Attorneys for parents charged in connection with child’s death, abuse of 5 others request new evidence ahead of trial

By Ken Brown

CINCINNATI (WXIX) -Parents accused of killing an 8-year-old child in 2016 were initially scheduled to appear in court Monday, but attorneys for the couple have requested new evidence for the case expected to go to trial in June.

Attorneys for John Snyder II and Katherine Snyder are asking for copies of the communication between one of Katherine’s family members and investigators at the Springfield Township Police Department, according to a Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas document filed.

The documents say that the family member in question has also attempted to get custody of the children.

Court documents say the defense argues that family members’ statements to police are biased and this person has a “motive to want the Snyders charged criminally to cut off their rights to their children.”

According to the indictment, prosecuting attorneys say John and Katherine purposely caused the blunt-force trauma death of 8-year-old Adam Snyder in October 2016.

The couple filed motions in civil court in 2019 and 2020 to overturn their son’s cause of death, court documents show.

Adam was one of five children the couple adopted, documents show.

The Snyders’ other five children were found severely malnourished and had signs of physical abuse, according to the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office.

Those surviving children were the ones who gave the authorities the information leading to their indictments in October, the prosecutor’s office said.

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.

Court documents show that John and Katherine’s trial date is June 20.