On the Job 

Since the tragic morning in April when eight members of the Rhoden family were found shot to death in four homes in Pike County, the investigation has been a priority for my office. After realizing the magnitude of the crime, Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader requested the assistance of the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). Since that time, our agents have been working long hours to gather clues and uncover evidence.

On Day 1, 10 agents and a supervisor responded immediately to begin processing the multiple crime scenes, and they worked around the clock in those crucial first hours. Staff from our offices in Athens, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Columbus, London, and Richfield converged on Pike County to offer help. I also went to the area to make appeals to the public to come forward with tips that might be of benefit to law enforcement.

The number of BCI employees involved in the case has continued to expand to include 11 members of the command staff and supervisors; 54 special agents, investigators and analysts; 17 laboratory workers; four BCI support staff members, one victim advocate, and three special prosecutors. Our team continues to gather information and process and analyze evidence.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Reader has been shouldering a heavy burden, and his 22 sworn officers and six dispatchers spent the weeks after the murders working 12-hour shifts to provide a heightened level of security to the people of Pike County. Also, sheriff’s offices from throughout the state sent deputies and pitched in to offer manpower, equipment, and support in the days after the murders.

Going into it, we knew this case wouldn’t be solved quickly. The investigation is unprecedented and multilayered. It is going to take time. Like a 1,000-piece puzzle, it takes a while before you start to see any kind of picture.

BCI, which will mark its 95^th year in September, is up to the challenge. This issue of Criminal Justice Update looks at highlights from the history of the bureau, which in 1921 was formed to provide identification services to law enforcement throughout the state. So much has changed through the years. In 2015, the lab analyzed 207,830 pieces of evidence for 961 law enforcement agencies.

In Pike County and elsewhere, BCI will continue to provide the highest level of service to law enforcement through investigative assistance at crime scenes, knowledgeable scientists and forensic specialists using cutting-edge technology to process evidence, and criminal intelligence analysts and identification specialists who help solve cases.

Anyone with information on the Pike County murder investigation is asked to call 1-855-BCI-OHIO (224-6446) or the Pike County Sheriff’s Office at 740-947-2111.

Very respectfully yours,

Mike DeWine
Ohio Attorney General