A Pennsylvania mother was found guilty for killing two of her young children, who were found hanging in the basement of their home back in 2019.
Snyder was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child and evidence tampering, according to WFMZ, stemming from the deaths of son Conner, 8, and Brinley, 4.
The children were both in full cardiac arrest when first responders arrived; they managed to resuscitate them, but they died three days later in hospital.
As TooFab previously reported, Snyder said she found the children hanging from opposite ends of a plastic-coated dog lead wrapped around a support beam. She suggested the children committed suicide; in police interviews, per District Attorney John Adams, she said her son was being bullied at school and wanted to die.
Snyder allegedly told police that on the day of the deaths, Conner told her he wanted to “play forts” with his little sister in the basement — as he frequently did — taking two chairs and the cable down with him. However, witnesses said the children almost never played in the basement.
After questioning witnesses and checking CCTV footage from his school bus, police found no evidence of bullying, that he had never expressed any concerns to anyone, and that he was an otherwise happy child. “Eight-year-olds, generally, that I am aware of, do not commit suicide, so of course we had questions,” Adams said at the time of Snyder’s arrest.
Giving evidence, an occupational therapist said it would have been “extremely difficult” for Conner to wrap the wire around the beam or even operate the clasp himself, as he had such poor dexterity he could barely tie his own shoelaces.
Google records also showed Snyder searched “carbon monoxide in a car, how long to die”; “‘Almost Got Away With It’, best episodes”; “hanging yourself”; and “does a hybrid car produce carbon monoxide”. She also visited the site “Lost All Hope” — which details suicide methods — including the “Short drop/simple suspension” page, which explains how to hang a person.
Prosecutors said she also ordered the metal dog cable the day before the children were found hanged, having picked it up from a local Walmart.
During her trial, a counselor testified she saw no signs of depression in Conner, while Snyder’s mother claimed the boy said he didn’t want to live anymore and asked what heaven was like — adding she raised concerns to the child’s mother and in her prayer group. Regarding the Google searches, defense attorneys argued the websites could also provide suicide prevention information.
Her mental health was also brought up in trial, with a defense psychiatrist claiming she could have been in a psychotic state at the time of the murders, while prosecutors argued nothing was preventing her from knowing right from wrong.
Per WFMZ, one of two times she showed emotion during the trial came when her older son Owen referred to her by her first name and not “Mom.” He told the court he doesn’t consider her his mother anymore, causing her to break into tears.
Her sentencing is set for October.
