A Pennsylvania woman was found guilty of killing her two young children, who were discovered hanging in the basement of their home five years ago.
Lisa Snyder, 41, was convicted on 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 discovered in their home in Albany Township, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia.
The conviction results in an automatic sentence of life in prison without parole.
Snyder reported to the police that her son was the victim of bullying and had made suicide threats, but the investigators found no evidence to support her allegations. On a school bus security video from that day, the youngster showed no signs of difficulty. An occupational therapist later stated that the child was physically incapable of committing such injury to himself or his younger sibling.
Police also noted the defendant’s online searches for information on suicide, death by hanging, and how to murder someone, as well as episodes of the documentary crime series “I Almost Got Away With It.” The coroner concluded that the hanging deaths of both children were indeed murders.
The defense requested an acquittal, claiming the evidence was based on speculation and “guesswork.”
Snyder chose a judge instead of a jury to hear the case. Berks County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Theresa Johnson took roughly an hour on Tuesday to issue a guilty verdict. Judge Theresa Johnson also found Snyder guilty of child endangerment and evidence manipulation.
Sentencing was planned 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, claiming it did not “serve the interests of justice.”
