Criminal Mischief

Latest Episodes:

E|192 The Pike County Massacre: Part Three (Bonus) Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

Criminal Mischief Episode 3: The Pike County Massacre — Judgment Day After nearly a decade of investigation, courtroom battles, and shocking family betrayals, the Pike County Massacre finally reaches its conclusion. In the final chapter of Carolyn Ossorio's exhaustive investigation into one of the most disturbing family murder conspiracies in American history, the Wagners begin turning on one another. Plea agreements are negotiated behind closed doors. Testimony once thought impossible becomes the prosecution's most devastating weapon. Parents testify against children. Sons testify against mothers. The carefully constructed image of an ordinary Ohio farming family collapses under the weight of its own lies. Carolyn follows every major development—from the strategic deals that unraveled the Wagner family's defense, through the emotional courtroom testimony that revealed how eight members of the Rhoden family were systematically hunted and executed, to the convictions and sentences that finally brought a measure of justice to Pike County. But this episode isn't simply about guilty verdicts. It's about obsession disguised as love, control masquerading as family loyalty, and the devastating consequences of a belief that one family had the right to decide another family's future. Carolyn also explores the lingering questions that remain, the emotional scars carried by the survivors, and why the Pike County Massacre continues to haunt investigators, prosecutors, and the community that lived through one of the largest homicide investigations in Ohio history. After weeks of exclusive interviews, meticulous reporting, and thousands of pages of court records, Criminal Mischief concludes its definitive examination of the Pike County Massacre. Justice may have finally arrived—but some wounds never truly heal. New episodes of Criminal Mischief are available wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow the show so you never miss an investigation, and watch exclusive content on the Evio Creative YouTube channel.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Pike County Massacre - Part Three Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

Criminal MischiefEpisode 3: The Pike County Massacre — Judgment Day

After nearly a decade of investigation, courtroom battles, and shocking family betrayals, the Pike County Massacre finally reaches its conclusion.

In the final chapter of Carolyn Ossorio's exhaustive investigation into one of the most disturbing family murder conspiracies in American history, the Wagners begin turning on one another. Plea agreements are negotiated behind closed doors. Testimony once thought impossible becomes the prosecution's most devastating weapon. Parents testify against children. Sons testify against mothers. The carefully constructed image of an ordinary Ohio farming family collapses under the weight of its own lies.

Carolyn follows every major development—from the strategic deals that unraveled the Wagner family's defense, through the emotional courtroom testimony that revealed how eight members of the Rhoden family were systematically hunted and executed, to the convictions and sentences that finally brought a measure of justice to Pike County.

But this episode isn't simply about guilty verdicts.

It's about obsession disguised as love, control masquerading as family loyalty, and the devastating consequences of a belief that one family had the right to decide another family's future. Carolyn also explores the lingering questions that remain, the emotional scars carried by the survivors, and why the Pike County Massacre continues to haunt investigators, prosecutors, and the community that lived through one of the largest homicide investigations in Ohio history.

After weeks of exclusive interviews, meticulous reporting, and thousands of pages of court records, Criminal Mischief concludes its definitive examination of the Pike County Massacre.

Justice may have finally arrived—but some wounds never truly heal.

New episodes of Criminal Mischief are available wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow the show so you never miss an investigation, and watch exclusive content on the Evio Creative YouTube channel.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

E|191 The Pike County Massacre - Part Two (Bonus) Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

