How Could You? Hall of Shame-Chinese adoptee Adam Snyder case-Child death UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

A 2016 case comes to light.

From Springfield Township, Ohio,  adoptive parents “John Snyder II, 51, and Katherine Snyder, 51, are accused of purposely causing the death of their adopted child, 8-year-old Adam Snyder, around Oct. 5, 2016, according to court records from the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas.

The abuse allegedly happened when the couple lived on Conrad Drive in Springfield Township. They now live in New York, which is where they were arrested.

Adam died at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital as a result of blunt-force trauma to the head, according to Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Amy Clausing and court records.

““Adam’s death occurred within 24 hours of his prior release from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he had spent the majority of the day on Oct. 4, 2016,” 2019 court documents read.

The 8-year-old boy, who the Snyders adopted from China, suffered the trauma that the Hamilton Coroner’s Office said was the cause of death on Sept. 1, 2016.

A little more than five months after Adam died, Dr. Gretel Stephens issued a death record that ”widespread acute bronchopneumonia” was a contributing factor in his death, the records show.

Dr. Stephens determined the manner of the death was a homicide.

In 2019 and 2020, John and Katherine filed motions in civil court to overturn Adam’s manner of death.

The court documents from the civil court hearings states that “numerous experts” retained by John and Katherine reviewed the medical records and the coroner’s report.

Those experts said medical and scientific evidence showed Adam died from “septicemia with profound neuropsychiatric illness.” Septicemia is the clinical name for blood poisoning by bacteria, Johns Hopkins Medicine says.

Their findings went against that of the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office.

Both the 2019 and 2020 attempts to change the manner of death were rejected.

Adam was one five children adopted by John and Katherine, documents show. The couple also had one biological child.

The Snyders’ other five children were found severely malnourished and had signs of physical abuse, Clausing said.

The children suffered the alleged abuse over the course of nearly two years. The earliest documented date is New Year’s Eve 2014, with the last being Oct. 5, 2016, the documents read.

Once Adam’s death record was published in February 2017, the Hamilton County Department of Jobs and Family Services filed for permanent custody of the surviving five children.

The Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office said the information leading to the indictments came from the surviving children themselves.

Now that the kids are older and safe, the prosecutor’s office said they were able to disclose details of what happened in Springfield Township years ago.

The Snyders were indicted on four counts of aggravated murder, four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault and 14 counts of endangering children, according to the court records.

Currently, John and Katherine are in custody at the Clinton County New York Jail, inmate records show.

A jail official tells FOX19 NOW the two were in court Tuesday for an extradition hearing.

The couple said they wanted to talk with their attorney before deciding whether or not to fight extradition back to Hamilton County, according to a chief clerk with the Clinton County Court.

In New York, defendants have up to 90 days to determine if they want to fight the extradition.

John and Katherine are scheduled to appear back in court on Oct. 27.”

Parents indicted for adopted child’s 2016 death; 5 other kids found severely malnourished, abused
[Fox 19 9/27/22 by Jared Goffinet, Ken Brown,and Ken Baker]

“A Springfield Township couple accused of starving and killing their son both plead not guilty.

In September, a grand jury indicted John and Katherine Snyder on 26 counts, including aggravated murder.

John’s plea hearing was Friday morning, while his wife’s was Thursday.

John is accused of starving their eight-year-old son for five weeks back in 2016.

Katherine is accused of giving him a traumatic head injury.

The couple sold their Springfield Township home in 2017 and moved to Delaware.

They were recently arrested and jailed in New York, before being extradited back to Hamilton County.

Katherine is being held on $50,000 bond.

John is being held on $300,000 bond.”

Springfield Twp. couple pleads not guilty to starving, killing son
[Local 12 10/28/22]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

UPDATE:“Seven years after the death of their child, two parents accused of abusing and murdering the 8-year-old are officially on trial.

John and Katherine Snyder are facing 26 charges combined for murder, aggravated assault and child endangerment.

The two were arrested in upstate New York in September 2022. They are accused of abusing their children, several of whom were adopted from China, and killing one — Adam.

According to the prosecution, all of the Snyder children were malnourished, deprived of medical care and more.

