Manor Township woman to serve at least 20 years for hatchet attack that killed husband

A Manor Township woman will spend at least 20 years in prison for attacking her husband with a hatchet in 2017.

Melanie Sue Snyder, 43, pleaded guilty Friday in Armstrong County Court to a single charge of third-­degree murder for the July 27, 2017, attack in which, police say, she struck her husband at least five times with a hatchet in his head and neck.

Thomas Snyder, 41, died of pneumonia about five months after the assault. Armstrong County Coroner Brian K. Myers ruled Thomas Snyder’s death a homicide because the pneumonia likely was caused by trauma to Snyder’s brain suffered in the attack.

As part of a plea deal with prosecutors, 19 other charges against Melanie Snyder were dropped. Judge James J. Panchik said the plea deal calls for Snyder to serve 20 to 40 years in prison on the third-degree murder charge.

Armstrong County District Attorney Katie Charlton said her office agreed to the plea deal because a trial, originally scheduled to begin Monday, would have required Snyder’s children to testify against her. Charlton said it was in the best interests of the children to avoid a trial.

“It makes a horrible situation a little more bearable,” Charlton said.

Snyder’s attack on her husband, according to police, occurred in front of the couple’s three children, ages 17, 13 and 6 at the time. Police say it was Snyder’s 17-year-old daughter who first called police after she and her brothers fled their Garrets Run Road home during the attack.

When Panchik asked her why she attacked her husband, Snyder responded, “I don’t know.”

She recalled being at home with her husband and three kids the day of the incident and said she was angry with him, but couldn’t give many other details.

“I didn’t want to kill him,” she told the judge.

She said she got the hatchet from a shed and returned to attack her husband.

When asked how many times she struck him, Snyder replied, “It must have been at least three (times).”

She also had been accused of striking her then 13-year-old son at least once with the hatchet.

Yet when asked if her children witnessed the attack, Snyder claimed that they did not; she said she stopped the attack on her own.

Charlton said the three children will remain in the custody of the victim’s sister and her husband. The sister and her husband will be asked to write an impact statement for the judge to consider prior to sentencing.

In addition to her prison sentence, Snyder also faces a fine of up to $50,000. Among the charges dropped were numerous counts of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and child endangerment.

Formal sentencing for Snyder is scheduled for Feb. 19.

Emily Balser is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Emily at 724-226-4680, emilybalser@tribweb.com or via Twitter @emilybalser.