The case of Michael Snyder, a 43-year-old Albuquerque native, and master mechanic, remained unsolved for many years after his mysterious disappearance from his home in North Albuquerque Acres, New Mexico
Investigation Discovery’s true crime series “American Monster: Anything for You” delves into the case and tells the story of how an unlikely tip led to the discovery of Mike’s remains and, ultimately, the arrest of his wife, Ellen Snyder.
However, despite the arrest, prosecutors faced difficulty determining the charges to bring against the killer. Despite this, Michael was remembered as a kind and generous man by loved ones, who enjoyed skiing and using his jet boat in his free time.
He had been married to his wife Ellen since 1994, and together they had one daughter.
On January 11, 2002, Ellen Snyder called Mike’s family, saying he had abruptly left. By that time, he had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Despite their attempts to contact him, Mike’s family did not hear from him in the following months.
The case went cold for about eight years until February 2010, when a tip led authorities back to the Snyder home, which was now owned by someone else.
In the backyard, they found Mike’s remains buried in a tarp. An autopsy of the remains confirmed gunshot wounds to the body.
Ellen Snyder is suspected of being involved in her husband’s murder. She had told everyone that Mike had run away and was still alive.
According to her, he was physically and psychologically abusive, and she had also claimed that her husband was gay. The case was stuck at a dead end with no evidence until 2010 when a tipster came forward with information.
This person was a friend of Ellen’s son from a previous marriage, and they informed the police that Mike was buried in the backyard of Snyder’s former North Albuquerque Acres home under a slab of concrete.
On February 5, 2010, Ellen was arrested for the death of her husband, Mike after her son had told authorities what he knew about the incident.
Later investigation revealed that their marriage had been deteriorating for some time due to various factors.
In a moment of desperation, she threatened to out Mike from his family, causing an immense rage in him. In order to protect herself from potential harm, she took drastic action, retrieving a firearm from the closet and firing eight bullets at her husband.
This act ended not just one life but two – both Mike’s and Ellen’s – as they could no longer sustain the relationship they once shared.
The statement of Ellen
Now facing a life-or-death situation, Ellen was driven to take desperate measures amidst immense fear. She recalled the events of that night, saying, “I start shooting… I shot the wall. I shot the TV. I shot the floor.”
Therefore, when Mike tried to flee and escape, Ellen resorted to emptying her gun with an apparently intense determination to save herself, preventing him from doing so in spite of her inexperience in handling a firearm.
Despite her son’s attempt at calling emergency services, she managed to convince him not to do it; as a result, they left Mike’s body in the hallway covered with a comforter, and only after pursuing this extreme method of protection did she go back to work where nobody could ask questions or suspect what had taken place.
To prevent any further evidence from emerging against her, Elen hired a backhoe and later coerced her son into helping her bury the body in their backyard, reinforcing her desperation for secrecy after taking a drastic step.
Ellen was sentenced
In May 2011, Ellen Snyder, who was 52 years old at the time, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter with a firearm enhancement, tax fraud, and tampering with evidence in connection to her husband Michael’s death.
The defense argued that Ellen was a battered woman in an abusive relationship and that she had feared for her life during the shooting.
Several of her former colleagues testified in court that they had seen Ellen with a black eye and argued with Mike before he disappeared.
Despite the defense’s argument, Ellen was sentenced to 11 years in prison, the maximum sentence possible. Mike’s family believed that there was enough evidence to prove premeditation, but the prosecution disagreed.
In statements after her sentencing, Ellen said, “I don’t know that I feel guilt. With the situation that occurred, the thing I’m most sorry for is involving my son. I’m sorry for it happening, for his family, for my family.”
Ellen was eligible for parole in 2018, eight years into her sentence. She seems to have been released since then and currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7t7XZmpqaZpOkunC5yKScZquerrGmvoymrKuclad8