Mother Compelled 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 leads to conviction, however permits the defendant to keep up 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 kids had allegedly been compelled to reside exterior 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, have been hospitalized when she was arrested, affected by malnourishment, dehydration, and neglect. Based on LMPD information reviewed by the Louisville Courier Journal, police turned concerned when the teenager confirmed as much as college in poor bodily situation, and her youthful siblings stopped exhibiting up in any respect.

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

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

Based on the kids, their trailer dwelling was filthy, and they also would usually sleep exterior, 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 all over the place.

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

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

She reportedly defined the circumstances of the house in courtroom, telling the choose, per ABC affiliate WHAS, “I used to be within the technique 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 canines and animals.” She added that the kids 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 regardless that she lived on the identical avenue as Snider, her granddaughter wouldn’t let the kids seen her. She additional alleged that Snider has a historical past of neglect and mentioned she’d depart the children alone for “three or 4 days,” asking, “What did she assume these children have been consuming?”

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

“We’re not the one individuals who name,” the kids’s cousin Kaylee Grismer instructed NBC affiliate WAVE. “We have now individuals streets over who name. We have now a neighbor down right here who calls. Our neighbor calls. Dude over there calls.”

One neighbor instructed the outlet that they’d hear the kids “exterior at 4 within the morning, screaming and preventing with one another” and marvel, “Okay, that do not appear proper. Why are they exterior?”

Buckhammer instructed the outlet that she reported the scenario to CHFS and the police, telling them, “There’s children residing exterior, utilizing the lavatory exterior, do not take showers, eats as soon as they’ll get their meals. Mom’s gone a number of days at a time at evening. They actually need assistance. They want anyone to do one thing.”

She mentioned essentially the most they’ve seen in response are notices posted on Snider’s door, which Buckhammer mentioned she would simply ignore. She instructed WAVE she was about to take the children “and go someplace” if one thing wasn’t completed 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 mentioned. “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 baby 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 planet, 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’t touch upon issues which may be below investigation however as all the time, we are going to work with regulation enforcement.”