A Pennsylvania woman, Lisa Snyder, 41, is currently on trial for the alleged murder of her two young children, Connor, 8, and Brinley, 4. The children were found hanged by a dog leash in the basement of their Albany Township home in September 2019. Despite being rushed to the hospital, they tragically passed away three days later after being removed from life support.
Snyder, who began her trial last week, is facing charges of first- and third-degree murder. The trial has been emotionally charged, with Snyder’s surviving adult son, Owen Snyder, 22, testifying against her. Owen Snyder’s testimony was particularly poignant, as he stated, “I just don’t see her as my mother anymore,” while his mother wept in the courtroom.
Lisa Snyder has maintained her innocence, suggesting that her son Connor, who she claimed was depressed, was responsible for the deaths. However, Owen Snyder firmly refuted these claims during the trial, stating that his brother was a happy child who loved playing with his sister. He also pointed out that Connor’s small size would have made it impossible for him to hang anyone.
The prosecution presented evidence from Lisa Snyder’s phone records, which revealed Google searches for “how to hang yourself” and a recent viewing history of the show “Almost Got Away With It” just days before the children were found hanged.
Prosecutors are pushing for the death penalty for Lisa Snyder. However, if convicted on the first-degree murder charges, she will face a minimum sentence of life in prison. It’s worth noting that no one has been executed in Pennsylvania since 1999, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
The trial, which is being decided by a judge rather than a jury, also presented the wooden kitchen chairs allegedly used in the hanging. Throughout the proceedings, Lisa Snyder remained largely impassive, only showing emotion when her son testified against her.
The defense argued that even if Lisa Snyder was responsible for the deaths, she was clinically insane at the time and should be sent to a psychiatric hospital rather than prison. Authorities revealed that Lisa Snyder had purchased a dog leash on the same day her children were found hanged. She was the one who made the initial 911 call reporting her son’s suicide, but police found no evidence to support her claim.