Court documents show that the Snyders, who lived in Springfield Township at the time of their son’s death, allegedly didn’t feed Adam for more than a month-long period in 2016.

“This poor kid comes from China from an orphanage to this family and what do they do? They kill him,” said prosecuting attorney Stacy Lefton said.

Prosecutors said in court Friday that Katherine took Adam to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital on Oct. 4, 2016.

“He’s described as skin and bones and gray in color,” Lefton said. “They were concerned for his health.”

Lefton said Katherine took Adam back home, promising to bring him back the next day. Adam was then pronounced dead in the hospital on Oct. 5, 2016.

The coroner ruled Adam’s death as a homicide due to blunt force trauma to the back of his head.

The prosecution said leading up to Adam’s death, the child had soiled himself on the morning of Oct. 5.

“And the routine punishment in the Snyder home for soiling yourself was to place these children in cold showers and baths and smear feces on them,” Lefton said.

The prosecution said Katherine then slammed Adam on the ground before taking him to and laying him on the floor of John’s office. John then checked on an unresponsive Adam before Katherine eventually called 911, the prosecution said.

Jeremy Evans, Katherine’s defense attorney, told a different story in court Friday.

Evans said evidence shows that Adam died of natural causes as a result of both diagnosed and undiagnosed medical and neuropsychiatric issues.

Previously, the Snyders had sued the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office saying they hired medical experts who determined Adam died from sepsis, but that case was dismissed.

“His body and his parents posted road signs along the way, but the physicians failed to pay attention until it was too late,” Evans said.

The defense said these signs included Adam refusing to eat or dress himself, as well as smearing feces regularly.

Evans said on the morning of Oct. 6, Katherine found Adam unresponsive and called 911.

“It could happen to you, it could happen to me,” Evans said. “It did happen to Kate and John Snyder.”

Evans also alleged that the prosecution didn’t have enough evidence for seven years, and also none to validate the charges now.

The prosecution has previously said there’s never been any doubt that the Snyders caused Adam’s death, but the delay was to give their other adopted children time to mature.

After Adam’s death was determined by the coroner’s office, the Snyders’ four other adopted children and one biological child went under the care of Katherine’s sister.

Now, the other Snyder children, who were young and knew little English at the time of Adam’s death, are capable of testifying in court, the prosecution said at their arraignment in 2022.

One witness did testify Friday in court. Dr. Mary Staat, an infectious disease specialist at Cincinnati Children’s, was called to the stand by the prosecution.

Staat said that Adam has club feet and other abnormalities that impacted the way he moved. She also said the Snyders declined the full evaluation she would normally do on a child who had been adopted from another country.

Katherine and John’s trial is set to continue Monday morning at the Hamilton County Courthouse at 10 a.m.”

Trial begins for Hamilton County parents accused of abusing, killing 8-year-old son
[WCPO 10/13/23 by Anna Azallion , Molly Schramm]

“A neighbor of John and Katherine Snyder testified she once found their son Adam inside their home with a broken arm.

Lynn Hortemiller, who lived across the street from the Snyders, was a witness for the prosecution during the second day of the trial on Monday in Hamilton County court. The Snyders are accused of murdering their 8-year-old son in 2016 and facing multiple charges including four counts of aggravated murder.

Hortemiller said she was close with the couple until she found Adam Snyder with a broken arm.

The prosecutors are building their case around the repeated discipline the Snyders allegedly imposed on their children. After Adam Snyder’s death, they said their other five children were discovered in their home malnourished and showed signs of physical abuse.

Hortemiller testified the Snyders used duct tape on Adam. The Snyders said it was to keep his diaper on and to keep him from soiling himself and smearing it.

The defense asked Hortemiller if she had ever asked the couple why they used the duct tape, and she said she didn’t.

One of the Snyder’s children – who is still a minor – also testified. They were asked by the prosecution if they were afraid of the Snyders. The child said yes.

Prosecutors allege Katherine Snyder slammed Adam’s head after he soiled himself, killing him in October 2016.

The couple – both 51, face four counts of aggravated murder, four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault and 14 counts of endangering children.

Adam was one of five children with learning disabilities the couple adopted from China, court documents show.