Criminal Mischief The Pike County Massacre – Episode Two: The House of Wagner For more than two years, investigators searched for the people responsible for one of the most shocking mass murders in modern American history. The evidence was painstakingly collected, hundreds of interviews were conducted, and countless theories—from drug cartels to family feuds—were examined. Yet as detectives slowly assembled the pieces, one family kept appearing at the center of the puzzle. The Wagners. In this second episode, Carolyn Ossorio follows the investigation as law enforcement begins narrowing its focus to a family that, from the outside, appeared hardworking, successful, and deeply devoted to one another. But behind that carefully maintained image was a rigid hierarchy led by Angela Wagner—a mother whose influence over her husband and sons has become one of the most unsettling aspects of the case. As investigators dug deeper, they uncovered a family dynamic defined by loyalty, control, and an unwavering belief that blood came before everything else. Prosecutors would ultimately argue that this culture of obedience helped lay the groundwork for an unimaginable crime. This episode explores the custody dispute involving Hanna Rhoden and Jake Wagner, the mounting evidence that began pointing investigators toward the Wagner family, and the painstaking detective work that transformed suspicion into one of the largest criminal investigations in Ohio history. We also examine how years of planning, digital evidence, forensic breakthroughs, and witness interviews gradually dismantled the appearance of an ordinary Appalachian family. As the circle tightens around the Wagners, one question begins to overshadow every other: Was this simply a custody battle that spiraled into violence—or had an entire family convinced themselves that murder was the only acceptable solution? Criminal Mischief is hosted by investigative journalist Carolyn Ossorio and is part of the Evio Creative podcast network. If you're enjoying the series, please follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share this episode with someone who appreciates deeply researched true crime. For episode updates and more original podcasts, visit Evio Creative.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

E|191 The Pike County Massacre - Part Two Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

Criminal Mischief

The Pike County Massacre – Episode Two: The House of Wagner

For more than two years, investigators searched for the people responsible for one of the most shocking mass murders in modern American history. The evidence was painstakingly collected, hundreds of interviews were conducted, and countless theories—from drug cartels to family feuds—were examined. Yet as detectives slowly assembled the pieces, one family kept appearing at the center of the puzzle.

The Wagners.

In this second episode, Carolyn Ossorio follows the investigation as law enforcement begins narrowing its focus to a family that, from the outside, appeared hardworking, successful, and deeply devoted to one another. But behind that carefully maintained image was a rigid hierarchy led by Angela Wagner—a mother whose influence over her husband and sons has become one of the most unsettling aspects of the case. As investigators dug deeper, they uncovered a family dynamic defined by loyalty, control, and an unwavering belief that blood came before everything else. Prosecutors would ultimately argue that this culture of obedience helped lay the groundwork for an unimaginable crime.

This episode explores the custody dispute involving Hanna Rhoden and Jake Wagner, the mounting evidence that began pointing investigators toward the Wagner family, and the painstaking detective work that transformed suspicion into one of the largest criminal investigations in Ohio history. We also examine how years of planning, digital evidence, forensic breakthroughs, and witness interviews gradually dismantled the appearance of an ordinary Appalachian family.

As the circle tightens around the Wagners, one question begins to overshadow every other:

Was this simply a custody battle that spiraled into violence—or had an entire family convinced themselves that murder was the only acceptable solution?

Criminal Mischief is hosted by investigative journalist Carolyn Ossorio and is part of the Evio Creative podcast network.

If you're enjoying the series, please follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share this episode with someone who appreciates deeply researched true crime.

For episode updates and more original podcasts, visit Evio Creative.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

E|190 The Pike County Massacre (Bonus) Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

Criminal Mischief The Piketon Massacre: Bloodline (Part One) On the morning of April 22, 2016, the quiet farming community of Piketon, Ohio awoke to one of the most shocking murder scenes in modern American history. Eight members of the Rhoden family, spanning multiple generations, were found executed across four separate homes in a rural corner of Pike County. Some were discovered in their beds. Others had been shot at close range while sleeping. Three young children—including an infant just days old—were found alive inside the homes, somehow spared while nearly everyone around them had been systematically murdered. It was a crime scene unlike anything investigators had ever encountered. In this opening chapter of our multi-part investigation, Carolyn Ossorio takes you back to those first chaotic hours through original police interviews, emergency dispatch recordings, and courtroom testimony, reconstructing the terrifying discovery exactly as investigators experienced it. Who found the victims? How could eight members of the same family be murdered in a single night without anyone hearing—or stopping—it? And why did detectives immediately suspect this wasn't simply a murder... ...but an execution? Part One follows investigators as they identify each victim, piece together the timeline of the killings, and begin searching for a killer—or killers—who have vanished into the hills of southern Ohio. By the end of this episode, the victims have names. The crime scenes have been documented. But the people responsible remain free. In This Episode • The quiet rural community of Pike County before the murders. • The first 911 calls and the discovery of the victims. • Police body camera audio, interviews, and courtroom recordings. • The lives of the eight Rhoden family members. • Why investigators immediately believed the murders were carefully planned. • The first hours of one of the largest homicide investigations in Ohio history. Part Two continues the investigation as detectives begin uncovering motives, family conflicts, and a custody battle that would eventually expose one of the most astonishing murder conspiracies in modern true crime history. 🎙️ Hosted by Carolyn Ossorio Presented by Evio Creative.

