A mother has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her two children, aged eight and four, in a case where she staged the scene to look like suicide. Lisa Snyder, 41, took the lives of Brinley, four, and Conner, eight, by hanging them in the basement of their home in Albany Township near Philadelphia back in September 2019. Following the horrific act, she attempted to make it appear as though the children had taken their own lives.
Initially, the victims were put on life support but sadly passed away three days later, within just 14 minutes of each other, according to a report by Lehigh Valley Live. Snyder had informed the police at the time that Conner was being bullied and had expressed intentions of self-harm. However, investigations could not substantiate her claims. Surveillance footage from Conner’s school bus showed him behaving normally on the day of the incident. Additionally, an occupational therapist stated that the child lacked the capability to inflict such harm upon himself and his sister Brinley.
Further evidence revealed that Snyder had searched online for terms related to suicide, death by hanging, and methods to harm someone before the tragic events occurred. The coroner concluded that the children’s deaths resulted from homicide by hanging. In a recent development, Snyder was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder on September 26, five years after the incident took place. In 2023, she attempted to enter a plea of no contest but mentally ill to two counts of third-degree murder, a plea that was rejected by the judge citing a lack of justice.
During her sentencing, Snyder’s son Owen Snyder, 22, labelled her as a “monster” and disowned her as his mother. He expressed profound regret for not being able to hear his siblings’ voices again. The presiding judge, M. Theresa Johnson, deemed this case as one of the most harrowing she had encountered and highlighted Snyder’s absence of remorse. Consequently, Snyder received two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. She was also handed an additional sentence of 8.5 to 17 years for child endangerment and tampering with evidence.
The judge underscored Snyder’s lack of remorse throughout the proceedings as a deeply troubling factor. Lisa Snyder’s actions have left a lasting impact on those involved, with her son Owen expressing the profound loss and devastation caused by his mother’s horrific actions. The tragic events of September 2019 serve as a grim reminder of the consequences of such abhorrent acts within families and communities.