News

Official to Discuss Costs of Trials in Pike County Family Massacre

By:
Posted on:

< < Back to

Update 11:45 a.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio’s attorney general says the state should cover the majority of the costs for prosecuting the four suspects in the slayings of eight people in an Ohio county.

Officials in Pike County estimate they’ll spend well over $1 million on the upcoming cases involving the 2016 killings of eight members of the Rhoden family

State Attorney General Dave Yost said Thursday he doesn’t want the costs to cripple the small county in southern Ohio.

He feels the state should pick up all of the costs, outside of salaries for those handling the case.

State lawmakers would need to approve that spending.

Ohio lawmakers at the end of last year already agreed to provide an initial $100,000 to help pay for the trials of four family members charged in the killings.


COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio officials will meet to go over state funding that will help cover the costs of prosecuting the four suspects in the slayings of eight people in southern Ohio.

State Attorney General Dave Yost plans to meet with state lawmakers and officials from Pike County on Thursday to discuss the funding.

Ohio lawmakers at the end of last year passed a measure providing $100,000 to help cover costs in the upcoming cases involving the 2016 killings of eight members of the Rhoden family.

Authorities in November arrested a husband and wife and their two adult sons on charges that include aggravated murder.

All four have pleaded not guilty to charges that could bring the death penalty if they’re convicted.

Authorities have suggested a custody dispute was a possible motive.