A Pennsylvania mother charged with killing her two young children by hanging them from a dog leash was found guilty of murder after blaming the grisly killings on her 8-year-old son.
Lisa Snyder, 41, pinned the deaths on her son, Connor, who was found hanging from a beam in the basement of his mothers Albany Township home along with his 4-year-old sister, Brinley, in September 2019.
Snyder said Connor killed himself to escape the torment of school bullies and also hung his sister so he wouldnt die alone.
Snyder told police Connor was bullied at Greenwich-Lenhartsville Elementary School and had previously threatened suicide. But authorities said they found no evidence of the claim.
Lisa Snyder, 41, was found guilty Tuesday for the murder of her two children Connor, 8, and Brinley, 4
Snyder, 41, pinned the deaths on her son, who was found hanging from a beam in the basement of his mothers home along with his sister in September 2019.
Snyder said Connor killed himself to escape the torment of school bullies and also hung his sister so he wouldnt die alone
The boy showed no outward signs of trouble on school bus security video recorded that day, and an occupational therapist later said he wasnt physically capable of causing that kind of harm to himself or his little sister.
Police would find disturbing Google searches on Snyders phone related to suicide and how to kill someone.
Snyder also admitted going to a Walmart to buy a dog leash on the day the children were found hanging from it, authorities said.
Her defense attorney, Dennis Charles, argued the online searches suggested Snyders own suicide ideation and mental-health issues rather than an intent to kill.
Testimony from her estranged son, Owen Snyder, 22, contradicted that argument.
The boy showed no outward signs of trouble on school bus security video recorded that day, and an occupational therapist later said he wasnt physically capable of causing that kind of harm to himself or his little sister
Police would find disturbing Google searches on Snyders phone related to suicide and how to kill someone
Owen, 22, took the stand on September 17 to speak about the killings, prompting Snyder to audibly gasp and start crying.
When asked if Connor was suicidal, Owen described Connor as a happy kid.
Owen added that his 8-year-old brother had physical limitations that would have made it difficult to set up the hangings.
Snyder was initially also accused of having sex with her pit bull shortly before the killings after investigators at the time said they found evidence in Snyders Facebook account.
A judge ruled those claims would not be admitted into the murder trial after the defense team argued the claims would prejudice the jury.
A judge found Snyder guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of endangering the welfare of children and one count of tampering with evidence
Berks County prosecutors rested their case late Friday morning.
Shortly after, Charles unsuccessfully argued for an immediate acquittal, saying the case was based on all guesswork.
Judge M. Theresa Johnson found Snyder guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of endangering the welfare of children and one count of tampering with evidence late Tuesday afternoon, WFMZ reported.
The judge rejected the defenses call for a ruling that Snyder was not guilty by reason of insanity.
A first-degree murder conviction means an automatic sentence of life in prison in Pennsylvania.