The mom of two children found hanging in their basement by a dog leash has been charged with 2 counts of murder after she claimed it was a suicide.
On September 23, an 8-year-old boy named Conner Snyder and his 4-year-old sister Brinley L. Snyder were found hanging from the rafters of their basement ceiling. As the Reading Eagle reported at the time, their mother Lisa Rachelle Snyder found them early that morning.
Shortly after allegedly discovering her children hanging from a dog leash, she called 911. First responders were able to revive the children on their way to a local hospital where they were later airlifted to Lehigh Valley Hospital. Sadly, both Conner and Brinley died days later within minutes of each other.
As Mamas Uncut previously reported, an affidavit stated that the children were discovered hanging from each end of a “plastic coated” dog leash “that had been wrapped around the main support beam of the basement ceiling.” At the time, the mom told the 911 dispatcher that her son had dealt with bullying at school and that he talked about suicide before.
“She mentioned that the 8-year-old has been bullied and has made threats of doing this, but didn’t want to go alone. … At this time, it should just be the mother and the two children on the scene.”
During the beginning of the investigation, authorities were considering performing a “psychological autopsy” in hopes of learning more. As The Morning Call reported, this type of autopsy would have been an unusual move, but at the time, police believed it would be the only way to answer the question, “why would an 8-year-old boy take his own life and convince his 4-year-old sister to do it with him?”
Now, in an update in the case, Lisa Snyder has been arrested and charged with the murder of both of her children. In a press conference, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams said Snyder google phrases like “hanging yourself” and “how long to die” from carbon monoxide poisoning before her children were discovered hanging.
She also reportedly visited a website that detailed ways on how to hang a person and searched the term “almost got away with it,” according to People. Authorities say Snyder’s phone remains missing as well. It’s believed she used the device to order the dog lease her children were hung from.
Snyder has officially been charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, tampering with evidence, endangering the welfare of children, animal cruelty and sexual intercourse with a dog.
She is being held without bail.
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