Chris Graves
Guest post: George Wagner IV profile
We discussed alternative ledes this week and began to discuss profile writing. For your profile, you will be required to pitch a person...
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Chris Graves
Oct 1, 20225 min read
George Wagner IV murder trial: A day of emotion, tearful testimony and objections
WAVERLY, Ohio —Hanna May Rhoden, the mother of the toddler at the center of the killings of eight members of the Rhoden family in 2016,...
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Chris Graves
Sep 29, 20226 min read
George Wagner IV mass murder trial: headlights and final text messages
WAVERLY, Ohio — The lead agent in the Rhoden family killings testified for the first time Tuesday, detailing the investigation's chaotic...
414 views15 comments
Chris Graves
Sep 28, 20224 min read
Rhoden family massacre: Forensic experts detail evidence findings at center of case
WAVERLY, Ohio — Two forensic experts walked jurors through their findings Tuesday about the three guns used and the Walmart athletic...
341 views12 comments
Chris Graves
Sep 26, 20221 min read
Rhoden family massacre: Week 2 wrap up and coming up this week
WAVERLY, Ohio -- Prosecutors only called four witnesses who detailed crime scenes and autopsies last week in the mass murder trial of...
52 views6 comments
Chris Graves
Sep 23, 20224 min read
Rhoden family massacre trial: A day of unexpected turns and fewer graphic crime scene photos
Crime scene and autopsy photos, which are key evidence in criminal trials, took center stage Thursday in the trial of George Wagner IV.
400 views9 comments
Chris Graves
Sep 21, 20223 min read
Lawyers request mistrial in Rhoden family massacre trial
WAVERLY, OHIO — Defense lawyers for the man on trial in the 2016 mass killing of eight members of a rural Pike County family requested a...
339 views3 comments
Chris Graves
Sep 21, 20222 min read
Rhoden family massacre trial: Autopsies of two victims detailed
WAVERLY, OHIO — Christopher Rhoden Sr. was shot five times at close range in his face, once in his chin and bullets pierced his heart,...
99 views7 comments
Chris Graves
Sep 20, 20222 min read
Lessons from the road; otherwise known as do what I say ... not what I do
WAVERLY, Ohio — Traveling to report on a story sounds glamorous and Netflix documentaries make it look oh-so tantalizing. It is neither....
86 views14 comments
Chris Graves
Sep 19, 20223 min read
George Wagner IV trial in Ohio Rhoden family killing: Wrap of week two; what to expect in week three
The first week of testimony in the murder trial of George Wagner IV offered spectators a full mix of what happens in a criminal case:...
116 views12 comments
Chris Graves
Sep 18, 20221 min read
George Wagner IV mass murder trial: Live tweeting
Journalists use Twitter in many ways and the platform has evolved into a vital publishing tool especially in breaking news situations....
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Chris Graves
Sep 12, 20223 min read
George Wagner IV Ohio mass murder trial: Opening statements offer new details
Either George Wagner IV, 30, froze — or the silencer on his semi-automatic rifle did — the night of the killings of eight members of a...
163 views19 comments
Chris Graves
Sep 11, 20222 min read
What to expect in Ohio's Rhoden family massacre trial: Week two
After a one-week delay due to an illness, the trial of George Wagner IV is set to begin with opening statements Monday. Here's what to...
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Chris Graves
Sep 11, 20223 min read
Why watching subpoenas is important: Who will be first to testify
Lawyers must send a written request, through the court for a witness to testify in a trial. The first several batches of those summons...
237 views10 comments
Chris Graves
Sep 9, 20223 min read
Prepping for a trial: Take a visit to the courthouse
We often discuss the need for preparation and research for any story. The same is true when you cover a trial. Preparation can save you,...
166 views15 comments
Chris Graves
Sep 8, 20224 min read
Public records 101: We like court records
We will spend a bit of time later in the semester talking about, searching for and using public records. Consider this post a prelude. In...
59 views5 comments
Chris Graves
Sep 6, 20222 min read
Rhoden family massacre trial: Ohio-based and national media outlets request recording of witnesses
Ohio-based newspapers and TV stations and two court-related broadcasters asked an Ohio judge to allow media to audio record witnesses...
125 views11 comments
Chris Graves
Sep 6, 20222 min read
George Wagner IV mass-murder trial delayed; key lawyer ill
The long-anticipated first trial in Ohio's most complex and costly criminal case was delayed Monday due to the illness of a key lawyer in...
123 views5 comments
Chris Graves
Aug 31, 20222 min read
Jury to visit more properties in Ohio mass murder trial
Jurors in the George Wagner IV mass murder trial in southern Ohio visited Wednesday several key locations pertinent to the case. They saw...
127 views1 comment
Chris Graves
Aug 31, 20222 min read
How the news media is using social media during Wagner IV trial
Reporters use social media platforms to both publish news, get their news dispatches back to their newsrooms and also to interact...
48 views1 comment
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