Aric Hutchinson, 36, and Samantha “Sam” Miller, 34, had just said their “I do’s.” The couple wed at a beautiful ceremony in Folly Beach, South Carolina, on April 28, 2023. One-hundred and fifty guests were in attendance. Samantha told her sister, Mandi Jenkins, that she wished the night would never end. It was the best night of her life, she said.
Tragically, the couple’s union wouldn’t last for long.
Aric and Sam left their reception on a road-legal golf cart around 10 pm and headed back to their rental house. As Aric and Samantha rode on the back, they waved goodbye to their guests. Aric’s brother-in-law, Benjamin Garrett, drove the golf cart and was accompanied by his 17-year-old son, Brogan Garrett, in the passenger’s seat.
Suddenly and unexpectedly, a vehicle barreled into the back of the golf cart. It was traveling 65 miles per hour and directly impacted Aric and Samantha. The occupants were thrown more than 300 feet, nearly the length of a football field, and the cart rolled several times.
A photo taken just minutes before the deadly crash that killed Samantha Miller. Photo from the family’s GoFundMe.
The driver of the vehicle, a grey rental Toyota Camry, was 25-year-old Jamie Lee Komoroski. Jamie was on her way home from an evening of barhopping on Center Street, Folly Beach’s main strip, and the only road to and from Folly Island. She suffered not a scratch, but was dazed and confused from the impact. Her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.261%, more than three times the legal limit.
Paramedics did what they could, but they couldn’t save Samantha. She was still clad in her wedding dress when she died. The day that Samantha looked forward to and spent so much time planning, was her last. Her and Aric spent mere moments together as husband and wife before he became a widow.
Aric was taken to the Medical University of South Carolina, where he was treated for two broken legs, broken bones in his face, broken vertebrae and a brain bleed. Benjamin was treated for severe road rash and open wounds, and Brogan suffered minor injuries.
Ongoing Efforts For Justice
While recovering in the hospital, Aric faced the tough task of preparing for his new wife’s funeral, which was held on May 13, 2023, two weeks after their wedding day. A few days later, he filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jamie, who remains incarcerated in Charleston County Jail.
The wrongful death suit also involves several bars, which include the establishments that Jamie visited that day. Jaime was recently hired as a server at Taco Boy, a Mexican restaurant, and the eatery hosted a function earlier that day. Allegedly at this function, a Taco Boy supervisor coerced Jaime to drink alcohol. The lawsuits seeks damages on grounds of breach of duty, negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, reckless hiring and training, and wrongful death.
Aric blames the four establishments that Jaime visited that day for negligently serving an intoxicated guest. A South Carolina statue prohibits establishments with permits to sell alcoholic beverages from serving guests who are noticeably intoxicated.
The complaint states, ‘Despite being noticeably and visibly intoxicated at each of these establishments, Jamie Komoroski continued to be served, provided, and/or allowed to consume additional and excessive amounts of alcohol at each of them.’
Lisa Miller, Samantha’s mother, started a GoFundMe to help cover medical and burial costs. So far, more than $720,000 has been raised. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be sent to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
The Post-Wedding Collision Culprit: Jamie Lee Komoroski
Jamie Lee Komoroski. Photo from Folly Beach Police.
Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, is originally from Clinton, New Jersey. She moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to attend Coastal Carolina University from 2015 to 2020. She was a member of a sorority at her school, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and hotel resort tourism management. After graduation, she remained local. For the last two-and-a-half years, she worked as a logistics account executive for Total Quality Logistics, a truck transportation company.
Jamie spent the greater part of the evening barhopping on Friday, April 28, 2023. She started drinking at El Gallo Bar and Grill in Charleston, and then most likely drove to Center Street, where she visited The Drop In Bar & Deli, The Crab Shack and Snapper Jack’s. She left before 10 pm. Jaime lived in a one-story home with two roommates in James Island, a 19-minute drive from Folly Island.
When Jamie collided with the golf cart, she was traveling 65 mph in a 25 mph zone. She was also driving on Center Street, which is a dead-end that stops at the beach. It’s in an area known for its vacationers, which include children, families and bicyclists, and where legal golf carts are frequently driven.
Charges Pending
Jamie is being charged with three counts of driving under the influence (DUI) causing serious bodily injury/death and one count of reckless homicide. Jamie told police that she had one beer and one alcoholic beverage that contained tequila an hour before she drove. She was traveling the opposite way of traffic on a dead-end street when this occurred. She received no injuries, though her BAC was 0.216%.
Jamie repeatedly told police that she “did nothing wrong.” She refused to take a field sobriety test and become uncooperative on the scene. She demanded a lawyer and began calling out for her boyfriend, who was not present.
Jamie is being held without bail on suicide watch at the Charleston County Jail. If convicted, she faces up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,100 for Samantha’s death. She also faces an additional 15 years and a $10,100 fine injuring the other three passengers. For reckless homicide, she could face an additional 10 years in prison and a fine up to $5,000.
Samantha “Sam” Leigh Miller. Photo from her obituary.
Remembering Samantha ‘Sam’ Miller
Right before she died, Samantha “Sam” Leigh Miller, 34, turned to her husband, Aric, and said, “I want this day, this evening, to last forever.” Samantha was the only fatality of the crash.
Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Samantha loved the beach. At her memorial service, Aric described her as “a beach girl.” She was born on March 27, 1989, to parents Lisa and David Miller. Her parents divorced when she was young and her mother remarried her stepfather, Brad Warner. Samantha has four siblings: Nathan and Joseph Miller, Mandi Jenkins and Jake Warner.
Samantha was a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and cat mom.
She considered her mom as one of her best friends. On her wedding day, she surprised her mom with a dance to their song: Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are.” The DJ introduced it as “a dance with the most important person in the bride’s life.”
She believed her husband, Aric, was her soulmate.
Samantha had a contagious smile, she loved to laugh and she exuded natural confidence. As her obituary reads, “She was a beautiful force to be reckoned with. It is impossible to fully capture just how unbelievably special she was.”
Folly Beach, South Carolina. Photo from Wikipedia.
Scene of the Accident: Folly Beach
The fatal crash happened in Folly Beach, a city on Folly Island in South Carolina, just minutes outside of Charleston. Folly Island is a 12-square-mile region surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Folly River, and it’s home to six miles of beautiful beaches.
