Mother Pressured Children to Reside Exterior in Yard Whereas She Stayed Elsewhere as Residence Was ‘Unlivable’: Police

The sentence comes after Betty Sue Snider, 35, entered an Alford plea on 4 counts of wanton endangerment, 4 counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, and three counts of abandonment of a minor. This plea is equal to a responsible plea because it ends in conviction, however permits the defendant to take care of their innocence whereas conceding there’s sufficient proof to convict at trial.

Snider was arrested on August 29, 2024, after an investigation uncovered that her three youngsters had allegedly been compelled to dwell outdoors within the yard for an unknown period of time, however believed to be months, based on the Louisville Metro Police Division.

The kids, aged 10, 11, and 16, had been hospitalized when she was arrested, affected by malnourishment, dehydration, and neglect. In accordance with LMPD data reviewed by the Louisville Courier Journal, police grew to become concerned when the teenager confirmed as much as faculty in poor bodily situation, and her youthful siblings stopped exhibiting up in any respect.

Directors at Jefferson County Public Faculties contacted police in regards to the teen’s situation, and expressed their considerations that her siblings might be in “attainable hazard” as they’d not seen them.

Officers then made their solution to the household’s dwelling at round 2 p.m. on August 29 for a welfare verify, however they discovered the youthful youngsters outdoors, the place all three youngsters had been allegedly residing with out entry to water, electrical energy, or shelter. The youthful youngsters had been reportedly “appeared soiled, hungry, and had seen accidents,” based on police documentation.

In accordance with the youngsters, their trailer dwelling was filthy, and they also would usually sleep outdoors, discovering relaxation in a tent, or on chairs and even a swing. Police described the house as “unlivable” of their studies, describing bugs and trash seen in all places.

The kids additional informed police, per court docket paperwork, that their mom was conscious of the house’s situation and that she usually left them alone for prolonged durations of time.

When police made contact with Snider, she agreed that the home was “unlivable,” including that she had not gone inside it herself prior to now a number of months. She additional “admitted to not being on the location for prolonged durations of time,” per the arrest affidavit.

She reportedly defined the situations of the house in court docket, telling the decide, per ABC affiliate WHAS, “I used to be within the means of shifting to a different home. One other location that I owned myself.”

The kids’s great-grandmother, Mary Burkhammer, spoke with ABC affiliate WHAS after Snider’s 2024 arrest, telling the outlet, “They have been handled like canine and animals.” She added that the youngsters would “sneak down right here when she was gone to get one thing to eat or drink. They wasn’t allowed of their dwelling.”

She defined to the outlet that although she lived on the identical avenue as Snider, her granddaughter wouldn’t let the youngsters seen her. She additional alleged that Snider has a historical past of neglect and stated she’d go away the children alone for “three or 4 days,” asking, “What did she suppose these youngsters had been consuming?”

Burkhammer and different members of the family informed the media they’ve reached out to each the police and the Cupboard of Well being and Household Providers a number of occasions to report the residing situations at Snider’s dwelling, however little or no had been accomplished previous to Snider’s arrest.

“We’re not the one individuals who name,” the youngsters’s cousin Kaylee Grismer informed NBC affiliate WAVE. “We’ve got folks streets over who name. We’ve got a neighbor down right here who calls. Our neighbor calls. Dude over there calls.”

One neighbor informed the outlet that they’d hear the youngsters “outdoors at 4 within the morning, screaming and preventing with one another” and surprise, “Okay, that do not appear proper. Why are they outdoors?”

Buckhammer informed the outlet that she reported the state of affairs to CHFS and the police, telling them, “There’s youngsters residing outdoors, utilizing the toilet outdoors, do not take showers, eats as soon as they’ll get their meals. Mom’s gone a number of days at a time at night time. They actually need assistance. They want any individual to do one thing.”

She stated essentially the most they’ve seen in response are notices posted on Snider’s door, which Buckhammer stated she would simply ignore. She informed WAVE she was about to take the children “and go someplace” if one thing wasn’t accomplished to assist them quickly.

“Yeah, I would have most likely gotten locked up. However do I care? No, as a result of they’d be with me,” she stated. “They’d have been fed. They would not be scared. They’d be secure.”

CHFS confirmed earlier contact with the household to WAVE and launched the next assertion: “The administration believes that each youngster deserves a nurturing atmosphere the place they’ve an opportunity to succeed.”

“We additionally acknowledge a societal problem the place so long as there’s this stage of abuse and neglect on the earth, then the necessity for remediation will persist,” the assertion continued. “Early intervention is essential and it is an space we’re persevering with to deal with. The Cupboard has had contact with this household. We can not touch upon issues which may be underneath investigation however as at all times, we’ll work with legislation enforcement.”