A Pennsylvania community is reeling after authorities arrested a man accused of fatally shooting his wife and leaving their young son alone with her body for hours before contacting police.
According to Pennsylvania State Police, 56-year-old Douglas Wayne Snyder has been charged with one count of intentional homicide and one count of endangering the welfare of a child in the death of 38-year-old Samantha Lynn Fields.
Troopers from the Critical Incident Unit responded to the 1400 block of New Valley Road around 10:30 a.m. Monday after receiving a report of a domestic dispute. When they arrived, they discovered Fields suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities said Snyder was at the residence and later taken into custody after investigators interviewed him.
Court documents obtained by WHP and other local outlets revealed disturbing details about the moments leading up to the tragedy. Snyder allegedly called 911 on Sunday morning to report the incident, even though the shooting had occurred the night before.
“I guess I shot her by accident,” Snyder reportedly told investigators, adding, “I honest to god did not just shoot my wife.”
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The couple’s young son was home during the incident. Police reports state he went to bed Saturday night with both parents still alive but woke up to find his mother’s body the following morning.
During questioning, Snyder admitted that the shooting followed a heated argument in which his wife struck him with a book.
“She threw the book at me from at least 10 feet away,” Snyder allegedly told police. “I was pissed, I turned around, snapped and I shot her.”
Investigators say Snyder then left the home for nearly 13 hours, abandoning his son with Fields’ body before finally calling 911.
He is currently being held without bond at Perry County Prison following his arraignment on September 15. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 23.
Meanwhile, friends of Fields have launched a GoFundMe campaign to support her children. The fundraiser describes her as a selfless and loving mother whose life was “taken by a monster in an act of domestic violence.”
“Sam was a beautiful woman who put everyone else before herself,” the page states. “She loved her kids fiercely and they are now left without a Mother.”
This case adds to the growing national spotlight on domestic violence and the devastating impact it leaves on families and children.
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