Folly Beach is a popular area for locals and tourists alike. Center Street, where Jamie was barhopping, has many surf and souvenir shops, and restaurants. Because of the amount of vacationers, pedestrians and children who frequent Folly Beach, the island has a maximum speed limit of 25 mph. It’s also legal to drive certain golf carts on the streets there.
Name(s) of victim(s) + age(s): Joseph William Smedley II, 20 Date(s) of crime(s): Sunday, September 27, 2015 Location of crime(s): Indianapolis,Indiana; found deceased Perpetrator(s): unknown Relationship to victim(s): MA Crimes in sum: Joseph William Smedley II, a 20-year-old multitalented college student in his sophomore year at Indiana State University, disappeared after a night watching the blood moon with his fraternity brothers. A few days later, his body was found floating in a lake close to campus. When he death was ruled a suicide, Vivianna Brenas, Joseph’s sister, felt something wasn’t right, and she continues to advocate for his case to be reopened.
Getting To Know Joseph Smedley II
It seems like there was nothing too challenging for Joseph William Smedley II. The 20-year-old Indiana University student succeeded at whatever he put his mind to.
From the time Joseph began wearing his first pair of glasses, his family called him “the little professor,” and it fit his personality. Born on March 17, 1995, Joseph, who was living in Indianapolis, Indiana, was in his sophomore year of college at Indiana University at Bloomington, about an hour away from home. He was studying biochemistry as a pre-pharmacology student and dreamt of working in pharmaceuticals to support the research and discovery of life-saving medicines.
While attending school, Joseph worked part-time as a painter and for a moving company. He was also member of the IU chapter of the Sigma Phi fraternity and lived off-campus with two of his fraternity brothers, identified only as Jake and Ben. Joseph lived in a different off-campus apartment shortly before his death, but he broke his lease to live with his fraternity brothers. It’s been said that Joseph felt pressured to make this move and it cost him $500 to break the lease. When Joseph rushed for the fraternity as a freshman, his grades slipped and he often spoke of being tired. Now in his sophomore year, his grades were on track to recover.
Joseph was born to parents Dr. Joseph Smedley Sr. and Laura Smedley. The Smedley’s divorced when Joseph was around 10 years old and he became estranged from his father. At 20 years old, Joseph hadn’t spoken to his father in about five years and he also wasn’t on good terms with his mother, who lived in the Virgin Islands. In high school, Joseph moved in with the family of a friend and he also lived with his older sister, Vivianne Bernas.
Joseph had three siblings: a younger, half-sister Gisselle, an older brother and his older sister Vivianne. He was particularly close with both sisters, especially Gisselle. Vivianne is steadfastly advocating for the reopening of Joseph’s case.
Throughout his childhood and leading up to college, Joseph expressed interests in many areas and went on to excel in them all. He was a whizz in reading and math, a skilled swimmer and martial artist, and he played sports, including soccer. In middle school Joseph joined the school band where he played the trombone and in high school he joined the school’s jazz band, recording at least one CD and participating in concerts and solo performances. Joseph loved jazz and planned to travel to New Orleans to experience the city’s historic music scene. He also joined the wrestling team in his sophomore year of high school and wrestled varsity.
At home, Joseph took up an interest in cooking and began asking family members for family recipes and to borrow cookbooks. He even had his very own chef’s hat and jacket with “Chef Joseph” embroidered on it, given to him by a friend of his father’s.
Joseph was described as a positive person to be around and a good friend to have. He was funny, determined and smart. He knew how to set goals for himself and achieve them.
So the odd manner in which Joseph’s body was found and the way the case was handled by the Bloomington Police Department suggest something different than the picture painted by investigators. Let’s dive into why that is.
Leading Up To Joseph’s Disappearance
It was Sunday, September 27, 2015, sometime between 7-8 pm, and Joseph was at a nearby restaurant, Noodles & Co., with six or so of his Sigma Phi fraternity brothers.
That night the fraternity brothers planned to observe the supermoon lunar eclipse, known as a “harvest moon” or “blood moon.” It was chilly with a low-temperature of 41-degrees Fahrenheit and it rained throughout the week, so the ground was still damp. When it was time to go, Joseph grabbed his binoculars and the young men headed out. The eclipse took place from 10:11-11:23 pm. The fraternity brothers claimed their view was obstructed by cloudy skies, so they ended the outing early. The men allegedly returned to the fraternity house—this is different from the apartment where Joseph lived—around 11 pm, which is the last time any of them saw Joseph.
From 11 pm to 4 am that night, no messages were sent or received to Joseph’s phone. Then around 4:15 am, Joseph’s sister Vivianne received a text that Joseph was “leaving the country.” The text read:
“Viv I love you. I’m leaving the country. By not telling you why I’m keeping you safe and protected. Please don’t try to contact me at this number, it won’t work. I’ll contact you once I’m set up overseas. Thank you for everything viv, i love you. And im sorry.”
It was so bizarre and out of character that Vivianne responded lightheartedly, taking it as a joke. She reminded her brother to pay for his apartment. But when Vivianne didn’t hear from him all day, she contacted Indiana University Campus Police and asked them to do a wellness check on Joseph.
Joseph promised Vivianne previously that he would handle the $500 balance she paid for him to break his apartment lease. Vivianne cosigned on the apartment, so she was responsible for paying the balance and was in the process of purchasing a home, so she wanted to maintain good-standing credit. Joseph also made plans to hang out with a female friend and attend a party with her that Thursday. There was no mention of taking a trip.
Vivianne was worried and with good reason. This wasn’t like Joseph.
The Sample Gates, the main entrance to the Indiana University Bloomington Campus. Photo credit: Wikipedia.
Joseph didn’t have a passport. He also didn’t bring anything with him. He didn’t pack his laptop, tablet or phone charger into a backpack, or throw together a bag of clothes and shoes. His jacket was still hanging where he’d left it. Everything was left as if Joseph planned to return—all except for a handwritten note asking his loved ones not to contact him. But Joseph’s loved ones don’t believe he penned this note. Vivien told WTHR that it’s not written in her brother’s handwriting. The note read:
“Had to leave country. Don’t try to contact me via cell it won’t work. will contact you once set up overseas.”
The note was signed “Smedley,” which is what Joseph’s fraternity brothers called him, but not what his family called him. The letter was written haphazardly with the words running overtop the page lines and the style did not depict Joseph’s natural handwriting. The note also wasn’t presented to authorities for several days, which includes when the fraternity brothers were initially questioned. (If someone is missing and they left behind a note, isn’t that the first thing you want to show to investigators?) Next to the note sat a check worth the $500 Joseph owed for his housing.
