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No arrests, many questions 6 months after 8 killed in Ohio

PIKETON, Ohio — Six months after someone shot eight members of an extended family to death in their homes, surviving relatives are still waiting — for an explanation, for an arrest, for a hint of closure.

‘‘I just want to know why?’’ said Tajianna Mead, of Waverly, whose 44-year-old father, Kenneth Rhoden, was among the victims.

The slayings were discovered the morning of April 22 in rural Pike County in the Appalachian foothills of southern Ohio.

Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader told WCPO-TV this week that he now believes the killers were local.

Union Hill Road, where seven of the victims were found on three properties, is open again to traffic. ‘‘Private Property: No Trespassing’’ signs are posted at the end of the homes’ driveways. Porches sit stranded in yards: In May, investigators moved the mobile homes where the killings occurred to a secure location as the investigation continued.

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Early on, authorities disclosed a large-scale illegal marijuana growing operation at one of the crime scenes and said the drug was being cultivated at some of the other homes, too, leading to suggestions Mexican cartels might have been involved.

Large marijuana operations are common in southern Ohio.

Attorney General Mike DeWine, overseeing the investigation along with the sheriff, will say only that the killers had to be familiar with land around the properties, as well as the properties themselves.

Though many residents also believe the killers are local, most aren’t worried about their safety. They believe the family members were specifically targeted.

Associated Press