A well-known Cincinnati area businessman has withdrawn his offer of a $25,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved in the execution-style murders of eight members of one family last week in Piketon. On Thursday, Jeff Ruby, operator of Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse tweeted the following message: “With recent complex criminal developments in Pike Co case, we are withdrawing our reward and involvement. Grieving and praying for family.”
Immediately people began to ask for a further explanation, and those questions were unanswered. As it stands, there is no explanation of what is meant by “With recent complex criminal developments……”
When Ruby made the offer, he told the media – “This is as diabolical as it gets. If $25,000 translates into the capture and conviction of the people who did this, it will be the best money I ever spent.”
Now, that offer has been withdrawn without an explanation.
Meanwhile, Scott Davis at the Roger W. Davis Funeral Home in West Portsmouth is asking people to have patience if they intend to attend the visitation and/or funeral for the six members of the Rhoden Family next week.
“They need to be patient,” Davis said. “There’s not a facility around anywhere that can handle the type of crowd that this is going to have.”
The funeral service for Christopher Don Rhoden Sr. 40, Dana Lynn Rhoden 37, Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden 20, Hanna Rhoden 19, Christopher Don Rhoden Jr.16, and Kenneth Rhoden, 44, will be Tuesday (May 3) at 12 noon at the Dry Run Church of Christ in West Portsmouth, with visitation scheduled for Monday (May 2) from 12 noon until 8 p.m. at the Roger W. Davis Funeral Home in West Portsmouth..
“The reason they wanted to keep it (visitation) in the funeral home as opposed to the gymnasium or something like that, is because it’s comfortable,” Davis said. “They feel together and it’s not like wide open and cold. It’s warm. That’s why they wanted to have the visitation here at the funeral home.”
The Scioto County Sheriff’s Office will be providing the security for the funeral.
“We’ll be providing the security for both the visitation and then the day of the funeral,” Scioto County Sheriff Marty V. Donini said.
“We all know there’s not enough parking,” Davis said. “The (Portsmouth West) High School wouldn’t have enough parking. But if people are just patient and take their time and come in and pay their respects, I know the family wants to see everybody that comes in and we’re going to do our best to help people get parked and help people get into the funeral home and get out. Just be patient and be respectful.”
Davis said full obituaries will be posted later. Condolences may be sent to www.rogerwdavisfuneralhome.com.
Eight members of the Rhoden family were found shot to death execution style in four houses on Thursday night, April 21, 2016, in Pike County. Seven bodies were found in three houses on Union Hill Road in Piketon and an eighth body was located in a house on Left Fork Road, nearby. Several were shot multiple times including one victim who was shot 9 times.
Now the Pike County Sheriff’s Office has received information from a resident saying he received a call from a man indicating he was with the Sheriff’s Office and was soliciting a donation to benefit the victims in the multiple murder case. While Attorney General Mike DeWine and Reader are both appreciative of the generosity from the community, they are saying that those calls are not from the Sheriff’s Office.
Reader said, if you receive a call from someone claiming to be with the Sheriff’s Office, please do not send money.
“Following tragedies and disasters, some scam artists may try to take advantage of potential donors,” Reader and DeWine said in a joint statement. “Those interested in making a donation should conduct basic research to ensure their donations will be used as intended, not pocketed by a scammer. Ohioans can report potential scams to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at 800-282-0515 or at [www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov]www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.”
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