George "Billy" Wagner III, 54, indicted in the April 22, 2016 execution-style deaths of eight members of the Rhoden family, has asked a judge to dismiss his attorney and permit self-representation, citing loss of confidence in counsel. Two children survived the attacks; prosecutors say the killings were tied to a custody dispute. A hearing on the counsel dispute is set for Oct. 1 and the trial is scheduled for January, with the judge keeping the trial venue undisclosed.
Accused Killer of Eight Seeks to Fire Lawyer and Represent Himself Ahead of Secret-Venue Trial
George 'Billy' Wagner III appears in court. (Paul Weeden/WCPO)
Waverly, Ohio — George "Billy" Wagner III, 54, who is charged in the April 22, 2016, execution-style slayings of eight members of the Rhoden family, has asked a judge to dismiss his attorney and allow him to represent himself, according to a letter filed with the court.
Charges and Allegations
Wagner faces counts including aggravated murder, conspiracy, aggravated burglary and tampering with evidence in connection with the killings, which prosecutors say occurred at four separate locations. Investigators have described the victims' deaths as "execution-style." Two children survived the attacks: an infant who was in Hanna Rhoden's arms and the child of her older brother.
Co-Defendants and Case History
The case has been delayed for years while related prosecutions concluded. Wagner's son, George Wagner IV, was previously convicted and sentenced to eight life terms plus 121 years. Wagner's wife, Angela Wagner, and another son, Jake Wagner, pleaded guilty and testified at George Wagner IV's trial.
Request To Proceed Pro Se
This month Wagner submitted a written motion asking the court to dismiss his counsel and permit him to proceed pro se. In the filing he wrote that his attorney "does not believe in my innocen[ce], nor will he file any paperwork on my behalf or do anything I've ask[ed] of him to file," and added he had "no faith in him putting forth his full potential in my case."
"Now comes the defendant George Wagner III (pro se) with a motion to dismiss counsel due to a conflict of interest as my current counsel does not believe in my innocen[ce], nor will he file any paperwork on my behalf or do anything I've ask[ed] of him to file. I have no faith in him putting forth his full potential in my case as he is proving his own guilt even before my case can be heard in light of my reasoning behind this motion and request so I can prepare for my trial! Fruits of a poisonous tree. This is also a request for an immediate hearing please."
This was Wagner's second written complaint to the court; in August he said he had trouble hearing and complained about being uninformed of proceedings.
Upcoming Hearings And Trial Logistics
The judge scheduled a hearing for Oct. 1 to consider Wagner's motion about counsel. The trial is set to begin in January, but the judge has taken the unusual step of ordering that the trial venue remain undisclosed — a restriction reportedly applying even to attorneys and members of the victims' families. The judge denied motions to revisit that nondisclosure order.
Legal Context
Requests to proceed pro se are not uncommon, but courts typically evaluate whether a defendant's waiver of counsel is knowing and voluntary and whether the defendant is competent to represent himself. The court will decide whether Wagner may proceed without counsel at the scheduled hearing.
Help us improve.
