approached in late August by FBI agents at his home in New Jersey, who presented him with a subpoena to testify before Mueller’s grand jury. Corsi added that over the last two months, he’s spent 40 hours with investigators over the course of six meetings, which he says have included special counsel prosecutors and an FBI agent.

After the subpoena was served, Corsi said that he decided to cooperate with the special counsel’s office.

“I had two computers that I used, I handed them both over, a time machine that recorded all the emails in my computer in a contemporaneous state 2016 -- completely unaltered,” he said. “I worked with the FBI at Quantico so that they could easily recover all my tweets and my Google account. My Google account they could see every place I've been, every click I've made, everything Google records.”

After the FBI’s visit, Corsi said, he and his attorney agreed to cooperate with the special counsel’s office and proffered to meet with special counsel investigators to answer their questions. “They have everything: Electronic surveillance -- everything electronic probably that I ever did in my life if they wanted -- every credit card, every phone call, every email, and I turned it all over to them as well,” he added.

Declining to give specific details on the matter until Corsi learns what he’s potentially charged with, he said the special counsel initially wanted him as a witness and told him he had not committed any crimes.

“And then it blows apart...at the end of two months...this deteriorates, and after a while, my mind became mush,” he said. “And every time I'm scared to death.”

Corsi said that from there, after two months of questioning, things deteriorated between him and investigators.

“They make it sound like it all fell apart and they were constantly pressing me on did I have a contact with Assange, and -- to the best of my knowledge -- I never had a contact with Assange,” Corsi said to ABC News. “And they just couldn't believe that because they said I seemed to know too much about what Assange was going to do. And I said you know that's what I do in my business: I try to connect the dots.”

While Corsi is not a widely-recognized figure, his handiwork in the political arena has at times become very well known. He has served as the pioneer of several enduring political smear campaigns during national campaigns throughout the 2000s.

Corsi’s most penetrating smear campaign is the same one that helped forge his bond with Trump. He is widely considered one of the early promoters of the so-called “birther” movement, which pursued the idea that former President Barack Obama was born in Kenya, not in America. The theory was debunked and widely denounced as baseless, racist vitriol. Corsi and Trump have long been blasted for not walking back their claims even after Obama produced his long-form birth certificate. In fact, it was only in the final stretch of his successful 2016 presidential bid that Trump finally acknowledged that Obama was born in the U.S.

Corsi has also been cited as one of the architects of a 2004 effort to bring then-Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry’s war record into question through a 527 political organization called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The group attempted to cast doubt on Kerry’s Vietnam War record and question the injuries he sustained when he earned decorations that include a Bronze Star, a Silver Star, and three Purple Hearts.

Corsi claims that his work is part of the reason he believes investigators are probing him.

“My conclusion was as much as they say they want only the truth, I believe that they have a narrative and they’re looking for fast facts to fit their narrative,” he said. “I've written 20 books since 2004 and I have reason to believe...that this is payback for those books.”

Shortly after Trump’s inauguration, when Corsi joined the controversial conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ right-wing outlet, Infowars, Jones reportedly boasted that Corsi “had a history” with Trump, and that the two had been acquainted for “40-plus years.”

When ABC News asked if he would be open to making a plea deal with the special counsel’s office should they charge him in coming days, Corsi replied, “What’s there to be a plea deal with?” and expressed his suspicions about the possible charges investigators may claim against him.

“They said I didn't commit any crimes. I can't remember all my emails I can't remember all my phone calls, [and] I tell them that. It's impossible; it's a perjury trap from the moment you get going,” Corsi said.

“My crime is that I didn't tell them what they wanted to hear. They won't believe it, but this is the most frightening experience of my lifetime. I'm being punished for trying to cooperate with them in a game that I was set to lose,” he added. “I couldn't win this game...it wasn't a game; I was trying to tell them the truth. But you forget that somebody was in a meeting and you lied to them.”


3:26 PM, THIS STORY IS “HOT OFF THE GRILL.” AS A RESULT, THERE ARE NO DETAILS YET. THIS MAY BE MORE OF A PANIC THAN ANOTHER HORRIFIC SCENE, AND IF SO, I BELIEVE IT IS VERY LIKELY BECAUSE THE GUN-WIELDING PERSON IS A WOMAN THIS TIME.

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/oh-medina/police-no-shots-fired-at-medina-hospital-woman-with-gun-threatening-people-police-say
No shots fired at Medina Hospital, woman with gun threatening people, police say
Ian Cross, Bob Jones
2:55 PM, Nov 13, 2018
UPDATED 2 mins ago

PHOTOGRAPHS – Police and fire department workers at the Cleveland Clinic, Copyright 2018 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

MEDINA, Ohio - The Cleveland Clinic – Medina Hospital is on lockdown and police are on scene after a woman with a gun apparently caused an alert for a possible active shooter situation, according to multiple sources at the scene.

