PA - Conner, 8, & Brinley Snyder, 4, found hung, later died, Kempton, 23 Sept 2019 *Arrest*

[TTF14]

I wasn't sure where to put this since these kids were never missing and nobody has said if anything criminal occurred, so as of now it is not a crime. It's just a big mystery. This is in northern Berks County.

Deaths of Berks siblings still a mystery after autopsies

"The children died last Thursday at Lehigh Valley Hospital near Allentown, where they were flown last Monday from a home in the 2400 block of Route 143 in Albany Township."

 

[TTF14]

OMG I was not expecting this!

Children found unconscious in Albany Township were discovered hanging from basement rafters, authorities say

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

from link in #2:

Conner and Brinley Snyder were found hanging from opposite ends of a plastic-coated chain that had been thrown over the main support beam of the basement ceiling, with each end of the wire wrapped around the victims' necks, according to an affidavit in support of a search warrant for the home. There were two chairs tipped over on the floor beneath the bodies, according to court papers.

 

[claudianunes]

I just hope that this was terrible accident, that something went horribly wrong, and that there was no foul play involved. This is already terrible. Two little kids dead like that, I don't think their poor mother needs it to be even worse... Is there a crime investigation going on?

 

[TTF14]

Not sure, Claudia.....I think there must be an investigation going on. I could see one kid accidentally strangling themselves, but two seems very unlikely.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Neither of them could have navigated a dining room chair down the stairs, wrap the dog lead around the rafters without a ladder, wrap a long, heavy wrapped cord around their necks, kick the chairs out from under themselves, etc. Mom found them and called it in right? That only leaves the teen and, if he was around, Dad.

The dog was given away after the lead was used. So, was the dog running loose that morning? If the dog was normally fed in the morning, one would notice, right?

Why was the normal activities of an 8 year old playing on an XBox being an issue? Are they trying to implicate this little boy? He may have seen a similar activity if he was allowed to watch violent games. I doubt he could have pulled this off though.

from the link:
Lisa Snyder and her 17-year-old son, who was living in the house, told troopers that Conner Snyder frequently played video games and would surf the internet using an XBox gaming console. Police seized the console, cellphones, two tablets and a laptop computer, according to court papers.

During a later interview, Lisa Snyder told troopers she owned a black medium-sized dog, a Husky pit bull mix weighing about 50 pounds. She said the dog had been kept outside the residence attached to a wire cable lead with a plastic coating. Troopers said Lisa Snyder has since given the dog away.

 

[claudianunes]

Not sure, Claudia.....I think there must be an investigation going on. I could see one kid accidentally strangling themselves, but two seems very unlikely.

Yes, by hanging... 8 and 4 year-old kids. That's not a everyday thing. I don't want this to be worse than it already his. Those poor kids.

 

[TTF14]

Neither of them could have navigated a dining room chair down the stairs, wrap the dog lead around the rafters without a ladder, wrap a long, heavy wrapped cord around their necks, kick the chairs out from under themselves, etc. Mom found them and called it in right? That only leaves the teen and, if he was around, Dad.

The dog was given away after the lead was used. So, was the dog running loose that morning? If the dog was normally fed in the morning, one would notice, right?

Why was the normal activities of an 8 year old playing on an XBox being an issue? Are they trying to implicate this little boy? He may have seen a similar activity if he was allowed to watch violent games. I doubt he could have pulled this off though.

from the link:
Lisa Snyder and her 17-year-old son, who was living in the house, told troopers that Conner Snyder frequently played video games and would surf the internet using an XBox gaming console. Police seized the console, cellphones, two tablets and a laptop computer, according to court papers.

During a later interview, Lisa Snyder told troopers she owned a black medium-sized dog, a Husky pit bull mix weighing about 50 pounds. She said the dog had been kept outside the residence attached to a wire cable lead with a plastic coating. Troopers said Lisa Snyder has since given the dog away.

The article has been expanded since I read it a couple hours ago! A lot of that detail was not in it.

 

[PayrollNerd]

The article has been expanded since I read it a couple hours ago! A lot of that detail was not in it.

Interesting comments at the bottom of that link too.

Children found unconscious in Albany Township were discovered hanging from basement rafters, authorities say

 

[realanastasia]

Affidavit: Berks County siblings were found hanging in basement before they died

From a local-ish ABC affiliate, this article contains another important detail I have seen elsewhere: “Officials said the two [children] were receiving general protective services from welfare officials.”

