A judge has ordered a mother to stand trial after she allegedly killed her two children at their home in Albany Township, Pennsylvania, in September.
Wednesday, a Berks County district court judge ordered 37-year-old Lisa Snyder to stand trial after listening to nearly 4 hours of testimony, according to CBS Philly.
“She’s charged with first- and third-degree murder, child endangerment, and evidence-tampering in the September deaths of 4-year-old Brinley and 8-year-old Conner,” the report said.
At the hearing, Paramedic Eric Bubbenmoyer said when he received a call about two children hanging by a dog lead in their home’s basement, he found Snyder sitting on the porch steps, talking on her cellphone, according to the Morning Call.
Bubbenmoyer stated that the mother appeared “very anxious, very nervous,” but added that “she was not crying.”
First responders carried the children out on stretchers and they were transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest.
However, both children died three days later after being taken off life support.
Following a long investigation, Snyder was arrested in December, according to Fox News.
Since that time, the suspect has maintained that the children committed suicide and said her son was being bullied. However, authorities found no evidence to back up her claim.
“I didn’t see any signs of sadness,” Snyder’s cousin, Kimberlynn Watson, testified at the hearing.
“He was happy. Like a normal 8-year-old,” she added.
Snyder was also charged with animal cruelty and sexual intercourse with a dog after investigators found explicit photos of the suspect with their family dog.
Wednesday, Assistant District Attorney Margaret McCallum said the mother was the only adult inside the house at the time of the children’s deaths.
She added that an occupational therapist who worked with Connor at his school noted that he did not have the dexterity to tie the dog lead into two nooses.
“Conner was incapable of doing this to himself. He was incapable of doing this to his sister,” McCallum stated.
The suspect is being held in jail without bond and her formal arraignment was set for March 12.
For now, it remains unclear whether or not prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Snyder.
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