Snyder Waives Hearing
Possible Plea Agreement Discussed
The announcement from presiding district judge, Frank Mills came after more than an hour of behind-closed-door talks between counsel for Snyder and Clinton County District Attorney Karen Kuebler.
Snyder is the Renovo resident charged in the Easter weekend death of his wife Kelley Jo. Some 15 friends and family of the victim sat on one side of the large courtroom in the county courthouse today while the accused’s parents sat on the other.
Snyder did not appear in the courtroom but was part of the closed-door negotiations. There were unconfirmed reports that as part of a plea agreement the prosecution will drop a first degree murder charge but a third degree charge will remain.
At one point in the morning session the victim’s sister was summoned to the backroom negotiations.
District Attorney Kuebler said she could not comment on the negotiations, other than to say they are ongoing. Snyder’s next court appearance is set for August 24.
Snyder remains in the Clinton County Correctional Facility since his arrest on an abuse of corpse charge in April; Snyder on May 15 had the first and third degree murder charges filed against him. The state police affidavit of probable cause alleges Mrs. Snyder had been strangled by her husband.
