Mum who said her children died by suicide charged with murder, bestiality

WARNING - DISTRESSING CONTENT: A mum has been arrested accused of murdering her two children with a dog leash and having intercourse with an animal.

Lisa Snyder, 36, was charged on Monday (local time) with the murder of Brinley, 4, and Conner, 8, in the US state of Pennsylvania. The children were found hanging in the basement of their home.

Police said in an affidavit of probable cause that Snyder was linked to internet searches for episodes of a documentary series on crime called I Almost Got Away With It, and the day before the bodies were found the account was used to search methods of hanging.

On the day the children were found dead, a search was made on whether an idling hybrid car would produce carbon monoxide, authorities said.

Snyder acknowledged that she had picked up a dog leash from a store that day that was used in the hanging, authorities said.

The Lehigh County coroner’s office said Monday (local time) that both children were killed by hanging and ruled the deaths as homicide.

Snyder has maintained that the children killed themselves, but District Attorney John Adams said authorities were suspicious about the case from the beginning.

“This is a horrific, tragic incident,” Mr Adams told reporters.

“I don’t think that I can stand up here, nor can anyone, explain the horrific loss of two innocent children’s lives. I think it goes without explanation.”

Snyder had alleged that the boy was bullied, but authorities said there was no evidence of that, and they said Conner showed no sign of distress on bus security video on the day the children were found.

Mr Adams added, eight-year-olds “generally”, to his knowledge “do not commit suicide”.

CBS21 News reported the 36-year-old is also accused of sexual intercourse with an animal.

However, Mr Adams clarified to The Morning Call newspaper, that these charges are not related to the ones Snyder faces in relation to the deaths of her children.

The district attorney said sexually explicit photos of Snyder with the family dog were uncovered during the investigation.

The mother has been charged with first- and third-degree murder, child endangerment, and evidence-tampering.

- with Associated Press

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