Woman sentenced to life in deaths of 2 young kids found hanging in home’s basement

READING, Pa. — A Pennsylvania woman has been sentenced to two life terms without parole on murder convictions in the deaths of her two young children, who were found hanging in the basement of their home five years ago.

Lisa Snyder, 41, was convicted last month of two counts of first-degree murder in the September 2019 deaths of 4-year-old Brinley and 8-year-old Conner, who were taken off life support and died three days after they were found in the home in Albany Township, about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

Snyder displayed no reaction during Thursday’s hearing in Berks County and spoke only to decline to address the court, the Reading Eagle reported. President Judge Theresa Johnson, who also imposed another 8 1/2 to 17 years on child endangerment and evidence-tampering convictions, called the crime the most violent murder she had seen in her time on the bench and also said the defendant had never shown any remorse.

Owen Snyder, 22, the older brother of the slain youngsters, who was 17 at the time of their deaths, called the defendant a “monster” he no longer considered his mother. He said they will never get a chance to be an aunt and uncle to his newborn son and he will never be able to see the people they would have become.

Lisa Snyder is led into Berks County Court in Reading, Pa., on Nov. 17, 2023.Michael Rubinkam / AP

“If I could turn back time I would, just to hear their voices,” he said.

Snyder had told police her son was bullied and had threatened to take his life, but authorities said they found no evidence to support her claim. The boy displayed no signs of trouble that day on a school bus security video. An occupational therapist later said the child wasn’t physically capable of causing that kind of harm to himself or his little sister.

Police also cited the defendant’s online searches for information about suicide, death by hanging and how to kill someone, as well as episodes of a documentary crime series called “I Almost Got Away With It.” A coroner said both children were killed by hanging and ruled the deaths homicides.

The defense had unsuccessfully sought an acquittal, saying the case was based on speculation and “guesswork.” Snyder had sought to plead no contest but mentally ill to third-degree murder, but the judge rejected the plea agreement.