Joseph was not depressed. He didn’t have a history of mental illness or suicidal attempts. He never took off and disappeared before, and it was especially odd that he contacted his sister to state he was leaving the country in the middle of the night, and then turned up deceased a few days later. Joseph’s plan, or the plan that was painted for him, didn’t add up.
When campus police first responded to Vivianne, they told her they found Joseph and he was in jail on a battery charge. Startled because this was so unlike him, Vivianne followed up, only to learn that Joseph had not been arrested, but someone else by the name of John Smedley.
At the same time, Joseph’s fraternity brothers allegedly spoke about his absence amongst themselves. He wasn’t at the fraternity meeting on Saturday morning, which prompted Joseph’s roommates to go into his room to look for him; this is supposedly when they discovered the note Joseph left. On September 30, Indiana University tweeted a missing person’s poster of Joseph.
Vivianne traveled to Indianapolis to visit Joseph’s apartment and search for clues herself. She also spoke directly with his fraternity brothers, who presented her with the note.
The Discovery
On Friday, October 2, 2015, about five days after Joseph disappeared, two fisherman discovered a body floating in shallow water in Griffy Lake around 7 pm. The area was heavily wooded and 3.5 miles north of, or a 45-minute walk from, the main Indiana University campus. The body was identified as Joseph’s the following day.
Griffy Lake was in close proximity to Indiana University campus.
Joseph’s body was floating face-up in three feet of water. He was found wearing a backpack filled with 66 lbs. of rocks strapped to his chest. He was also wearing a school backpack on his back that contained a few papers, a laptop charger and an external hard drive. Joseph had binoculars around his neck, likely from when he went to see the blood moon. He also had on jeans and a sweater, socks and shoes, and his wallet was still in his pocket. Joseph’s cell phone was later found at another location. The autopsy revealed that Joseph had THC and alcohol in his system.
A Google Maps street view of Griffy Lake taken by John Van Norman in June 2020, the area where the body of Joseph Smedley II was found.
When Vivianne received the news of her brother’s death, she was eating at a local restaurant in town with two friends—a detective and a prosecutor—and suddenly saw police cars rushing down the street. With a sinking feeling in her chest, Vivianne called one of the detectives involved in her brother’s case, who claimed that all was fine. She then drove to Griffy Lake and observed an area blocked off with yellow police tape. She knew.
Still, detectives alleged they didn’t have any information to share with Vivianne. They later called her inquiring about dental records and if Joseph had ever been fingerprinted. Now in the company of her two friends, they tried to guide her into an understanding of what these questions insinuated. Vivianne was called down to the precinct, where she saw one of Joseph’s roommates. When she received the heartbreaking news, she was utterly shocked.
The ‘Investigation’—If You Can Call It That
The case initially stalled when the Bloomington Police Department presented the information on Joseph’s case over to his father, Joseph Smedley Sr., who Joseph was long estranged from. It was only after Joseph’s mother signed over power of attorney rights for Joseph to Vivianne that Vivienne was provided any details.
As the investigation began, investigators learned that Joseph was known to spend long hours in the library studying and doing work. However, although he signed up for his fall semester classes, Joseph’s teachers said he wasn’t attending them. (It’s unknown as to whether this detail is associated with the case.)
A map of important points on the night of September 27, 2015 into early September 28, 2015 Photo credit: Justice For Joseph Facebook page
The last pinged location of Joseph’s phone was in the Griffy Lake area. This area was also where the fraternity brothers observed the blood moon, which makes it probable that Joseph was in this general vicinity throughout the night.
However, at 4:15 am, after the unusual text was sent, Joseph’s phone pinged to the corner of Seventh and Walnut Streets, a distance that takes one hour and seven minutes to walk from Griffy Lake. Then at 4:45 am, Joseph’s phone pinged again, now around the bridge area of Griffy Lake. The locations of Joseph’s phone suggest that he (or his phone) made the trip in a half-hour, which would have been impossible without a vehicle. What’s more, is Griffy Lake is an unlit, wooded area, and the walk there is about a mile; a venture that most people wouldn’t feel comfortable walking at night and alone.
Joseph had a vehicle but it wasn’t working. Handed down to him from Vivianne, he didn’t keep up with maintaining the car and it stopped running a year earlier. These details suggest there was a vehicle involved, but it’s unknown as to whose it was.
At 6:30 am, Joseph’s cell phone pinged for the final time at North Walnut Street between Old State Road 37, which is right outside Griffy Lake. After that, it was turned off. And even though Joseph’s phone pinged in this location, scent dogs were unable to track him here. It seems more likely that Joseph wasn’t there physically, but only his phone.
Joseph’s body was found in about three feet of water. Not only was Joseph 5′ 7″ and he could have easily stood up, but he was also an excellent swimmer and would not have trouble keeping himself afloat. (These details indicate to me—a regular person with no professional legal experience, that he was either killed and then placed here, and the rocks were used to weigh down his body, or he was placed elsewhere and floated to this location. If you think this is a common-sense assumption, you’ll soon learn it’s not.)
Another stall in the case involved the mishandling of Joseph’s body. Investigators placed Joseph’s body in the body bag with his clothes on, so they never removed his clothing for evidence. It was all thrown in the bag. With precious evidence already lost due to long-term exposure to water, this discrepancy stripped the body of evidence even more.
An Unexpected Coroner’s Report
Much of the debate surrounding this case also has to do with the coroner’s report, which lists drowning as Joseph’s cause of death to drowning, unknown. Two months later, the ruling was changed to suicide by way of drowning. Monroe County Coroner Nicole Meyer also determined that no foul play was suspected in Joseph’s death.
Disagreeing with the findings, Joseph’s family hired a third-party agency to conduct another autopsy on his body. This second autopsy revealed that Joseph had bruises on his body, specifically hemorrhaging on his back, that were consistent with forcefully being held down. This second autopsy concluded that Joseph’s death was a homicide, not a suicide.
When the second autopsy was conducted, the autopsy technician tried to get in touch with the Bloomington Police Department, but received no response. There were some unknown details that would be important in determining what happened to Joseph. In an episode of the podcast, “So Mean, Allegedly,” which covered this case and featured Vivianne, she noted the backpack that was strapped to Joseph’s chest, and how it was unknown whether the backpack itself was in front or back of Joseph, and if only the straps were across his chest. This information might determine a reason for the bruising on Joseph’s back, as blood pools after death, producing a bruise-like appearance. Because of the lack of response from the Bloomington Police Department, this information cannot be confirmed.
