A Pennsylvania man was arrested this week for shooting and killing his wife, then leaving her alone with their son for hours before he called 911.
Douglas Wayne Snyder, 56, was charged with homicide and endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Lewistown Sentinel.
Police were called to the home in Rye Township at about 10:30 a.m. on Monday, finding Samantha Fields, 38, dead on the floor with gunshot wounds.
During an interview with police, Snyder both admitted to shooting her “by accident” and denied shooting her at all.
“I honest to god did not just shoot my wife,” he said.
Later, he mentioned that he and Fields were having a disagreement, during which Fields “threw a book at him while he was walking away, striking him on the back of the head.”
“I turned around, snapped, and I shot her,” he said.
Snyder informed the authorities that after killing Fields, he departed the residence for 13 hours, leaving the child alone with his deceased mother. The child reported to the police that he found his mother dead upon waking up.
The child’s age was not given.
Snyder has a preliminary hearing on September 23 and is being held without bond.