I wonder about the timeline related to the dog being given away (whether that happened before the children died or after—I just can’t tell from what is currently being reported) and if/how that might be relevant to the uniquely horrific manner of their deaths.

Specifically, I wonder if child protective services might've told the mother/older brother that this 50-lb. husky/pit bull mix wasn’t a safe pet for a household with two small children (not saying I agree) and forced them to get rid of the poor dog. This would have left the dog’s lead unused. If either one of the household members was feeling resentful about the children’s presence causing the loss of their canine companion, using the dog’s lead to commit the crime might seem like a sick form of poetic justice.

MOO

 

[luxlawliet]

I feel like the articles strongly imply that this 8 year old killed himself and his sister. Yes, kids as young as 8 commit suicide, but taking his little sister with him doesn't feel right. It really does not sound like something an 8 year old would come up with.

This isn't the entire story by a long shot.

 

[realanastasia]

More unclear reporting on the dog-removal timeline:
“In their application for one of the search warrants, police said they were seeking a husky pit bull mix, weighing approximately 50 pounds, that the mother told them used to be tied outside the home with a plastic-coated wire.

"By determining the dogs (sic) actual weight and sized (sic) utilizing a scale will assist in the criminal investigation," Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Ian Keck said in the warrant application. "All of this is important to the criminal investigation and reconstruction of the events surrounding this incident."
The dog, however, had been given away, Keck said.”


Court papers shed light on probe of Berks siblings' deaths

 

[luxlawliet]

Great find. However, there is another person who lives in that house other than the mom and the kids. I'll leave it at that since no one has been charged.

 

[LadyL]

I'm thinking the 17 year-old will be arrested soon.

 

[Deleted member 278]

UPDATE: Family dog ‘given away’ after 2 children die with dog leash line around their necks [Police]

The children lived in the home with their mother, Lisa Snyder, and their 17-year-old brother. CBS Philly previously reported that the children’s father was not in their lives.

And

A panel of experts will soon be delving into the case, which is a state requirement under “Act 33” in Pennsylvania, for children who pass away or nearly pass away. Act 33 is utilized when there is suspected child abuse or neglect, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams said that although the panel is a “tool in our toolbox,” there is still a lot of evidence to go through.

“It’s a real head-scratcher,” Adams said. “I wish I could say something about the case.”

Adams added that if he could talk about the case, it would be to squash rumors that have been circulating on social media, but he didn’t explain further. So far, no arrests have been made.
-------------------------
Wonder what the rumors are.


.

 

[claudianunes]

UPDATE: Family dog ‘given away’ after 2 children die with dog leash line around their necks [Police]

The children lived in the home with their mother, Lisa Snyder, and their 17-year-old brother. CBS Philly previously reported that the children’s father was not in their lives.

And

A panel of experts will soon be delving into the case, which is a state requirement under “Act 33” in Pennsylvania, for children who pass away or nearly pass away. Act 33 is utilized when there is suspected child abuse or neglect, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams said that although the panel is a “tool in our toolbox,” there is still a lot of evidence to go through.

“It’s a real head-scratcher,” Adams said. “I wish I could say something about the case.”

Adams added that if he could talk about the case, it would be to squash rumors that have been circulating on social media, but he didn’t explain further. So far, no arrests have been made.
-------------------------
Wonder what the rumors are.


.

I will take a wild guess and assume the rumors circulating on social media match some of the suspicions voiced on this thread.

 

[lonetraveler]

I'm really scratching my head here after the comment about the weight and size of the dog being a part of the investigation. Anyone here with a theory?

 

[TTF14]

I'm really scratching my head here after the comment about the weight and size of the dog being a part of the investigation. Anyone here with a theory?

He was practiced on?? Test run??? Very weird!

 

[Deleted member 278]

I'm really scratching my head here after the comment about the weight and size of the dog being a part of the investigation. Anyone here with a theory?

I'm scratching my head too. Maybe to see if the chain the kids were hung with could have restrained a large dog? If so, what would that have to do with anything?

 

[Deleted member 278]

I'm curious as to why mom would have ventured into basement. She found the kids at approximately 4:15. When paramedics got there, kids were in cardiac arrest and then revived in ambulance. They couldn't have been hanging very long, right?

I wonder if mom worked. If so, we're they home alone or being babysat by brother?