Medina Police said they responded to the hospital regarding a female with a firearm threatening people. They said no shots have been fired.

Police have secured the hospital and are searching the facility floor-by-floor.

Police ask that the public avoids the hospital until police give the all clear.

Cleveland Clinic tweeted:


ClevelandClinicNews
✔
@CleClinicNews
Police are on scene at Medina Hospital responding to a potential active shooter situation in the medical office building. Both the hospital and office building are on lockdown.

We advise no one travel to the Medina campus.

We will continue to share updates.

157
2:18 PM - Nov 13, 2018
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Several viewers shared a "Code Silver" alert that appears to have been sent to hospital staff indicating that there was an active shooter situation. "Take immediate action to protect yourselves and others," the alert states.

The Medina Township police chief told News 5 that the alert may have been triggered when someone in the professional building next to the hospital said they saw a person with a gun.

Police are searching the building, but have not yet found anything, the police chief said. They are continuing to check room-by-room to clear the building.

Lt. Dave Birckbichler with Medina police confirmed officers are on scene at the hospital. Cleveland Clinic officials confirmed the hospital is on lockdown. Officials have not confirmed that shots have been fired.

News 5 is working to learn more about this developing situation.

Copyright 2018 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


THIS ARTICLE, WHILE GRISLY ENOUGH TO GET ANYBODY’S ATTENTION, DOES NOT SAY WHAT THE NATURE OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN A MASSACRE AND SOME CHILD CUSTODY PAPERS WAS. COULD SOMETHING LIKE SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN BE INVOLVED? A LAND CLAIM BASED ON THE CHILD? I’M GOING TO LOOK AROUND FOR ANOTHER ARTICLE THAT WILL BE BETTER WRITTEN. OR MAYBE THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE LAW AUTHORITIES ARE WITHHOLDING A GREAT DEAL OF THE INFORMATION? BOTH OF THESE ARTICLES FLESH OUT DIFFERENT BITS OF THE INFORMATION, SO I HAVE KEPT THEM BOTH. THE MORE COHERENT ONE, THOUGH, IS THE NEXT ONE BELOW.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/11/13/rhoden-family-slayings-arrests-made/1990606002/
Arrests made in 2016 slaying of 8 family members in Ohio
USA TODAY NETWORK Chris Graves, Bob Strickley and Sarah Brookbank, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 3:12 p.m. ET Nov. 13, 2018 | Updated 6:45 p.m. ET Nov. 13, 2018

VIDEO – Mike Dewine announced arrests in Pike County murders 48:49

PIKETON, Ohio — Six members of a family who have close business and family ties with the eight members of an Ohio family slain in April 2016 in Pike County have been arrested in connection with those deaths, Ohio's attorney general said Tuesday.

Child custody, not drugs as widely believed in southern Ohio where methamphetamine and opioids remain problems, was the primary motive for the killings, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said.

Angela Wagner, 48; her husband, George "Billy" Wagner, 47; and their two sons, George Wagner IV, 27, and Edward "Jake" Wagner, 26, each have been indicted on eight counts of aggravated murder in connection with the gruesome deaths of the Rhoden family and Hannah Gilley. Rita Newcomb and Fredericka Wagner, mothers of Angela Wagner and Billy Wagner, are accused of forging custody documents to cover up the crimes.

"They did this quickly, coldly, calmly and very carefully, but not carefully enough," Pike County Sheriff Charles S. Reader said.

► Sept. 19: Rhoden family autopsy reports show 8 killings were methodical, vicious
► June 2017: Family named in Ohio massacre investigation moves to Alaska

Some of the suspects left parts to build a silencer while others forged documents, he said.

Billy Wagner was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Fayette County, Kentucky, authorities said.

Angela Wagner was arrested at her home in Ohio's Scioto County.
Jake and George Wagner were arrested in Ross County, Ohio.

Fredricka Wagner was arrested at the family's Flying W farm in Pike County, Ohio, which had been previously raided.

DeWine, who last week was elected the next governor of Ohio, previously had said the investigation was laser focused on the Wagner family, but he had declined to call them suspects or persons of interest. Neither he nor Reader has provided details about why investigators spent two days searching the Wagners' Ohio property in 2017, nor did they say at the time what prompted a news release asking the public for information on the Wagners.

