Lisa Snyder is led into Berks County Court in Reading, Pa., on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023.
A Pennsylvania mother who killed her two young children by hanging them in the family's home has been sentenced to two life terms, according to Berks County District Attorney.
On Thursday, a judge sentenced Lisa Snyder of Berks County a month after her conviction on two counts of first-degree murder.
Back in 2019, Snyder's eight-year-old son Conner and four-year-old daughter Brinley were found hanging in the basement of their Albany Township home.
The siblings were taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, where they died three days later.
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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 Snyder’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 sought an acquittal, saying the case was based on speculation and “guesswork.”
Snyder opted for a judge instead of a jury to hear the case. Berks County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Theresa Johnson took about an hour before issuing a guilty verdict. Snyder also was convicted of child endangerment and evidence tampering.
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