Woman sentenced to 35-60 years for murder

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor

LUDINGTON – A 43-year-old Kincheloe woman was sentenced to 35-60 years in prison in Mason County’s 51st Circuit Court Tuesday, Aug. 27, for convictions of second-degree murder, first-degree arson, two counts of second-degree killing/torturing animals and attempted car theft.

Hope Lynn Snyder killed Jeffrey Grant, 57, and his two dogs after setting his house on fire at 3746 N. Morse Rd. in Sheridan Township, Nov. 22, 2021. 

Snyder wept as she listened to Grant’s loved ones speak in court Tuesday.

“I don’t think there is anything worse than watching a family member get burned up in a house,” said his sister Jodi Budzynski. 

“Monday, Nov. 22, 2021 will live in my memory for the rest of my life and many others,” said Grant’s significant other Shana Sterling. “That day someone’s son, brother, uncle, best friend, soulmate and a grandpa was taken from us.

“I have been here for the past two and a half years for Ms. Snyder’s hearings and never once did she show any remorse for what she did,” said Sterling.

Jeffrey Grant

“He got wrapped up with people that he shouldn’t have, and this is what happened. She does not deserve to see light outside of those prison walls — ever.”

“There were text messages from Ms. Snyder back and forth with someone in Alaska, and she stated she had to make the decision whether or not to play God,” said Grant’s sister Barb Willoughby. “That’s exactly what she did. It is no one’s choice to take a life. She deserves to be behind bars.”

Assistant Attorney General Michael Doby asked that the plea agreement of 35-60 years be followed. “It is a significant sentence. There is nothing that would make everyone here whole, but the certainty of that gives the family some solace.”

“Your Honor, this case is nothing other than a tragedy,” said Snyder’s attorney Tracie Dinehart. “A man is dead, and another person is taking responsibility and going to prison for 35 years.

“Miss Snyder suffered from a very significant addiction, and that addiction took 100 percent control of her. 

“My client is incredibly sorry for the harm she has caused everybody in this courtroom.”

Dinehart said Snyder has taken advantage of services in the jail through Community Mental Health and Alcoholics Anonymous.

The attorney read a statement written by Snyder:

“I would like to apologize, first to the Grant family as well as my own. I am truly sorry for the loss I have caused everyone involved, especially those who loved and cared for Jeffrey and those who are forced to live their lives without him. My heart goes out to each of you. I also acknowledge the pain I have caused my own family — mainly my mother and my son — who have also suffered a loss knowing I will no longer have an active role in their lives is hard. But knowing my actions took the very thing from another family is even harder. I realize there is nothing I can say to take away the suffering everyone feels. 

“I stand here today, almost three years clean sober, and I don’t even recognize the person I was in the grips of my addiction. Anyone who hasn’t experienced it first hand won’t be able to relate to things one becomes capable of doing or the depths of the psychosis it can take you to. It took being sober to realize how far I had spiraled out of control. Before drugs, I was a loving mother, a loving daughter and a genuinely kind person who never would have done the things I have done under the influence. I take full responsibility for my actions and for all the pain I have caused for everyone involved.

“I feel selfish for being able to have the opportunity to move forward and better myself when Jeffrey doesn’t have that option. I hope one day I can look in the mirror and see the good person I once was instead of the one who made those bad choices, and maybe even one day I will be able to help another addict realize how one bad decision can so easily change the rest of your life and the lives of so many others.”

“People have this opinion that substance abuse or substance use is a victimless crime, and it absolutely is not,” said Judge Susan K. Sniegowski. “This is an extreme example of that.”

Snyder pleaded “no contest” to the murder, arson and animal killing charges last June. She pleaded guilty in 2022 to the attempted car theft charge, in separate criminal file.

The scene of the house fire that killed Jeffrey Grant and his two dogs.

Details of the case were revealed during a July 25, 2022 preliminary examination in Mason County’s 79th District Court. Following the hearing, Judge John Middlebrook bound the case over to 51st Circuit Court.

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, Mason County Sheriff’s Office Det. Sgt. Tom Posma (now retired) and Det. Mike Kenney (now Det. Sgt.) 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. 

Posma testified during the preliminary examination that Grant had driven Snyder to Mackinaw County on 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.

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. Snyder discussed, in the messages, that Grant was passed out or sleeping. She made reference to switching drugs with him because she believed he was attempting to drug her. As a result, he then passed out or fell asleep.

In one of the Facebook messages, Snyder stated: “But now I’m sitting here confused on what I should do now. Let the place burn and leave in the truck or pillow him…” She also stated that she had no patience for Grant.

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.”

She also wrote: “I know I’ll just turn the gas on, the stove on, and just leave it that way. I’m not playing God. He has a fair shot of waking up.”

Later that morning, Snyder wrote a message to Jacob Snyder indicating that she was deleting her Facebook account and was making a new one.

“I’m freaking the (F*$%) out right now and don’t even know what to say.”

Kenney also testified that he had recovered several videos from Snyder’s phone including one that showed Grant sleeping, his keys and then his video security monitor that showed the Chevy Avalanche truck in the driveway.

During the 2022 hearing, Det. Kenney stated Snyder’s motivation to killing Grant was that Snyder “was looking to get Mr. Grant’s dope and she was coming up with a way to get some money from Mr. Grant, contemplating taking his vehicle and somehow taking his money and dope.” 

Sgt. Joseph Allen of the Michigan State Police Fire Investigation Unit also testified. Allen conducted the investigation to determine the cause of the fire. Allen said a special fire investigation K-9 (dog) unit was also on scene on Nov. 22 and also when he returned to investigate further on Nov. 23.

Allen said he concluded that the fire originated in a closet located under the stairs on the first floor that lead to the second floor of the house. He said that an electrical engineer was hired to determine if the source of the fire was electrical. Allen said the electrical engineer ruled out that the cause of the fire was electrical. Allen said that he believed the ignition source was either consumed or removed by vapors and that he believed, based on the information provided to him by the Mason County Sheriff’s Office detectives was that the fire was intentionally set. He described the fire origin as incendiary using an alcohol-based gel to ignite it.

“It was an incendiary fire, meaning the suspect used a competent fire source to light a fire under the steps in the house,” Sgt. Allen said.

Snyder has served prison time for two prior felonies — a larceny to a building conviction in Mackinaw County and a theft conviction in Alaska.

Judge Sniegowski sentenced Snyder to the following concurrent terms:

• Second-degree murder: 35-60 years with credit for 893 days served in jail;
• First-degree arson: 35-60 years with credit for 893 days served in jail;
• Second-degree killing/torturing animals: 38 months to seven years with credit for 893 days served in jail;
• Second-degree killing/torturing animals: 38 months to seven years with credit for 893 days served in jail;
• Attempted car theft: 1,005 days in jail with credit for 1,005 days served

Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief, also contributed to this story.

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