Where Is The Case Now? Six Years Later
In 2020, Vivianne started a petition that called for the Bloomington Police Department to reopen Joseph’s case. So far, the petition has received nearly 121,000 signatures with a goal of 150,000 signatures. Sign the petition here. Vivianne also created a GoFundMe with a goal of raising $10,000 for the family to hire a forensic pathologist to conduct a second autopsy. Although the autopsy was conducted, the forensic pathologist remains unable to finish the report until the Bloomington Police Department shares photos and additional details about how the body was found. Without this information, the report remains at a standstill.
Joseph Smedley II and his sister Vivianne Bernas. Photo from Indiana University.
Despite the family’s ongoing and tireless efforts to advocate for the truth behind Joseph’s death, investigators have yet to reopen it.
”Mr. Smedley’s cause of death was determined to be drowning by the Monroe County Coroner’s Office and the manner of death was determined to be suicide,” Public Information Officer for Bloomington Police Ryan Pedigo said in a statement. ”There is no further investigation being completed in that case.”
Vivianne continues to push for #JusticeForJoseph, but it’s been a tough road. She has had several attorneys who agreed to help and then became “spooked” and backed out. One attorney even dropped out the day before a hearing due to “conflict of interest.”
“I really hope that somebody realizes that this is a whole life,” Vivianne said in an interview with Indiana University. “You know, people go through college and they just meet a lot of people and they think this is just a person, but it’s not. He had a whole life and a family, and a huge amount of friends, and impacted so many people in the community more than anybody realized.”
My-Two-Cents Corner ↴
There are a few theories on what happened to Joseph, but there’s only one I agree with. And please note that the content in this section contains my opinion only.
The theory I believe is the one Vivianne is pushing officials to consider: that Joseph died, either accidentally or by way of force, while he was observing the blood moon with his fraternity brothers. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, as I stated, is unknown. I personally don’t have enough personal experience with fraternities or sororities to know what goes on behind closed doors there, so I can’t speak on that. But this is the outline of what I generally believe happened that night.
The second coroner’s report and the presence of Joseph in shallow water and despite him being a skilled swimmer, suggest that his death either occurred as a result of force; perhaps he was held underwater or he was hit or ambushed, which impaired his response. The 66 lbs. of rocks in the backpack fastened to Joseph’s chest seem like a poor last-minute attempt to weigh Joseph’s body down and make it possible to argue as a suicide. I don’t necessarily believe they thought he wouldn’t be discovered, as the weight wasn’t enough to submerge Joseph’s body. I don’t really know what that was about other than a measly attempt. When I think hard about this case, sometimes I even question whether there were real plans to observe the blood moon.
Here’s what I think happened that night…
A harvest moon. Photo credit: Wikipedia.
Joseph’s body indicated he had alcohol and THC in his system. I imagine this means that after Joseph and his fraternity brothers finished eating at Noodles & Co., they went back to the frat house, had a few beers and smoked some marijuana together. It was a Friday night after all. (I’m curious to know what Joseph’s pinged locations were for the entire night, not just 11 pm and after.)
When they were feeling good and relaxed, I believe they sent out for the blood moon. Something happened during this time, and I believe that a text was sent to Vivianne’s phone from an individual who wasn’t Joseph. I believe Joseph may have already been deceased by the time the text was sent.
I think signing the letter “Smedley,” being that Joseph didn’t refer to himself this way, was also a clear giveaway that he didn’t pen the note himself. As for Joseph’s cell phone, I believe it was turned off and possibly thrown or discarded somewhere so it couldn’t be used to retrieve additional evidence, like fingerprints, from the perpetrators. I think all this also explains why the text message and the note read similarly, and those who may have been present present when the text was sent and where the note was found.
My beliefs about what happened that night are based on my research on this case, but when I think about the possible motives for something like this, the conversation switches to speculation. There’s simply not enough information to prove a motive that’s based in fact, at least not one that’s present in media coverage. However, based on the details about what happened that night, I believe this was the lead-up to Joseph’s death. The fact that Joseph’s death was ultimately ruled a suicide makes me curious as to whether someone involved is connected to the Bloomington Police Department.
It’s also important to note here that the Sigma Phi chapter at Indiana University was actually suspended by the national Sigma Phi Society in 2021 through 2023 for hazing, endangering others, dishonest conduct and failure to comply with university and county directives. Considering the possibilities of what could have happened in this case, I think the chapter’s suspension speaks to the kinds of behaviors that are regular occurrences there. This could have been a situation of hazing gone too far and causing Joseph’s fatal outcome.
I think the decision to declare the death of Joseph Smedley II a suicide doesn’t make sense.
I’m not only speaking from the parameters of my own mind, but from both a statistical and human behavioral standpoint.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022 data shows that 1% of people who commit suicide do so by way of drowning, though it’s slightly more common in older adults.
As humans, we are biologically programmed with a survival instinct. We are designed to do whatever we can to survive. We have a built-in fight or flight instinct. Withstanding the physical pain associated with drowning, and forcing one’s self to do so in three feet of water where it is possible to find safety in an instant, goes against this primary instincts Further, with Joseph in a good headspace and on a positive track in general, and without a history problematic behavior, the crime doesn’t align with who he was as a person. I believe Joseph was died in the vicinity of Griffy Lake, though I’m not exactly sure how, and that his body was subsequently dumped in the lake.
Thank you for reading and please continue to advocate for the reopening of Joseph Smedley II’s case. It’s been almost seven years since this happened and there’s still no #JusticeForJoseph. Please help spread awareness on the effort to change that.
Name(s) of victim(s) + age(s): Joseph McStay, 40; Summer McStay, 43; Gianni McStay, 4; Joseph Jr. McStay, 3 Date(s) of crime(s): on or around February 4, 2010 Location(s) of crimes: Fallbrook, California Perpetrator(s): Charles “Chase” Merritt, 53 Relationship to victims: business associate Crime(s) in sum: A family of four vanishes from their Fallbrook, California, home in 2010, and when their bodies are discovered four years later, one trusted associate is placed under the scope.
THIS CRIME TAKES PLACE HERE:
Fallbrook, California, where this crime takes place.
It was winter of 2010 in Southern California and the McStay family was together in their cozy Fallbrook home; a five-bedroom abode nestled in a quiet cul-de-sac in Avocado Vista; an area that sits at the foot of an avocado tree-covered mountain. .
