Trial begins for Hamilton County parents accused of abusing, killing 8-year-old son

John and Katherine Snyder are facing a total of 26 charges for murder, assault and child endangerment

CINCINNATI — Seven years after the death of their child, two parents accused of abusing and murdering the 8-year-old are officially on trial.

John and Katherine Snyder are facing 26 charges combined for murder, aggravated assault and child endangerment.

The two were arrested in upstate New York in September 2022. They are accused of abusing their children, several of whom were adopted from China, and killing one — Adam.

According to the prosecution, all of the Snyder children were malnourished, deprived of medical care and more.

Court documents show that the Snyders, who lived in Springfield Township at the time of their son's death, allegedly didn't feed Adam for more than a month-long period in 2016.

"This poor kid comes from China from an orphanage to this family and what do they do? They kill him," said prosecuting attorney Stacy Lefton said.

Prosecutors said in court Friday that Katherine took Adam to the Cincinnati Children's Hospital on Oct. 4, 2016.

"He's described as skin and bones and gray in color," Lefton said. "They were concerned for his health."

Lefton said Katherine took Adam back home, promising to bring him back the next day. Adam was then pronounced dead in the hospital on Oct. 5, 2016.

The coroner ruled Adam's death as a homicide due to blunt force trauma to the back of his head.

The prosecution said leading up to Adam's death, the child had soiled himself on the morning of Oct. 5.

"And the routine punishment in the Snyder home for soiling yourself was to place these children in cold showers and baths and smear feces on them," Lefton said.

The prosecution said Katherine then slammed Adam on the ground before taking him to and laying him on the floor of John's office. John then checked on an unresponsive Adam before Katherine eventually called 911, the prosecution said.

Jeremy Evans, Katherine's defense attorney, told a different story in court Friday.

Evans said evidence shows that Adam died of natural causes as a result of both diagnosed and undiagnosed medical and neuropsychiatric issues.

Previously, the Snyders had sued the Hamilton County Coroner's Office saying they hired medical experts who determined Adam died from sepsis, but that case was dismissed.

"His body and his parents posted road signs along the way, but the physicians failed to pay attention until it was too late," Evans said.

The defense said these signs included Adam refusing to eat or dress himself, as well as smearing feces regularly.

Evans said on the morning of Oct. 6, Katherine found Adam unresponsive and called 911.

"It could happen to you, it could happen to me," Evans said. "It did happen to Kate and John Snyder."

Evans also alleged that the prosecution didn't have enough evidence for seven years, and also none to validate the charges now.

The prosecution has previously said there's never been any doubt that the Snyders caused Adam's death, but the delay was to give their other adopted children time to mature.

After Adam's death was determined by the coroner's office, the Snyders' four other adopted children and one biological child went under the care of Katherine's sister.

Now, the other Snyder children, who were young and knew little English at the time of Adam's death, are capable of testifying in court, the prosecution said at their arraignment in 2022.

One witness did testify Friday in court. Dr. Mary Staat, an infectious disease specialist at Cincinnati Children's, was called to the stand by the prosecution.

Staat said that Adam has club feet and other abnormalities that impacted the way he moved. She also said the Snyders declined the full evaluation she would normally do on a child who had been adopted from another country.

Katherine and John's trial is set to continue Monday morning at the Hamilton County Courthouse at 10 a.m.