Perry County man killed wife, left her body on floor where son found her, police say

A Perry County man shot and killed his wife after a Sunday argument, leaving her body on the floor where their son found her the next morning, police said in court documents.

“I guess I shot her by accident,” Douglas Snyder initially told Pennsylvania State Police when they arrived around 10:30 a.m. Monday at his home in Marysville, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Snyder’s wife, Samantha Fields, 38, was lying dead with gunshot wounds on the floor just inside the front door when police arrived, court documents said.

After telling police the shooting was an accident, Snyder said, “I honest to God did not just shoot my wife,” according to the affidavit.

But court documents said Snyder, 56, later told police he and Fields were arguing and he “snapped” when she threw a book at his head while he was walking away from her.

“I was pissed, I turned around, snapped and I shot her,” he told police, according to the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, Snyder and Fields’ son said when he went to bed Sunday night, the only people in the house were he and his parents, Snyder and Fields. When he woke up, he found Fields dead.

Court documents said Snyder admitted his son was in bed asleep when the shooting happened, and that Snyder left his son alone in the house with his mother’s body for 13 hours between the time of the shooting and when he called police on Monday.

Snyder was charged on Monday with homicide and endangering the welfare of children. He is being held without bail at Perry County Prison.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 23 before Magisterial District Judge Tracy Powell.