PIKETON, Ohio, April 24 (UPI) — Investigators announced Sunday a $25,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the execution-style murders of eight family members in rural Ohio Friday.
Attorney General Mike DeWine said Cincinnati-area businessman Jeff Ruby offered up the reward for information leading to those responsible for the multiple homicides, Fox News reported.
Investigators have been working to locate suspects in the killing of eight members of the Rhoden family., including a child. No arrests have been made so far.
Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation detectives and local law enforcement are interviewing individuals, gathering information and executing search warrants in the case. Evidence from the crime scenes was being analyzed and processed over the weekend, officials said.
The victims were all members of the Rhoden family, identified as: Hannah Gilley, 20; Christopher Rhoden, Sr., 40; Christopher Rhoden, Jr., 16; Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, 20; Dana Rhoden, 37; Gary Rhoden, 38; Hanna Rhoden, 19; and Kenneth Rhoden, 44, ABC News reported.
Seven of the victims were reportedly found Friday in three different homes along the same road in Peebles, a small town some 70 miles east of Cincinnati. An eighth victim was found later in nearby Piketon, officials said.
DeWine said it appeared that some of the victims were killed in their sleep and found shot to death in their beds. He said one victim, who appeared to be a mother, was killed lying in bed with a 4-day-old baby.
Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader said three young children — the 4-day-old baby, a 6-month-old baby and a 3-year-old — were found unharmed at the various shooting scenes.
Investigators on Saturday released the 911 tapes when relatives found the bodies.
One woman sounded frantic and out of breath, telling a dispatcher she had found blood throughout her brother-in-law’s house.
“I think my brother-in-law’s dead,” she said. “There’s blood all over the house.”
In a separate 911 call, a man said: “I just found my cousin with a gunshot wound.” Kenneth Rhoden told the dispatcher his cousin was dead.
A woman speaking on behalf of the Rhoden family thanked investigators and said the family was asking for prayers and for anyone with information to come forward and contact the state bureau of investigation.
