Pennsylvania woman convicted of murdering her 2 children after staging suicides

READING, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania woman has been convicted of murdering her two young children, who were found hanging in the basement of their home five years ago.

Lisa Snyder, 41, was convicted Tuesday of two counts of first-degree murder in the September 2019 deaths of Brinley, 4, and Conner, 8, who were taken off life support and died three days after being found. in the home in Albany Township, Berks County.

The conviction automatically carries a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Snyder had told police that his son had been bullied and threatened to kill himself, but authorities said they found no evidence to support his claims. The boy showed no signs of trouble that day on school bus security video. An occupational therapist later said the child was not physically capable of causing that kind of harm to himself or his little sister.

Police also cited the defendant’s online searches for information about suicide, death by hanging and how to kill someone, as well as episodes of a crime documentary series called “I almost made it out.” A coroner said both children were killed by hanging and ruled them homicides.

The defense requested acquittal, saying the case was based on speculation and “conjecture.”

Snyder opted for a judge rather than a jury to hear the case. On Tuesday, Berks County Common Pleas Court President Judge Theresa Johnson took about an hour to issue a guilty verdict. Snyder was also convicted of child endangerment and tampering with evidence.

Sentencing was scheduled for October 17.

Snyder had attempted to plead no contest but mentally ill to two counts of third-degree murder, but Johnson rejected the plea deal last year, saying it did not “serve the interests of justice.” .