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E|190 The Pike County Massacre - Part One Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

Criminal Mischief

The Piketon Massacre: Bloodline (Part One)

On the morning of April 22, 2016, the quiet farming community of Piketon, Ohio awoke to one of the most shocking murder scenes in modern American history.

Eight members of the Rhoden family, spanning multiple generations, were found executed across four separate homes in a rural corner of Pike County. Some were discovered in their beds. Others had been shot at close range while sleeping. Three young children—including an infant just days old—were found alive inside the homes, somehow spared while nearly everyone around them had been systematically murdered.

It was a crime scene unlike anything investigators had ever encountered.

In this opening chapter of our multi-part investigation, Carolyn Ossorio takes you back to those first chaotic hours through original police interviews, emergency dispatch recordings, and courtroom testimony, reconstructing the terrifying discovery exactly as investigators experienced it.

Who found the victims?

How could eight members of the same family be murdered in a single night without anyone hearing—or stopping—it?

And why did detectives immediately suspect this wasn't simply a murder...

...but an execution?

Part One follows investigators as they identify each victim, piece together the timeline of the killings, and begin searching for a killer—or killers—who have vanished into the hills of southern Ohio.

By the end of this episode, the victims have names.

The crime scenes have been documented.

But the people responsible remain free.

In This Episode

• The quiet rural community of Pike County before the murders.

• The first 911 calls and the discovery of the victims.

• Police body camera audio, interviews, and courtroom recordings.

• The lives of the eight Rhoden family members.

• Why investigators immediately believed the murders were carefully planned.

• The first hours of one of the largest homicide investigations in Ohio history.

Part Two continues the investigation as detectives begin uncovering motives, family conflicts, and a custody battle that would eventually expose one of the most astonishing murder conspiracies in modern true crime history.

🎙️ Hosted by Carolyn Ossorio

Presented by Evio Creative.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

E|189 Deal With The Devil (Bonus) Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

Criminal Mischief: The Monkey's Paw Some stories entertain. Some stories linger. And a very rare few change the course of horror forever. This week on Criminal Mischief, Carolyn Ossorio narrates one of the most influential horror stories ever written: The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs. First published in 1902, The Monkey's Paw introduced generations of readers to one of literature's most terrifying ideas—that every wish comes with a price. What begins as a simple family gathering around the fireplace slowly transforms into an unforgettable meditation on fate, grief, and the dangerous temptation to change what should never be changed. Its influence stretches across more than a century of popular culture, inspiring countless novels, films, television episodes, and perhaps most famously, Stephen King's Pet Sematary. Join Carolyn as she brings this timeless Gothic classic to life in a dramatic reading that reminds us why some stories never grow old... because the fears they explore never disappear. Sometimes the greatest horror isn't receiving exactly what you wished for. It's realizing the cost after it's too late. Follow Criminal Mischief 🎙️ Follow Criminal Mischief wherever you listen to podcasts. ⭐ If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating and review—it helps other true crime and mystery fans discover us. 📺 Watch exclusive video content and more original series on the Evio Creative YouTube channel. 📧 Have a case, mystery, or historical story you'd like Carolyn to investigate? We'd love to hear from you at mailto:info@eviocreative.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

E|189 Deal With The Devil Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

Criminal Mischief: The Monkey's Paw

Some stories entertain.

Some stories linger.

And a very rare few change the course of horror forever.

This week on Criminal Mischief, Carolyn Ossorio narrates one of the most influential horror stories ever written: The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs.

First published in 1902, The Monkey's Paw introduced generations of readers to one of literature's most terrifying ideas—that every wish comes with a price. What begins as a simple family gathering around the fireplace slowly transforms into an unforgettable meditation on fate, grief, and the dangerous temptation to change what should never be changed.

Its influence stretches across more than a century of popular culture, inspiring countless novels, films, television episodes, and perhaps most famously, Stephen King's Pet Sematary.