Killed in the attack were Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; his older brother, Kenneth Rhoden, 44; Christopher Rhoden's former wife, Dana Manley Rhoden, 38; their three children, Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 20, Hanna Rhoden, 19, and Chris Rhoden Jr., 16; and a cousin Gary Rhoden, 38;

Frankie Rhoden's fiancee, Hannah Gilley, 20, also was a victim.

The killers spared three young children, who were unharmed.

When reached by telephone Tuesday afternoon, Leonard Manley, the father of Dana Manley Rhoden, declined to comment.

Victims of the Pike County killings
Fullscreen
Christopher Rhoden The Enquirer/Michael Nyerges

The Wagners' lawyer said his clients look forward to their day in court but otherwise declined comment.

"They are hopeful for a thorough vetting of the facts," said John Kearson Clark, a lawyer in Jackson, Ohio.

Authorities repeatedly have said the killers worked to cover their tracks, adding complexity to what is the largest homicide investigation in Ohio history. As of April this year, investigators had received nearly 1,000 tips in the case, conducted nearly 500 interviews and processed more than 100 pieces of evidence.

► April 2017: 3-year-old found his murdered father
► March 2017: Rhodens hope poster sparks information about Ohio family massacre

In June 2017, the Wagners moved to Kanai, Alaska, from Adams County, Ohio, telling The Cincinnati Enquirer that the speculation of their involvement in the Rhoden deaths drove them to move more than 4,000 miles.

“Really the point to moving up here was to basically get into a better environment so they wouldn’t talk about us. Sophia is getting older, so she wouldn’t hear it,” Jake Wagner said 17 months ago, standing on the family’s front porch in Kanai. “And then it followed us here.”

Sophia is the 3-year-old daughter of Jake Wagner and victim Hanna Rhoden.

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

Ohio AG Mike DeWine
@OhioAG
Two other people were also arrested today in connection with the alleged cover-up of the #PikeCounty homicides. Anglea Wagner's mother, Rita Newcomb, and Billy Wagner's mother, Fredericka Wager.

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The family returned to their Ohio farm in spring of this year.

Clark has said authorities were harassing his clients, who had nothing to do with the slayings and who had cooperated fully in the investigation.

"The authorities (using the media) want the public to believe that the Wagners are responsible and have absconded," he told The Enquirer last year.

Follow Chris Graves, Bob Strickley and on Twitter: @chrisgraves, @rjstrickleyjr and @SarahBrookbank


YES, THERE IS A BETTER ARTICLE. THIS IS FROM REUTERS – IT IS A GOOD OLD-FASHIONED MOUNTAIN FAMILY FEUD! IN OTHER WORDS, “REASON? WHO NEEDS A REASON?” IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE CUSTODY OF A CHILD RELATED TO BOTH FAMILIES; AND “EVIDENCE OF ILLEGAL DRUG ACTIVITY, COCKFIGHTING AND THE POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF A MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL.” READ DEWINE’S FULL COMMENTS BELOW. HE CALLS THIS CASE THE “MOST BIZARRE” HE HAS SEEN IN HIS CAREER.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ohio-murders/ohio-lays-murder-charges-in-deaths-of-eight-people-in-rural-family-feud-idUSKCN1NI2UZ
U.S. -- NOVEMBER 13, 2018 / 5:18 PM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO 11:35 AM
Ohio family charged with murdering eight people in child custody feud
Bernie Woodall

(Reuters) - Four members of a family face the death penalty after a grand jury charged them with the April 2016 execution-style shooting deaths of eight members of another rural Ohio family, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced on Tuesday.

Four members of the Wagner family were charged with murdering seven members of the Rhoden family and a fiancée of one of the victims, DeWine told a news conference in Pike County, where the killings took place.

There was an extensive plot to kill in four different crime scenes and a cover-up that included the suspects temporarily moving to Alaska and returning to Ohio in the spring, DeWine said.

The four Wagners “clearly have been the prime suspects for some time,” DeWine said.

DeWine, elected Ohio governor last week, did not pinpoint a motive but suggested the primary intent of the killers was custody of a small child, whose father was a Wagner and mother a Rhoden.

Investigators found evidence of illegal drug activity, cockfighting and the possible involvement of a Mexican drug cartel.

DeWine suggested the bigger motive was child custody.

“There certainly was obsession with custody, obsession with control of children,” said DeWine, adding, “This is just the most bizarre story I’ve ever seen in being involved in law enforcement.”

An attorney reportedly representing the Wagners did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

George “Billy” Wagner III, 47, his wife Angela Wagner, 48, and their two sons, George Wagner IV, 27, and Edward “Jake” Wagner, 26 are each charged with eight counts of aggravated murder.