“On the surface, you think this looks like a really great situation,” Assistant Prosecutor Stacy Lefton said Friday during opening statements. “Here’s these two people; they already have three children of their own, and they’re willing to open up their home and their hearts to take in these children from another country in an orphanage.”

The prosecutor said about seven months later, in October 2016, Katherine rushed Adam to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead due to a blunt force traumatic impact to his head.

Lefton claimed on the morning of Adam’s death, Katherine punished him for defecating in his pants.

“And the routine punishment in the Snyder home for soiling yourself was to place these children in cold showers and baths and smear feces on them,” the prosecutor told the court. ”And not only did that happen, but they, Katherine, picked him up and slammed him on the ground and caused this subdural hemorrhage to the back of his head.”

The Snyders’ attorney, Jeremy Evans, argued that Adam died of natural causes.

Evans said Adam’s injury was a result of his behavior.”

Neighbor testifies against couple accused of killing 8-year-old son during Day 2 of trial
[Fox 19 10/16/23 by Ken Brown and Mike Schell]

” The judge overseeing the trial of the Springfield Township couple accused of killing their 8-year-old son issued a stern warning to both sides on Tuesday.

The warning from Judge Wende Cross came after concerns were raised that someone tried to make contact with a child witness who gave testimony in the trial of John and Katherine Snyder on Monday.

“The court has a duty to make sure that these proceedings do not cause trauma to these minor children, and that’s what I’m going to do,” Judge Cross said. “I will have you arrested, plain and simple. You can explain it to me after you get out of the justice center.”

John and Katherine face 26 total charges in connection with the 2016 death of their adoptive son, 8-year-old Adam Snyder, according to the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office.

Adam was one of five children with learning disabilities the couple adopted from China, court documents show.

The couple’s other adopted children were found malnourished and had signs of physical abuse, according to prosecutors.

For the second day in a row, one of the Snyder children took the stand.

On Tuesday, the child was asked, “Do you feel safe around the Snyders?”

The child’s response was, “No.”

When the child was asked why, the response was, “I don’t want to be around people that killed their own son.”

On the cross-examination, the defense asked who had told the child the Snyders killed their child.

The child answered, “No one.”

The defense was also able to establish with the child that 8-year-old Adam sometimes fell and hit his head, which is important because Adam’s cause of death was determined to be blunt-force trauma.”

“One of the Snyder’s children – who is still a minor – also testified. They were asked by the prosecution if they were afraid of the Snyders. The child said yes.”

Judge issues warning to both sides as trial continues for Springfield Township couple
[Fox 19 10/17/23 by Ken Brown]

UPDATE 2:“A doctor from Children’s Hospital took the stand Wednesday as the trail of John and Katherine Snyder continued Wednesday.”

“The prosecutor asked the doctor if there were any reports of headbanging.

To which the doctor replied, ”There were some reports of headbanging.”

The doctor said Adam was sick when he was brought to Children’s, but defense attorney Ernest Lee asked her, “Did an infection kill this child?”

The doctor answered no.

Lee then asked, “Did he die of natural causes?”

The doctor again replied, “No.”

Defense attorney Joe Cello questioned the doctor about Adam’s body temperature at Children’s, saying it was recorded at 85.3 degrees.

“That’s a cold temperature, correct,” Cello asked.

Dr. Staat answered, “Correct.”

Cello then asked the doctor, “Is that a sign of infection?”

The doctor’s answered, “No.””

Children’s doctor takes stand in trial for Springfield Township couple charged in son’s death
[Fox 19 10/18/23 by Mike Schnell]

UPDATE 3:“John Snyder was sentenced to 29 years to life and his wife, Katherine Snyder, was sentenced to 31 years to life in the 2016 death of Adam Snyder, who had been adopted from an orphanage in China, prosecutors in the Cincinnati trial said.

According to court records reviewed by HuffPost, the couple faced a total of 26 charges and earlier this month were found guilty of murder, felonious assault and endangering children.

Prosecutors said the couple abused all six of their children by intentionally malnourishing them and punishing them with cold baths and showers, according to a release announcing their Nov. 17 conviction.”

Parents Who Killed Son They Adopted From China Are Sentenced
[Huffington Post 12/1/23 by Pocharapon Neammanee]