Community in shock at deaths in tight-knit family
Print Edition
RESIDENTS of the rural southern Ohio community of Piketon in the US are shocked at events that took the lives of eight members of a tight-knit family known in the area as hard workers.
Yesterday, authorities were still trying to find out who targeted the seven adults and teenage boy and why. Their bodies were found last Friday at four different homes near Piketon, about 60 miles south of Columbus.
Kayla Hay said she got to know one of the victims, 37-year-old Dana Rhoden, when they both worked at a nursing home. Hay said she was shocked and saddened when she heard Rhoden was among those killed.
“I’ve never heard her say anything about being frightened or concerned about anything bad happening,” said Hay, who described Rhoden as outgoing and friendly.
“She was always in a good mood and was very bright, both in her personality and her intelligence,” Hay said.
All of the victims were members of the Rhoden family. The others were identified as 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden Sr; his 16-year-old son, Christopher Rhoden Jr; 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden; 38-year-old Gary Rhoden; 20-year-old Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden; 20-year-old Hannah Gilley; and 19-year-old Hanna Rhoden.
It appeared some of the victims were killed as they slept, including Hanna Rhoden, who was in bed with her newborn baby nearby, authorities said. The baby was just a few days old. The newborn, Hannah Gilley’s 6-month-old baby, and one other small child were not hurt.
Authorities said none of the injuries appeared self-inflicted. A search for the killer or killers is continuing, and investigators said they had interviewed more than 30 people.
Robin Waddell, who owns the Big Bear Lake Family Resort just south of Piketon, said Christopher Rhoden often worked for him as a carpenter and helped out with his excavation business. He said Rhoden was a nice guy whose children sometimes visited while he was working.
“It’s a large family,” Waddell said. “There’s a lot of them and they’ve been in this community for generations. So this is affecting a lot of people.”
Kendra Jordan, 20, said she often worked nights at a nursing home with Hanna Rhoden and described her as outgoing, funny and always smiling.
“If you were having a bad day, she’d be the first one to come up to you to question you about what was going on,” Jordan said. “She was amazing.”
A businessman has put up a US$25,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.
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