The family consisted of 40-year-old Joseph McStay, a businessman and entrepreneur who owned Earth Inspired Products, a local, indoor fountain-installation company, and his wife Summer, a 43-year-old licensed real estate agent. Summer had taken time off to focus on raising their young sons, 4-year-old Gianni and 3-year-old Joseph Jr. The family also had two dogs, which included an Akita named Bear. (The other isn’t referenced by media sources.) They lived in Fallbrook, a community in northern San Diego County and 55 miles north of San Diego.
The McStay’s were known as a warm, loving family that was surrounded by loved ones and friends, but like anyone else, the couple faced personal challenges. Joseph and Summer met in 2004 and married in 2007. When they met, it was described as “love at first sight,” however, at the time of their disappearance, there was trouble brewing between the couple, which was visible in heated text messages and email exchanges.
Summer was fiery and hot-tempered and Joseph was mild-mannered. Joseph often described his father, Patrick, as one of his best friends, but Summer wasn’t close with her family. Joseph enjoyed surfing and playing soccer, and was known socially around town. He also shared a close bond with his teenage son, Jonah, from a previous relationship. He was known for keeping his promises and showing up for his loved ones. Summer had more of a shy outward demeanor and preferred to keep to herself, though she loved to shop. Ross Dress for Less was one of her favorite stores and she frequented it often.
The McStay family home in Fallbrook, California. Photo credit: Lenny Ignelzi / AP
It was the beginning of February; a pleasant time climate-wise in Fallbrook. Temperatures traditionally hover around 67-degrees Fahrenheit, bringing in days that are chilly on the coast and absent of humidity, and cool nights.
Fallbrook, which sits 70 miles north of Tijuana, Mexico, is known as The Friendly Village. The area is riddled with avocado groves and the community celebrates an annual Avocado Festival each summer. It was a place the McStay’s were happy to be, but they were also getting used to it. The family only moved to Fallbrook from San Clemente three months earlier, around Thanksgiving weekend. On January 31, the family celebrated Joseph Jr.’s third birthday, and at the time this crime took place, they had his birthday party planned for the coming weekend.
The Disappearance
Nothing was unusual with the McStay’s, which made the investigation difficult at first.
The day before they went missing, February 3, 2010, a search was made on the family computer for how to create invitations for a child’s birthday party. Sometime that afternoon, a family friend came over to help paint (the family had recently moved into their Fallbrook home) and agreed to return a few days later to finish up. The friend interacted with Summer and the boys. Also that day, Summer used her credit card to purchase about $66 worth of educational toys from a Ross Dress for Less store in Vista.
On the afternoon of Thursday, February 4, 2010, Joseph McStay spoke to his father Patrick over the phone and said he was rushing to a lunch meeting with an employee in Rancho Cucamonga. Sometime that day Summer spoke with her sister Tracy, who recently had a baby, and made plans to visit them the following week. She also used her credit card to purchase beach bags, infant pajamas and a jacket from the same Ross Dress for Less store in Vista. She also used the home computer to search Craigslist for children’s toys.
Curiously, Summer also placed a call at 2:11 pm to an herbal medicine company to request a medication called “Anger,” even though the company didn’t sell a product that matched this description.
The McStay’s. Photo from Oxygen.
The last outgoing call made from the McStay’s home was placed at 4:25 pm to Joseph’s cell phone. Text messages continued between Joseph and Summer from 5 pm to 5:45 pm, when all communication stopped.
That night around 7:47 pm, a neighbor’s surveillance system captured what appeared to be the family’s vehicle, a mid-size SUV, specifically a white Isuzu Trooper, leaving their driveway. The camera only captured the bottom 18 inches of the vehicle, so they could not determine who was driving. Less than an hour later, a call was placed from Joseph’s cell phone to his business associate, 52-year-old Charles “Chase” Merritt,” at 8:28 pm. Chase told investigators he let the call go to voicemail because he was watching a movie. Joseph’s phone pinged a tower in Fallbrook at this time.
Over The Next Few Days…
When no one had heard from the family, loved ones desperately tried to gain contact with them, but to no avail.
On February 8, the McStay family car was found abandoned in the parking lot of a strip mall in San Ysidro, San Diego, two blocks from the Mexican border. The vehicle is believed to have been parked there between 5:30-7 pm that evening. Its location from February 4 to 8 was unknown. It was towed to an impound lot and its interior i didn’t turn up any clues.
On February 13, Joseph’s brother, Michael McStay, grew so worried that he went to the family’s Fallbrook home to search for clues. He climbed through an open window in back of the home and still, there was no trace of them. The family dogs were left outside in the fenced backyard.
Missing persons information released on the McStay family.
It was clear to him, however, that the McStay’s left in a hurry. A carton of now-rotting eggs laid on the counter and two, now-stale, half-eaten, child-sized bowls of popcorn sat untouched in the living room. Summer’s prescription sunglasses were left on the counter.
Two days later, Michael filed a missing person’s report with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSD). An official search of the home turned up little information.
Media speculated that the family fled to Mexico. On the family computer, searches were made for “What documents do children need for traveling to Mexico?” and information about Spanish language lessons. The International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol, was alerted to keep a lookout for the McStay family, and there was one suspected sighting, but nothing was confirmed.
Remains Are Found Four Years Later
On November 11, 2013, nearly four years after the McStay’s disappeared, a motorcyclist came upon human remains in the desert near Victorville, California. Investigators located two shallow, unmarked graves, each containing the remains of multiple bodies. Located nearby was a rusty, three-pound sledgehammer, a pair of child’s pants and a diaper. The remains were confirmed to be those of all four members of the McStay family and the site was some 100 miles north of their Fallbrook home.
Distance from Mojave Desert to Fallbrook, California.
The remains were not far from Interstate 15, which connects the area of Victorville to Las Vegas. The McStay’s deaths were ruled as homicides due to blunt-force trauma. The murders are believed to have taken place in their home and the bodies were subsequently brought to this site and dumped. It was later determined that Summer may have been raped prior to her murder, as her pants were found discarded near her head and her underwear was tucked into her pants. Her bra was also damaged in a way that suggests it was cut off.
Almost a year afterthe McStay’s remains were found, Charles “Chase” Merritt, a metal worker and business associate of Joseph McStay’s, was arrested and charged for the murders of Joseph, Summer, Gianni and Joseph Jr. McStay. On January 21, 2020, Chase was sentenced to death for the murders and is currently one of more than 715 inmates serving on San Quentin Death Row.
