Pike County shooting victims: A closer look at the 8 who died

The eight victims slain in “execution style” murders at four locations in Pike County on April 22, 2016, were all members of the extended Rhoden family.

>> BREAKING UPDATE: 4 arrests have been made in connection to 2016 Pike County murders (Nov. 13, 2018)

>> Four members of the Wagner family arrested in Pike County murders: Who are they?

The family raised fighting roosters, bred dogs and salvaged cars for sale. They also participated in local community pastimes like the demolition derby and four-wheeling.

Here’s a closer look at the eight victims:

Hannah Hazel Gilley, 20

Date of birth: Feb. 28, 1996

Marital status: Engaged to Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden

Parents: Raymond Gilley and Andrea Shoemaker Carver, neither of whom were involved in the shootings

Children: One six-month-old male, Ruger Lee Rhoden, who survived the shootings

Occupation: Self-employed

Education: Attended Northwest High School in McDermott, Ohio

About Hannah: Hannah Hazel Gilley was the mother of the six-month-old boy who survived the Pike County shootings. In high school she participated in 4-H and was on the homecoming court. During an interview for the homecoming court, she said her favorite hobbies were riding four-wheelers, going “mudding,” and hanging out with friends. At that time, Gilley said she planned to go to college, obtain a business degree and open a daycare. Her burial place is Hackworth Hill Cemetery in Otway, Ohio.

Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, 20

Date of birth: August 10, 1995

Marital status: Engaged to Hannah Gilley

Parents: Dana and Christopher Rhoden Sr., both of whom died in the shootings

Siblings: Christopher Rhoden Jr., and Hanna Rhoden, both of whom died in the shootings

Children: A son, Brentley Rhoden, age 3, mothered by Chelsea Robinson, who was not involved in the shooting, and another son, age six-months old, mothered by Hannah Gilley, who died in the shooting. The children survived.

Occupation: Maintenance at Big Bear Lake Family Resort and McCoy Lumber

Criminal history: One assault charge from July 2015 was dismissed, according to Pike County court records

Education: Studied welding at Pike County Career Tech Center; Attended Piketon High School, class of 2012

About Frankie: Frankie Rhoden was engaged to Hannah Gilley, and the two were the parents of a six-month-old boy. He also fathered a three-year-old boy, who survived. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends, fishing and hunting. He also enjoyed demolition derby and his prized 1990s model Ford Crown Victoria, according to his social media accounts.

Hanna May Rhoden, 19

Date of birth: April 7, 1997

Marital status: In a relationship with Cory Holdren since October 2015, according to social media

Parents: Dana and Christopher Rhoden Sr., both of whom died in the shootings

Siblings: Christopher Rhoden Jr. and Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, both of whom died in the shootings

Children: Two children. Sophia Wagner, who was not present during the shootings and was fathered by Jake Wagner, and one four-day-old daughter, Kylie Rhoden, who survived the shootings

Occupation: Certified Nursing Assistant

Education: Unknown

About Hanna: Hanna May Rhoden was the mother of two children, including a four-day-old girl who was found in bed unharmed next to her deceased mother.

Rhoden said about herself on Facebook, “I had a pretty rough start but have came out on the better side. I’m beyond happy of where I am today.” Her favorite quote, according to Facebook, was “Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.”

Dana Lynn Manley Rhoden, 37

Date of birth: August 29, 1978

Marital status: Divorced from Christopher Rhoden Sr.

Parents: Leonard Manley and Judy Reno, both of whom survive and were not involved with the shootings

Siblings: Two sisters, Bobby Manley, who placed the initial 911 call to police, and Kathy Clay

Children: Hanna Rhoden, Christopher Rhoden Jr., and Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, all of whom died in the shootings

Occupation: Nurse

Education: Unknown

About Dana: Dana Lynn Manley Rhoden was the type of woman who would “give you the shirt off her back,” according to her father, Leonard Manley, who spoke with NewsCenter 7’s John Bedell.

At age 16, Manley married 19-year-old Christopher Rhoden Sr., on Oct. 18, 1994. She was a student at the time. Her first child, Frankie, was born in August 1995, while daughter Hanna was born in April 1997. She had another child, Christopher Jr., in November 1999.

Five months after giving birth to Hanna, Rhoden earned her nurse aide license. She worked at Hillside Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation for about six months, according to Jennie Elliot, director of nursing.

“She had a heart of gold and was extremely giving and excellent at what she did,” Elliot said. “It was nothing for her to bring in food for all the staff that was working, or bring in gifts.” Elliot said her staff wanted to give condolences to her family, including her three grandchildren whose parents were also killed.

