Pennsylvania Mother Faces Murder Trial for Hanging Her Two Children

A Pennsylvania mother, Lisa Snyder, 41, is facing first- and third-degree murder charges in the death of her two young children, Connor, 8, and Brinley, 4. The children were found hanged by the same dog leash in the basement of her Albany Township home in September 2019. They were taken to the hospital but died three days later after being taken off life support.

Snyder’s trial began last week, with her surviving son, Owen Snyder, 22, taking the stand against his mother. “I just don’t see her as my mother anymore,” Owen Snyder testified, while Lisa Snyder sobbed from her seat.

Snyder previously claimed her innocence, blaming her son Connor’s depression for driving him to kill himself and his sister. However, Owen Snyder vehemently denied these claims, stating Connor’s short stature would have made it impossible for him to hang anyone. “He was a happy-go-lucky kid,” Owen Snyder said. “He always wanted to be doing something. He was always playing with his little sister.”

Further evidence presented at the trial included Snyder’s phone records, which revealed Google searches for “how to hang yourself” and recent watch history for the show “Almost Got Away With It” just days before her children were found hanging. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Snyder, though she would face a minimum of life in prison if convicted on the first-degree murder charges.

The wooden kitchen chairs used for the hanging were also presented as evidence during the trial, which is being presided over by a judge rather than a jury. Lisa Snyder remained emotionless throughout the trial, only showing emotion when her son testified against her.

Her defense argued that she did not hang her children, but even if she had, they claimed she was clinically insane and should be sent to a psychiatric hospital rather than prison. However, authorities pointed out that Snyder had purchased a dog leash the same day her children were found hanged. She initially claimed her son had committed suicide, but police were immediately suspicious and found no evidence to support her claim.