Charles “Chase’ Merritt.” Photo credit: California Department of Motor Vehicles
Joseph operated a fountain installation and manufacturing business, and he managed all aspects of his business, from day-to-day running of the business to customer service, pricing, invoices, procurement of the foundations and selling. However, Joseph’s company didn’t create the fountains themselves. Joseph was self-employed as a standalone business, but he hired independent contractors to help him out. Chase was one of these workers.
It turned up that Chase owed Joseph $32,000 prior to the family’s disappearance and Joseph planned to fire him. DNA was also found on the steering wheel and gear shift of the McStay’s family car, which was confirmed to be Chase’s DNA. He was identified as having a motive and he was placed at the scene of the crime. Still, Chase proclaimed his innocence.
More On Chase Merritt
Another thing about Chase that’s getting in the way of his “innocence” plea, is his lengthy rap sheet. Chase, who was 52 years old when he committed this crime, had lived in Los Angeles, Victorville and surrounding areas since he was in his 20s. Because of this, he knew the landscape well. He also was a convicted felon with his most recent felony charge in 2001 involving a burglary and receiving stolen property, and followed with a six-month jail stint. The stolen property was $32,000 worth of welding and drilling equipment from San Gabriel Ornamental Iron Works in Monrovia, California, showing a behavior that was similar to the situation between him and Joseph McStay.
Some of Chase’s earlier convictions include:
’77, burglary of a home and another charge for petty theft, 60 days in jail for each
’78, criminal trespassing, 30 days in jail
’78, burglary, two years in prison
’85, receiving stolen property, one year in jail
’87, receiving stolen property, 16 months in prison
’88, receiving stolen property, 14 days in jail
’88, parole violation
’01, burglary and grand theft, six months in jail
Still, for some reason, no one wanted to believe that Chase was the culprit. Despite his history, none of his crimes were violent in nature. Chase also took a polygraph test, which he passed. When asked what he thought of Chase as a suspect, Patrick McStay, Joseph’s father, told CBS8:
“I have to have faith in Chase because I have to have faith in my son. I believe that [Joseph] trusted Chase and believed in Chase. Do I think Chase is involved? I don’t think so, and I truly hope not.”
In addition to Chase’s history of criminal behavior, the trial caste light on his gambling addiction. In the days after the McStay’s disappeared, he wrote checks from Joseph’s business account which totaled more than $21,000. He then went on a gambling spree, frequenting nearby casinos and losing thousands of dollars.
In January 21, 2020, Chase, then 63, was sentenced to death for the murders of Joseph, Summer, Gianni and Joseph Jr. McStay. He is still serving on San Quentin Death Row.
Name(s) of victim(s) + age(s): Nicole Elizabeth Snyder, 6, and Jasmine Jean Snyder, 4 Date(s) of crime(s): on or around May 10, 2016 and on or around August 11, 2017 Location: Hepburn Township, Pennsylvania, and Williamsport, Pennsylvania Perpetrator(s) + age(s): Marie Sue Snyder, 32, and Echo Butler, 26 Relationship to victim(s): Marie Sue Snyder is the mother of Nicole and Jasmine Snyder, and Echo Butler is the girlfriend of Marie Sue Snyder Crimes in sum: Five years passed before authorities were alerted to the disappearance of 6-year-old Nicole Snyder and her sister, 4-year-old Jasmine Jean Snyder, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It wasn’t that no one noticed their absence before, but their mother, 32-year-old Marie Sue Snyder, had far more involvement than she let on. Reader discretion: TRIGGER WARNING.
Trigger warning: This case involves severe child abuse.
This blog is several years in the making—the result of starting, stopping and then starting again, with some overthinking sprinkled in between.
I was moved to finally get this blog going because I couldn’t shake this case. Being interested in true crime, I’ve read about all sorts of cases involving the most horrendous of circumstances, but none have caught my attention more recently than the senseless murders of Nicole and Jasmine Snyder. This post, the first post of this blog and the push to finally start this long-term project, is to raise awareness about this case.
WHERE THIS CRIME TAKES PLACE: Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The Worst Case I’ve Read In A While
The short lives of 6-year-old Nicole Elizabeth Snyder and her sister, 4-year-old Jasmine Jean Snyder of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, were filled with more evil than most people see in their lifetimes.
Nicole Snyder, right, and her sister Jasmine, taken in the spring or summer of 2015 by their grandfather Robert Snyder. Photo credit: PennLive.
These precious little girls were traumatized for most of their lives. They were kept from their father and abused by their mother’s partner, and their mother enabled it.
It is absolutely unthinkable to imagine these smiling, blonde-haired babies being exposed to such horrendous treatment. It is a parent’s God-given right to protect their children at all costs, and the girls’ mother, 32-year-old Marie Sue Snyder, failed at that job and devastatingly so.
This is not an easy case to get through. TRIGGER WARNING: This post contains descriptions of severe child abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
What Started This?
Marie Sue Snyder married Joshua Snyder in 2009 and the couple moved to Lititz, Pennsylvania; a small town in Amish Country some 75 miles northwest of Philadelphia. In the next few years, Marie and Joshua had three children, two girls and a boy: Nicole Elizabeth, Jasmine Jean andJesse.
The couple later moved to the historic small town of Hughesville, Pennsylvania, less than 20 miles outside of Williamsport. Their marriage remained intact through 2014 but only on paper. Marie Sue, then 25, left the martial home with all three children–Jesse was a newborn at the time–and moved in with her friend Echo Butler, 21, and her parents in Williamsport. Echo and Marie had a friendship that quickly escalated into a romantic partnership after the move.
Marie and Joshua officially separated in 2015 and subsequent actions suggest–in my own opinion–that Marie tried to get Joshua out of the picture. Marie filed for primary custody of the children and filed two protection-from-abuse (PFA) orders against Joshua. In the first, Marie said Joshua touched one of the girls inappropriately; a claim that was never confirmed. In the second, Marie said Joshua pulled a gun on her and she feared for her life. Because of the allegations against him, Joshua could only see his children during supervised visits for 12 hours on Fridays.
Around when the second PFA was issued, Joshua went to assist a relative in Maine. Because he was out of town, Joshua was unaware of the second PFA hearing. When he returned to Pennsylvania, he learned he was prohibited from seeing his children, because he didn’t attend the hearing. Joshua repeatedly attempted to gain contact with Marie but to no avail. This was the last time he saw his daughters alive.
