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Judge said death penalty won’t be dropped yet

A Pike County judge denied a motion to dismiss a death penalty specification Thursday in the case of George "Billy" Wagner III.

Billy Wagner is charged with murder and other charges related to the killings of eight members of the Rhoden family in rural Pike County.

Billy Wagner's younger son and his wife have already pleaded guilty. Angela Wagner pleaded guilty earlier this month. Edward "Jake" Wagner pleaded guilty in April.

In exchange for Jake Wagner’s testimony, prosecutors agreed to spare him and the rest of his family from the possibility of the death penalty.

Billy Wagner’s lawyers argued Thursday that the death specification should be dismissed now. The lawyers said it is a waste of resources and “prejudicial” to start a trial as a death penalty case only to change it after the trial as started.


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