Children’s doctor takes stand in trial for Springfield Township couple charged in son’s death
By Mike Schell
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WXIX) - A doctor from Children’s Hospital took the stand Wednesday as the trail of John and Katherine Snyder continued Wednesday.
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.
Prosecutors claim Katherine Snyder slammed Adam’s head, which led to his death, after he soiled himself on Oct. 4, 2016.
“Katherine picked him up and slammed him on the ground and caused this subdural hemorrhage to the back of his head,” said Assistant Prosecutor Stacy Lefton.
Katherine took Adam to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead due to a blunt-force traumatic impact to his head, according to Hamilton County prosecutors.
The defense claims that Adam had behavior problems and would often bang his head and died of natural causes.
Doctor Mary Staat was on the witness stand Wednesday but did not want to be filmed or recorded.
She told the court that she specializes in infectious diseases and international adoption at Children’s and testified to Adam’s condition.
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.”