Jasmine Snyder, 4, and her sister Nicole Snyder, 6, in the background, playing in the snow.. Photo by her father, Joshua Snyder. Photo credit: PAhomepage
In the meantime, the children continued living with their mother, Echo–who was now their mother’s girlfriend–and her parents, Michele Butler, 46 and Ronald Butler, 50. They all shared a home in Hepburn Township, a rural area four miles north of Williamsport.
Long ago, in the late 1800s, Williamsport was booming due from the success of its lumber industry, and home to the country’s most millionaires. Since then it’s lost about a third of its population.
When the children moved in with Echo and her family, Marie told investigators they were healthy. Joshua told PAhomepage he continued paying child support. He also continuously requested visits with and wellness checks on them, but received no response. Joshua said when he didn’t hear from Marie, he assumed his daughters were safe and they’d reach out to him when they were older. He told PAhomepagehe never imagined something like the outcome that transpired.
A Motive Unthinkable
It wasn’t long after Marie in with Echo, that Echo started abusing Nicole and Jasmine. While Marie worked at a nearby nursing home–which is also quite worrisome, if you ask me–Echo was responsible for caring for Nicole, Jasmine and Jesse. The opportunity to be alone with them for so many hours afforded the girls little protection from their tormentor, and their mother was no mother at all.
Echo said she “hated” the girls, so she harmed them daily. She withheld from from them, only delving out spoonfuls of peas or bites of cereal at a time, along with sips of water. Eventually, they weren’t fed at all anymore.
Nicole and Jasmine were physically beaten by Echo, which included being choked, having their hands tied behind their backs and being hit with closed fists. They were sometimes forced to stand in the corner of a room with their faces to the wall from daybreak to nightfall, and made to take cold baths because Echo said they “didn’t deserve” the hot water. The girls were constantly screamed at, pushed and shoved around.
Marie Sue Snyder, 32, and Echo Lane Butler, 26.
Jasmine was often left in a car seat in the home and restrained for hours at a time. Nicole was often bound. Both girls were left sitting in soiled diapers for hours or even days. If they defecated in their diapers or had an accident, Echo smeared feces and urine on their faces.
When their mother, Marie, was asked why her and Echo withheld food from them, she answered coldly, “We starved them so they would die.”
Lisa Shoemaker, Echo’s aunt, came forward as witnessing Echo trying to “sell” Jasmine to a Lycoming County couple for $1,000. Echo refused this claim and stated that Marie didn’t want her ex-husband, Joshua “to know.” It was in 2015 when Lisa also first approached Marie about Echo’s harsh methods of discipline and noticed marks and bruises on the girls’ bodies.
Dale Fisher, a neighbor of the Butler’s from 2014 to 2017, told investigators that while visiting on at least one occasion, he saw Nicole and Jasmine being fed spoonfuls of peas and some water while everyone else had pizza. He described the girls as “skinny” and saw them bound to a wall.
Dale told investigators that during one visit, he heard a “bloodcurdling scream” after Echo brought Nicole to the bathroom to give her a bath. After another visit, Dale and his wife phoned the Children and Youth Services Agency (Children and Youth) and filed a report.
The abuse inflicted on the children was harsh and prolonged. There was no escape for Nicole or Jasmine. As a result of subsequent abuse at the hands of her caregivers, Nicole died on or around May 10, 2016, and Jasmine died on or around August 11, 2017.
For over a year, Jasmine continued living in the home with her abusive caregivers, knowing that her sister died as a direct result. “Fear” is a poor description to explain what Jasmine, who was only four years old, felt during the aftermath of her sister’s death. As if that wasn’t earth-shattering enough, Echo abused Jasmine more harshly after Nicole died.
How The Lies Came To Light
From the last time Joshua saw his daughters in 2015 through the beginning of November of 2021, he believed they were okay. But early that month he learned the bodies of Nicole and Jasmine, his baby girls, were recovered between November 5 and 6, 2021. Nicole had been deceased for five years and Jasmine, for four years.
Nicole and Jasmine’s bodies were found in shallow graves near a trailer home at the end of Livermore Road. The Butler’s lived at 653 Livermore Road in Hepburn Township (shown). Their emaciated bodies were placed in tote bags and hidden behind a shed.
A Google Image photo of the area where Nicole and Jasmine’s bodies were found.
Despite having passed years before, their condition made the abuse they suffered jarringly apparent–especially as more information was discovered.
When Nicole passed away, she weighed 10 pounds, despite being six years old. Investigators also learned that all three adult women in the household were present during her passing, which included Echo, her abuser, her mother Marie and Echo’s mother Michele. They watched as she took her last breath.
At this same moment, Marie called 9-1-1 but hung up when Echo and Michele told her to do so. When 9-1-1 called back, she told them the call was a mistake.
Echo and Marie then placed Nicole’s body on a bed and covered it with a blanket, to appear like she was sleeping. Then, they took a drive to a nearby store, discussing what to do next. When they returned, they’d decided on moving Nicole’s body to the shed, where it remained for several days. Eventually, Echo grabbed a shovel and dug a hole at the back of a shed on their property and placed Nicole’s body inside. Marie dropped moth balls around it to cover up any possible odor.
Marie told investigators that when Nicole passed away in May 2016, Jasmine had been living with a neighbor, Lisa Shoemaker, who was identified earlier as Echo’s aunt. Marie said that she, Echo and Jesse subsequently moved into their own apartment on Catherine Street in Williamsport after Nicole’s death. The truth was that Jasmine lived in the apartment with them, albeit only for a short time.
Marie said Jasmine was treated “well” at first. She told Echo she couldn’t bear the pain of losing another daughter. An official stopped by their apartment during this time and saw Jasmine playing with toys on the floor. All appeared well from a distance. A year later, Jasmine died as a result of the same abuse inflicted on her older sister. Her body was placed in the trunk of Marie and Echo’s car and brought inside the Livermore Road shed, where Nicole’s body was held. She was ultimately buried alongside her sister.
From then, Marie and Echo made a pact that if anyone asked, they would say Nicole and Jasmine were living with their father, Joshua. Marie and Echo burned all Nicole and Jasmine’s toys and belongings.
What Cracked This Case Open?
Police became concerned with the whereabouts of Nicole and Jasmine Snyder not because they were identified missing, but because their younger brother Jesse, now 7, was missing school. The search for Jesse prompted the involvement of Lycoming County Children and Youth Services. When they made contact with Jesse, authorities saw that he couldn’t use the bathroom independently and couldn’t count beyond 10. Marie claimed she was homeschooling him.
