The bodies were first discovered on April 22, 2016, after Bobby Jo Manley,[4] a sister of victim Dana Rhoden, came to feed pets at the homes.
Her brother, James Manley, went to check on their sister Dana, and discovered a third crime scene, where the police found three more victims when they arrived.
[7] The offices of the county coroner and the Ohio Attorney General announced that the full final autopsy reports would not be released to the public, citing security concerns.
[27] On July 22, 2016, The Cincinnati Enquirer filed a lawsuit against the Pike County Coroner's Office, asking for the full autopsy records of the victims.
In both cases, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine called for mediation, which attracted criticism and accusations that it was merely a delay tactic.
[28] In a filing on September 6, 2016, DeWine responded to The Columbus Dispatch's lawsuit against the coroner's office, saying:[28] Public release of information known only to law enforcement and the killer(s) directly threatens the success of the investigation.
[26] The Fourth District Court of Appeals denied the Enquirer's request for an unredacted copy of the autopsy report on March 17, 2017.
Surviving family members were urged by police to take precautions, and all residents of Peebles were advised to stay inside their homes the following night.
[40][41] More than 251 law enforcement officials were involved in the investigation overall,[7][42] and sheriffs from 25 offices across Ohio offered to provide resources to Pike County.
[15][17] Seventy-nine pieces of evidence were examined, including a Facebook threat aimed at Christopher Rhoden Jr., which was posted before the shootings.
"[4][24] Some family members have acknowledged brothers Kenneth and Christopher Rhoden Sr. growing cannabis, but added that they were unaware of any high-volume cultivation occurring.
[7][51][52] On May 12, DeWine and Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader announced the state's intention to relocate the mobile homes where the killings occurred to a secure location, in order to preserve evidence and protect the personal effects of the Rhoden family.
[52][53] Three of the homes were taken to a property in Waverly, where the investigative task force set up their command center, while the fourth would arrive later due to complications in removing it.
[56] On August 4, during a court hearing relating to the custody of the 6-month-old and 4-day-old children left alive, Sheriff Charles Reader confirmed investigators' early suspicions that more than one shooter was involved in the killings.
[57][58] On August 13, KVIA-TV incorrectly reported that two men arrested in Hatch, New Mexico, for the shooting death of a police officer were also suspected in the Rhoden familicide.
The uncaught Kenton County killers, who were believed to be familiar with the victims' home, also left any children in the house unharmed.
[65] On September 28, WXIX-TV reported that the Rhoden family houses, all seized by the state as part of the investigation, were not being guarded properly.
Their surveillance reportedly turned up an absence of uniformed officers guarding the building, as well as a lack of security cameras and an unlocked, open main gate.
[67] Reacting to the report, a former prosecutor from Hamilton County criticized the inadequate security measures and said, "Any evidence that they would pull out of that thing would be virtually useless.
[68] On November 14, Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader issued a statement urging people with knowledge of the killings to come forward.
[18] On June 20, 2017, Ohio police announced that they were seeking additional information on Jake Wagner, as well as his parents Billy and Angela and brother George.