In Williamsport, Pennsylvania a second set of human remains have been located which are believed to belong to a small child, These remains and a first set found earlier are thought by police to be those of the eight and eleven-year-old daughters of Marie Sue Snyder, 32. A press release from the Old Lycoming Township Police and Detectives from the Lycoming County District Attorney’s Office has confirmed that authorities are investigating this as a homicide.
A Disturbing Case of Human Remains, Child Neglect And Murder
Patch.com reports,
“According to Penn Live, the girls’ mother, Marie Sue Snyder, did not want to keep them and only wanted to keep her son.
The girls, Jasman and Nicole Snyder were found buried behind a trailer home in Hepburn on Nov. 8. They were last seen in 2015; Nicole died in 2016 at 6 and Jasman died in 2017 at 4, according to Old Lycoming Township Police Department Chief Chris Kriner.”
Marie Sue Snyder and Echo Butler, 26 were arrested by a U.S. Marshals Service-Lycoming County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Task Force on Nov. 4 after the Lycoming County Children and Youth Services investigated the possible neglect of a third child in Syder’s care: her son. CYS began an investigation of Snyder on Sept. 10, 2021 when a medical provider raised concerns about possible neglect of her 7-year-old boy, according to the arrest affidavit.
According to NorthCentralPA.com
“CYS workers made contact with Snyder and her live-in girlfriend, Echo Butler, on Sept. 15. When the caseworker asked about Snyder’s two daughters, she said the girls “were not home due to not having a bed and is residing at a friend’s house with homeschooling,” according to the affidavit.
CYS attempted several other times via telephone and email to request that they meet with Snyder’s daughters to ensure they were safe and receiving proper education. Attempts were made on Sept. 16, 22, and 24, but Snyder did not get back to the case worker, according to the affidavit.”
By September 25th Snyder, Echo Butler, and the seven-year-old boy had allegedly packed up and left. A CYS investigation determined that there was no medical or court record of either of them dating back to 2015, nor had they been enrolled in school. The children’s father Joshua Snyder hadn’t seen any of them since the same year when a custody order and protection from abuse order was put in place by the courts.
The little boy has been taken into care by Children and Youth Services, the two women: Snyder and Butler are facing charges already for third-degree felonies of endangering the welfare of children and obstructing Children and Youth’s investigation, pending the outcome of the investigation, murder charges will likely follow, they are being held at Lycoming County Prison without bail.
Michele Butler, 48, Echo’s mother has also been subsequently arrested and charged in connection with the deaths of Jasman and Nicole with obstruction and child endangerment. Police in Lycoming County determined that Michele lived in the same home with Echo, Marie Snyder, and Snyder’s children. Echo Butler is now cooperating with authorities according to WNEP ABC16