Police then realized Nicole and Jasmine were nowhere to be found. No one but the family claimed to see the girls in six years, and they were suspicious.
Marie was brought in for questioning on September 15, 2021 and again on September 25, 2021. On September 26, Echo and Marie packed their belongings, took Jesse and fled Hepburn Township, promising to never return. They hopped from hotel to hotel for several weeks until police caught up with them. When asked why they ran, Marie and Echo said it was because they didn’t want Jesse to be taken from them. Despite the ongoing abuse toward Nicole and Jasmine, Marie and Echo claimed Jesse wasn’t abused. (I certainly believe his emotional and developmental delays can be considered a result of abuse. Imagine what that little boy has seen and been exposed to?)
On October 22, authorities made contact with Butler’s neighbors, who said they never saw two girls, but only Jesse. On November 5, Echo was taken into custody and admitted to knowing the whereabouts of all three children.
Marie Snyder exists the Lycoming County courthouse where she testified that she and her female partner, Echo Butler, intentionally starved to her two daughters to death. At right is Old Lycoming Twp. Detective Robert Mausteller. Photo credit: PennLIVE.
Marie was taken into custody a day earlier on November 4, 2021. Initially, she told police the girls were staying with a friend and being homeschooled there because she didn’t have enough room for them. However, Marie didn’t provide information on who or where the friend was. Soon after, Nicole and Jasmine’s remains were located on the Williamsport property.
In an interview with PennLive, Robert Synder, the paternal grandfather of Nicole and Jasmine, said Marie never wanted to keep her daughters; she only wanted custody of her son. Nicole and Jasmine’s father, Joshua Snyder, remains committed to finding out exactly what transpired and seeking justice for his late daughters.
While searching the Butler family home, authors found handwritten letters from Marie to Echo, written over the years. In at least one letter, Marie said she never wanted to have children and instead wanted to abort them, but was encouraged otherwise from Joshua and his family. She also apologized to Echo in a December 2015 letter where she wrote, “I’m sorry about these fucking bitches,” referring to her daughters. “If you want them gone, they’re gone.” In January 2017, another letter from Marie to Echo stated, “I know you don’t like Jasmine and never liked Nicole.”
For up to five years following the death of both daughters, Marie and Echo continued to collect more than $70,000 in benefits from the Lycoming County Assistance Office and the Domestic Relations Office.
Joshua Snyder, father of Nicole Elizabeth and Jasmine Jean Snyder, and his father, speak to WNEP16.
The Lycoming County district attorney referred to the Butler’s home as the “trailer of horrors.” In an unsealed police affidavit, Lycoming County District Attorney Ryan Gardner said:
The conditions, unfortunately, these two beautiful little girls were subjected to prior to their deaths, is some of the worst that I have ever seen by far. In speaking with law enforcement, hands down, it is the worst that they have seen as well in their storied 30-plus-year careers.
Ryan Gardner, Lycoming County District Attorney
In an interview with Northern Pennsylvania news station WNEP16, Joshua said, “If something happens, you call the police. You call if something happens to a child. They come out and they investigate. You don’t hide something.”
And If That’s Not Evil Enough…
Echo’s parents, Ronald and Michele, lied to cover up what happened. Michele said she had not seen the girls in more than six years,and didn’t know where they were. Not only were they aware of what happened, but they participated in the abuse, indicating a total of four adults directly involved in Nicole and Jasmine’s murders.
Charges Faced
Michele Butler, 49, pled guilty to third-degree murder charges in mid-April 2022.
Robert Butler, 53, pled guilty on two third-degree felony counts of child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge for obstruction for allegedly telling false information to child protective services.
Marie Sue Snyder and Echo Butler are both facing 40 combined felony and misdemeanor charges, which include criminal homicide, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person. unlawful restraint/serious bodily injury, death by deception-fail to correct, concealed death of a child, endangering the welfare of children, obstruction, abuse of a corpse and conspiracy. Echo is currently being held in Lycoming County Prison and Marie Sue is being held at Center County Correctional Facility.
(Updates to come on sentencing.)
My-Two-Cents Corner ⤵
Blog posts will follow with my two cents, not with every case, but only if I feel it necessary.
PLEASE keep in mind that this is my personal blog with my personal thoughts. What I think is not necessarily true, though I will base my opinion on facts. I
Point No. 1: Why didn’t anyone look for Nicole and Jasmine earlier? Five years?
Even though Marie claimed to be “homeschooling” her children, there really should be a system in place to check on children who are being homeschooled, their wellbeing and the environment in which they’re being educated (and raised). This situation is ripe for abusers to isolate young victims and with no check-in practices in place, children can truly wind up anywhere and in the care of anyone. I’m not aware of the legal side to homeschooling and child welfare, but this is the main problem that stands out to me. If Marie and Echo were intending to abuse Jesse, Marie’s youngest son, there would have been plenty of time to do so before anyone could intervene, as was the case with Nicole and Jasmine.
Point No. 2: Abusers having professional caretaker roles?
I also have to point out a pattern here and that is abusers being entrusted in caregiver positions. Marie worked at a local nursing home. She would go home and allow the continued abuse of her two eldest daughters, her only daughters, ages 6 and 4. Then, she’d go to work and leave her daughters in the care of her vicious, violent partner, and administer care for elderly folks.
I can’t help but assume here that Marie may have abused her patients, at some point or another–especially if she didn’t particularly “like” them, which is what happened in part with Nicole and Jasmine. The girls’ paternal grandfather, Robert Snyder, told PennLive that Marie never wanted the girls; she only wanted Jesse. If she acted on something so senseless in her own home, there’s no reason to assume her patients were safe either.
Point No. 3: How was this allowed to continue with four adults involved?
We’re obviously discussing four adults who are not in their right minds, but there were four people involved, including Nicole and Jasmine’s mother, which makes this even more outrageous.
Cycles of abuse often perpetuate in families, unfortunately. There’s not enough information on the backstory of the Snyder’s or the Butler’s to make this connection, but I will make this assumption myself. However, the difference here is that even if Echo Butler was abused by her parents growing up, it was not severe enough to result in death. Echo is currently incarcerated and still very much alive. So if these behaviors weren’t perpetuated to a current extent, how were they enabled by those around Echo? Another conclusion I have to make here is that the others feared Echo to an extent.
What Do You Think?
Comment your thoughts and options down below, but please be respectful of your community members and the innocent parties involved.
