Woman accused of murder, arson, dog killing rejects plea deal

Hope Snyder appears in Mason County’s 51st Circuit Court last November.

Woman accused of murder, arson, dog killing rejects plea deal

By Allison Scarbrough, Editor

LUDINGTON — A 43-year-old Chippewa County woman accused of murder, arson and dog killing rejected a plea deal in Mason County’s 51st Circuit Court this week, according to Press Secretary Danny Wimmer with the Michigan Department of Attorney General.

Hope Lynn Snyder is accused of killing Jeffrey Grant, 57, along with his two dogs, and burning down his home at 3746 N. Morse Road in Sheridan Township, Nov. 22, 2021. 

Snyder rejected the plea arrangement during a final trial conference Tuesday, Jan. 16. In light of the plea offer being rejected, the case will move forward to trial. A trial date has not yet been scheduled.

Michigan Assistant Attorney General Michael Doby put an offer on the table last November of Snyder pleading guilty to homicide — open murder, first-degree arson, and two counts of second-degree killing/torturing animals. A charge of homicide — felony murder would have been dismissed, and Snyder would have received a minimum prison term of 35-60 years. She faces up to life in prison as the maximum term for both the homicide and arson charges.

Snyder has served prison time for two prior felonies — larceny from a building in Mackinac County and a theft charge in Alaska.

Snyder’s attorney, Tracie Dinehart, previously said she expected the trial to last a “minimum of a week — if not two weeks.”

Snyder pleaded guilty Feb. 1, 2022 to unlawful driving away of a motor vehicle, which occurred Nov. 22, 2021. She has not been sentenced yet in that case. The assistant AG said that her sentence in that case would have been included in the plea deal he offered.  

During a preliminary exam in 79th District Court July 25, 2022, retired Mason County Sheriff’s Office Det. Sgt. Tom Posma testified that Grant — the murder victim — had driven Snyder to Mackinac County Nov. 19, 2021 where she was to appear in court for a probation violation. After the fire, Snyder stole Grant’s Chevrolet Avalanche (which was registered to Victor Adamczak of Fountain) and abandoned the vehicle in a hospital parking lot in Saginaw. Later, Snyder took a flight from MBS International Airport in Saginaw to Detroit Metropolitan Airport where she had then booked a flight to Alaska. 

Mason County sheriff’s detectives were able to obtain a search warrant of Snyder’s phone and find her location. While en route to Detroit airport, Posma and Det. Mike Kenney reached out to airport police who then restrained Snyder. Posma and Kenney then conducted their first interview with Snyder at the airport and arrested her. 

Det. Kenney obtained several warrants for digital files owned by Snyder, including items from her Facebook account and Google Gmail account. During testimony, Kenney read several messages between Snyder and Jacob Snyder, along with messages between Snyder and Lawn Schroeder, who, according to a Facebook account, lives in Anchorage, Alaska. 

The Facebook messages were written Nov. 21 and 22 — the majority of which were prior to the fire on Morse Road, which was reported at 9:06 a.m.

In various messages, Snyder refers to Grant providing her with drugs. She discusses a plan that she describes as “crazy and heartless” to obtain drugs, a house, a truck and money. 

Snyder remains lodged in the Mason County Jail without bond.

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