The mystery of the disappearance of Michael Snyder from his home in North Albuquerque Acres, New Mexico, was not solved for a long time. Investigation Discovery’s “American Monster” Everything for You’ chronicles how an unorthodox tip led to the remains of Michael Snyder and eventually led to the arrest of his wife. The prosecutors, however, had an arduous decision deciding what to charge the killer with. Let’s see the outcome let’s see, shall we?
How Did Mike Snyder Die?
Michael James “Mike” Snyder was an Albuquerque, New Mexico native who graduated from high school in the year 1976. After graduation, he attended an automotive school, eventually becoming a master’s mechanic. His loved family members described Mike, 43 years old was described as a generous and generous man. When he was not working, Mike loved skiing and fishing on his jet boat. He engaged Ellen Snyder in 1994, and they shared one daughter.
On January 11 on January 11, 2002, Ellen phoned Mike’s parents, telling them that Mike had disappeared. In the meantime, he’d been diagnosed with MS. Despite multiple attempts to contact him and not hearing back from Mike in the next several months. The case came to light around eight years later, in February of 2010, after a tip brought investigators back to the Snyder house, which a different person now owns. They discovered Mike’s remains, which were buried under a covered tarp. A postmortem examination of the body revealed that there were gunshot wounds on the body.
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Who Killed Mike Snyder?
In the beginning, Ellen had told everyone that Mike was gone but was alive. According to her, he was mentally and physically violent. The woman also said she was homosexual. The case was stalled without evidence until 2010, when a tipper provided details. It was a close friend of Ellen’s son who was part of a previous marriage. The person interviewed by police said that Mike was laid to rest inside the yard of Snyders, the previous North Albuquerque Acres residence, beneath a concrete slab.
After Ellen’s son was interrogated at the time, he pleaded guilty to telling the police about the incident. Ellen was detained on February 5, 2010. She later informed the authorities that their marriage was deteriorating with time before taking an unexpected turn in the early morning hours on January 11, 2002. At the time, Ellen threatened to inform Mike’s family they were homosexual, which made him furious. Believing that she would be killed, Ellen grabbed a semi-automatic gun from her storage area and fired eight rounds at her husband.
Ellen said, “I start shooting. I’m not sure what to do with guns. I hit the wall. I also shot the TV. I also shot the floor. I killed him. He ran away, and I took out the gun completely.” The woman was convinced that Mike would murder her the next night, prompting her to make the extreme step. However, when her son, who was then 17, attempted to call 911, she persuaded him not to call 911, leaving Mike’s corpse in the hallway with a comforter. Ellen began work and dug a hole in the backyard a couple of days after the backhoe was hired. Later, she engaged her son’s assistance to put Mike’s body in the grave.
Ellen also had a past of forgery and had run through several debts during her marriage to Mike. Authorities also believed that she had forged Mike’s signature on an account to create the impression that her husband was alive. However, the prosecution faced an extremely difficult case before them because the time limit to commit second-degree murder in New Mexico was six years in the past, and it had been eight years after the killing. Though they could have had the option of charging Ellen with murder, proving that it was an intentional act was difficult. So they decided to give the woman a bargain.
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Where is Ellen Snyder Now?
In May of 2011, when she was aged 52, Ellen pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter using the enhancement of a firearm and tax fraud, as well as manipulating evidence. The defense stated it was because Ellen was victimized by an abusive relationship and worried about her safety during the shooting. A few of her former coworkers could confirm that they had seen Ellen with a black eye and fighting with Mike before he vanished.
In the final verdict, Ellen was sentenced to 11 years in prison which is the most she could receive. Their family of Mike believed there was sufficient evidence to show intent, but the prosecution did not agree. Ellen was later quoted as saying, “I don’t know that I’m not feeling guilty. In the event of what happened that I’m the most upset about is the fact that it involved my son. I’m very sorry for the incident to his family and for my entire family and me.” Around eight years after her conviction, in the year 2018, she was eligible to be paroled. Ellen appears to be out of prison and, as far as we’ve seen, is within Albuquerque, New Mexico.