Dana and Christopher Sr. divorced in 2007 but they remained close. On Facebook, she listed her relationship status as “It’s complicated” since April 1, 2015.

Christopher Don Rhoden Jr., 16

Date of birth: Nov. 4, 1999

Parents: Dana and Christopher Rhoden Sr., both of whom died in the shootings

Siblings: Hanna Rhoden and Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, both of whom died in the shootings

Occupation: Summer laborer at Big Bear Lake Family Resort

Education: Freshman at Piketon High School

About Christopher: Christopher Don Rhoden Jr. was the only minor killed in the Pike County shootings. Like his brother, Frankie, Christopher worked at Big Bear Lake Family Resort.

The 16-year-old was a freshman at Piketon High School. “He was the first one that if he thought that someone wasn’t being treated fairly or felt like someone wasn’t being treated appropriately, he would speak up about it,” Scioto Valley Local School District Superintendent Todd Burkitt told the Associated Press.

Rhoden was also close “like brothers” with his older cousin, Gary Rhoden, and the pair died together in the home. “My nephew was laying one way and Gary was laying over his legs, shot three times in the head, Gary was. The rest of them, I don’t know,” said Gary’s father, Kenneth Rhoden.

Christopher Don Rhoden Sr., 40

Date of birth: Sept. 17, 1975

Marital status: Divorced from Dana Lynn Rhoden

Parents: Clarence Rhoden, who proceeded Rhoden in death, and Geneva Stone

Siblings: Survived by Brady and Tony Rhoden. Preceded in death by a brother, Clarence Steven Rhoden, who was not involved in the shootings, and another brother, Kenneth Rhoden, who died in the shootings

Children: Hanna Rhoden, Christopher Rhoden Jr., and Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, all of whom died in the shootings

Occupation: Laborer

Education: Unknown

About Christopher: Christopher Don Rhoden Sr. was married 16-year-old Dana Lynn Manley when he was 19. While the couple would later divorce in 2007, they apparently remained close. The two had three children, Hanna Rhoden, Christopher Rhoden Jr., and Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, all of whom died in the shootings.

Rhoden’s 1994 marriage certificate lists his occupation as a laborer. At one time Rhoden and brother Kenneth Rhoden worked at Crownover Lumber, but a manager there recently said the pair hadn’t worked there since 2007. He also held seasonal jobs at Great Bear Lake Family Resort, where other members of the Rhoden family worked, too.

Rhoden’s best friend, according to his obituary, was his cousin and fellow homicide victim Gary Rhoden.

Much of the property where the killings occurred were owned by Rhoden.


» EXCLUSIVE CONTENT: Download our apps for real-time alerts on the news you care about

Gary Dwayne Rhoden, 38

Date of birth: Dec. 19, 1977

Marital status: Unknown

Parents: Kenneth Rhoden (current wife, Ruth) and mother, Mae Diane Stewart Leadingham (current husband, James), none of whom were involved in the shootings

Siblings: James Rhoden and Kenny Rhoden, both of Kentucky and neither of whom were involved in the shootings

Children: None known

Occupation: Self-employed

Education: Unknown

About Gary: Gary Dwayne Rhoden was born in Ashland, Ky., and was a resident of Greenup, Ky., at the time of his death in Piketon, Ohio. According to Rhoden’s father, Kenneth Rhoden, he was a hard worker who used to help out on the tobacco farm in Kentucky, where the family had its roots.

“He was just a hard worker,” Kenneth Rhoden said. “He’d give you the shirt off his back. … He liked to fish, hunt, stuff like that.”

Kenneth Wayne Rhoden, 44

Date of birth: March 30, 1972

Marital status: Married in 1991

Parents: Clarence Rhoden, who proceeded Rhoden in death, and Geneva Stone

Siblings: Survived by Brady and Tony Rhoden. Preceded in death by a brother, Clarence Steven Rhoden, who was not involved in the shootings, and Christopher Rhoden Sr., and ex-sister-in-law Dana Rhoden, both of whom died in the shootings

Children: Three children; a son, Luke Rhoden, and two daughters, Tajianna Mead and Kendra Rhoden, none of whom were involved in the shootings

Occupation: Worked at US Utilities

About Kenneth: Kenneth Wayne Rhoden was the older brother of Christopher Rhoden Sr., and is one of several members of the extended Rhoden family with the same first name. Kenneth, the eighth victim found, was discovered by a cousin at his house on Left Fork Road. At one time, Rhoden and his brother Christopher Sr. worked at Crownover Lumber, but a manager there said the pair hadn’t worked there since 2007.

About the Authors