FILE PHOTO: Motorcyclists from Red Knights International Firefighter Club arrive to attend a funeral for six members of the Rhoden family, who were shot to death in rural Pike County on April 22, at Dry Run Church of Christ in West Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S. May 3, 2016. REUTERS/Kyle Grillot/File Photo
Also arrested on Tuesday in an alleged cover-up were Angela Wagner’s mother, Rita Newcomb, 65, and Billy Wagner’s mother, Fredericka Wagner, 76, state officials and local media said.

Three children including a 6-month-old and a 3-year-old survived the killings. One woman was killed while sleeping with her 5-day-old baby.

The victims included Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; his ex-wife, Dana Rhoden, 37; and their three children, Hanna, 19, Christopher Jr., 16, and Clarence, 20.

Three other victims were Christopher Sr.’s brother, Kenneth Rhoden, 44; a cousin, Gary Rhoden, 38; and Clarence Rhoden’s girlfriend, Hannah Gilley, 20.

Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader said the six suspects were being held at different locations in Ohio and Kentucky. Arraignments were expected in the coming days, a prosecutor said.

Pike County is in the Appalachia foothills about 95 miles (150 km) east of Cincinnati.

Reporting by Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Lisa Shumaker

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


I LOOKED TO SEE WHETHER THESE PEOPLE WERE AMISH, WHICH I DOUBTED, BUT THE NAMES ARE GERMAN. THERE IS NO MENTION OF THAT, BUT THERE IS MORE INFO ON THE DRUG CARTEL CONNECTION. THEY WERE MARIJUANA FARMERS. SEE THE FOLLOWING.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/family-charged-murders-of-eight-people-on-marijuana-farm-a8632576.html
Family charged with murders of eight people on marijuana farm
'The suspects studied the victims’ habits and routines — and they knew where they slept,' says attorney general
Harriet Agerholm @HarrietAgerholm
NOVEMBER 13, 2018 5 hours ago

PHOTOGRAPH -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine speaks alongside a display of those arrested during a news conference ( AP Photo/John Minchillo )

Four members of one family have been arrested in connection the massacre of another family on an Ohio marijuana farm.

The eight victims, who ranged in age from 16 to 44, were found dead in four separate homes on their farm in Pike County in 2016.

Parents George “Billy” Wagner III, 47, and Angela Wagner, 48, were arrested alongside their two sons George Wagner IV, 27, and Edward “Jake” Wagner, 26.

They were charged with “planning and carrying out” the murders, along with a “slew” of other offences including conspiracy, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, tampering with evidence, and obstruction of justice, Ohio State Attorney General Mike De Wine said.

Jake Wagner was a former boyfriend of one of the victims, 19-year-old Hanna Rhoden and shared custody of their daughter at the time of the killings.

The 19-year-old was in bed next to her four-day-old when she was killed. The newborn survived, as did a six-month-old and a three-year-old also on the farm.

The attorney general said in a tweet: “Our investigation alleges that the suspects studied the victims’ habits and routines. They knew the layouts of their homes. And they knew where they slept.”

In separate comments, he said the case involved an “obsession with the custody and control of children”.

The Pike County Medical Examiner said every victim died from gunshot wounds, with one victim shot nine times.

The victims had soft tissue bruising, indicating a struggle, according to the medical examiner.

Officials said they discovered marijuana “growing operations” at three of the four crime scenes.

Mr De Wine described the murders at the time as as a “pre-planned execution”. Authorities have yet to give full explanation of what they believe was the motive for the killings.

The state attorney general’s office called for information about the Mr Wagners in 2017, asking for members of the public tell them about the family’ vehicles and guns.

The request prompted the Wagners to complain they were being “harassed while the real killer or killers are out there”.

Both Jake Wagner and Angela Wagner told the Cincinnati Enquirer at the time they were not involved in the deaths.

Manhunt intensifies for fugitive who threatened to kill Donald Trump

Following the four arrests John Clark, a lawyer for the Wagners, said: “We look forward to the day when the true culprits will be discovered and brought to justice for this terrible tragedy. The Wagners are also very hopeful that in the ensuing months there will be a thorough vetting of all the facts.”

The victims were 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden, Christopher Rhoden Sr, 40, Dana Rhoden, 37, Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, 20, Christopher Rhoden Jr, 16, Hanna May Rhoden, 19, Hannah Gilley, 20, and Gary Rhoden, 38.

The Wagner family lived in Peebles, Ohio, at the time of the killings, but they have since moved to Alaska.

The mothers of Billy Wagner and Angela Wagner, Fredericka Wagner and Rita Newcomb were also arrested in connection with the alleged cover-up of the massacre, the attorney general also said on Tuesday.



MSNBC MADDOW --

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