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Ohio Massacre Victims Showed Signs of Struggle: Autopsy

One victim suffered nine gunshot wounds, and some victims showed soft tissue bruising, indicating that they fought their killer or killers.
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Authorities set up road blocks at the intersection of Union Hill Road and Route 32 at the perimeter of a crime scene, Friday, April 22, 2016, in Pike County, Ohio.John Minchillo / AP

While investigators in Ohio struggled for a fifth day to find a motive and the person or people responsible for the massacre of eight members of the same family, officials said Tuesday that autopsy results revealed that some of the victims show signs of struggle before they were killed.

The Pike County Medical Examiner said the eight victims — all part of the Rhoden family — died from gunshot wounds. One victim suffered nine gunshot wounds, and some victims showed soft tissue bruising, indicating that they fought their killer or killers, according to the medical examiner.

Hannah Gilley, 20; Christopher Rhoden, Sr., 40; Christopher Rhoden, Jr., 16; Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 20; Dana Rhoden, 37; Gary Rhoden, 38; Hanna Rhoden, 19; and Kenneth Rhoden, 44, of Piketon, were found dead Friday across four Pike County crime scenes.

A 4-day-old, a 6-month-old and a 3-year-old survived the massacre, which authorities have described as "execution-style" and "pre-planned."

Related: Piketon Massacre: Motive Undetermined, Despite Discovery of Marijuana 'Grow Operations'

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader said Tuesday that investigators were looking at about 80 pieces of evidence and had received more than 300 tips, but did not say whether they have identified a suspect or suspects.

On Sunday, DeWine said three separate marijuana "grow operations" were found during the searches of the crime scenes. Officials told NBC News on Tuesday that one of the grow operations was comprised of more than 100 marijuana plants, and the drugs were not for personal use by the grower.

DeWine and Reader said Sunday that the county and the state as a whole have a "drug problem." A 2011 report said that the drug trafficking threat in Ohio was on the rise. More than $6 million in marijuana was seized last year, and more than 550 plants were seized from Pike County. Some Ohio counties saw less than 10 plants seized, while some had thousands seized last year.

DeWine also said that birds in small cages were found at some of the crime scenes, which might indicate cockfighting was taking place, but the discovery was still under investigation.