Enquirer files suit for Pike County autopsies

The Enquirer is suing Pike County in an effort to obtain preliminary autopsy results in the killings of eight family members three months ago.

In the lawsuit, which was filed in the Court of Appeals Fourth Appellate District, Pike County, The Enquirer maintains officials did not respond to requests to review the results and findings related to the unsolved shooting deaths of members of the Rhoden family.

Found dead in four separate residences on the morning of April 22 were Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; his ex-wife Dana Rhoden, 37; their children Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 20, Hanna Rhoden, 19, and  Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16; Frankie Rhoden's fiancee Hannah Gilley, 20; Christopher Rhoden Sr.'s brother Kenneth Rhoden, 44; and a cousin, Gary Rhoden, 38.

In response to The Enquirer's initial records request, Pike County Prosecutor Rob Junk wrote, "we fully expect that your client will splash the contents of the preliminary autopsies all over its front page under some type of lurid headline, which will grab the public's attention and spread the details of our victims' deaths far and wide."

Such a response has no basis in the law, The Enquirer's attorney says.

“We think the law is very clear – a journalist has a right to view a preliminary autopsy request," said Jack Greiner, general counsel for The Enquirer and Cincinnati.com. "The Pike County prosecutor has not cited to any applicable law to justify his refusal to allow The Enquirer reporter to view the preliminary autopsy report. We really had no choice but to file suit.”

According to the lawsuit, "counsel for the Enquirer repeatedly explained to Mr. Junk his misinterpretation of the laws governing disclosure of the Records to no avail. Mr. Junk has denied access to the Records and continues to ignore the governing law."

The Enquirer is seeking to be compensated for all its court costs and, if applicable, statutory damages, according to the lawsuit. Junk was said to be unreachable Friday because of a vacation.