Join Carolyn as she brings this timeless Gothic classic to life in a dramatic reading that reminds us why some stories never grow old... because the fears they explore never disappear.

Sometimes the greatest horror isn't receiving exactly what you wished for.

It's realizing the cost after it's too late.

Follow Criminal Mischief

🎙️ Follow Criminal Mischief wherever you listen to podcasts.

⭐ If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating and review—it helps other true crime and mystery fans discover us.

📺 Watch exclusive video content and more original series on the Evio Creative YouTube channel.

📧 Have a case, mystery, or historical story you'd like Carolyn to investigate? We'd love to hear from you at mailto:info@eviocreative.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

E|188 Unfathomable (Bonus) Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

Criminal Mischief

The Zizians: Murder in the Name of the Future

On New Year's Eve 2022, Richard and Rita Zajko were found shot to death inside their quiet Pennsylvania home. For years, investigators struggled to piece together what happened. Then, prosecutors made a stunning announcement: the couple's own daughter, Michelle "Jamie" Zajko, had been charged with orchestrating the murders, allegedly with help from others connected to an enigmatic group known as the Zizians.

Who are the Zizians?

They're not a traditional cult. They aren't driven by religion or ancient prophecy. Instead, investigators describe them as a loosely connected group of exceptionally intelligent young people—many with backgrounds in mathematics, computer science, and Silicon Valley's rationalist movement—whose increasingly extreme beliefs centered on artificial intelligence, veganism, animal rights, and the conviction that humanity stood on the brink of catastrophe.

According to authorities, the Zizians have now been linked to a series of violent crimes spanning multiple states, including the Pennsylvania murders, a deadly attack on a California landlord, the subsequent killing of another group member, and a fatal 2025 shootout in Vermont that claimed the life of a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Prosecutors allege the group's members became increasingly isolated, radicalized, and willing to embrace violence in pursuit of their beliefs.

This week on Criminal Mischief, Carolyn Ossorio examines one of the strangest criminal investigations in recent memory.

How did a community of brilliant young thinkers evolve into a network allegedly connected to multiple homicides?

What role did charismatic leadership, ideological extremism, and fear of emerging technology play in shaping the group's worldview?

And what evidence convinced investigators that the murders of Richard and Rita Zajko were not an isolated family tragedy, but part of a much larger and deeply disturbing story?

Drawing from court filings, investigative reporting, and statements from law enforcement, Carolyn separates documented facts from online speculation, exploring both the Pennsylvania double homicide and the broader investigation into the Zizians' activities across the United States.

This isn't simply the story of a murder investigation.

It's the story of what can happen when intelligence becomes isolation, ideology hardens into certainty, and a shared fear of the future turns into something far more dangerous.

Have thoughts on this case? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at ⁠info@eviocreative.com⁠.

Follow Criminal Mischief wherever you get your podcasts, and if you're enjoying the show, please leave a rating and review. It helps others discover the stories behind the headlines.

Follow Criminal MischiefInstagram, TikTok & Facebook: @criminalmischiefpod

Watch on YouTubeFind full episodes, clips, and exclusive content on the Evio Creative YouTube Channel.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

E|188 Unfathomable Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

Criminal Mischief

The Zizians: Murder in the Name of the Future

Who are the Zizians?

This week on Criminal Mischief, Carolyn Ossorio examines one of the strangest criminal investigations in recent memory.

How did a community of brilliant young thinkers evolve into a network allegedly connected to multiple homicides?

What role did charismatic leadership, ideological extremism, and fear of emerging technology play in shaping the group's worldview?

And what evidence convinced investigators that the murders of Richard and Rita Zajko were not an isolated family tragedy, but part of a much larger and deeply disturbing story?

This isn't simply the story of a murder investigation.

It's the story of what can happen when intelligence becomes isolation, ideology hardens into certainty, and a shared fear of the future turns into something far more dangerous.

Have thoughts on this case? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at info@eviocreative.com.

Follow Criminal Mischief wherever you get your podcasts, and if you're enjoying the show, please leave a rating and review. It helps others discover the stories behind the headlines.

Follow Criminal Mischief
Instagram, TikTok & Facebook: @criminalmischiefpod

Watch on YouTube
Find full episodes, clips, and exclusive content on the Evio Creative YouTube Channel.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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