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In Crimes Involving Children 18 Mins Read

Sisters Subjected To Horrific Abuse At Hands Of Mother, Mother’s Partner

At A Glance

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.

Welcome to True Crime Beat, a true crime blog.

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 and Jesse.

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 PAhomepage he 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.

Thank you for reading.

Rest in peace, Nicole and Jasmine Snyder.

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