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Inset: Samantha Hardiman (Lucas County Jail). Background: The home where Hardiman starved her son to death (WTVG).
An Ohio mother has been sentenced to prison for a minimum of 15 years following her guilty plea in the tragic murder of her 7-year-old special needs son. The young boy, Kristopher Snyder, was discovered lifeless in a playpen, weighing a mere 19 pounds.
Samantha Hardiman, age 30, faces a sentence ranging from 15 years to life due to the death of Kristopher in Toledo, as reported by the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office. Earlier this month, she admitted to murder charges, which led to the dismissal of five other charges, including involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment, as part of her plea agreement.
The heartbreaking discovery occurred on June 2, 2023, when Toledo police officers responded to the 1700 block of Freeman Street. They found Kristopher alone and deceased in a playpen, noting his severely emaciated condition and pale skin.
A medical examiner last year classified Kristopher’s death as a homicide, citing “malnutrition and dehydration associated with cerebral palsy,” with epilepsy also identified as a contributing factor, according to the official report.
Further investigation revealed that Kristopher had not been seen by a doctor in person for approximately four years, with his mother resorting solely to telehealth consultations. The police also uncovered “ample food” in the residence, alongside marijuana and alcohol. Disturbingly, Hardiman had painted the windows black to hide the appalling living conditions within the home.
“The defendant had numerous free therapy opportunities available to help Kristopher develop the muscles he needed to eat and sit up,” Lucas County Prosecuting Attorney Julia R. Bates said in a statement. “Instead of accepting that help or providing a feeding tube, she neglected her son and left him alone in a room.”
Hardiman will be up for parole after 15 years, but prosecutors will oppose her release.
Her boyfriend, 29-year-old Joshua Mulvey, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and is slated to go on trial on May 12.
As Law&Crime previously reported, the 19 pounds Kristopher weighed is significantly less than the average weight of a healthy 1-year-old boy, let alone a 7-year-old.
The prosecution stated at a hearing after his arrest that Mulvey had lived in the home with Kristopher and his mother for about two years, meaning he owed the child a “basic duty to make sure his basic nutritional needs were met,” the Toledo Blade reported.
Mulvey formally pleaded not guilty to the charges through his court-appointed public defender, Dmitry Tatarko.
“I do not think I should be here in the first place, but that’s for another day,” Mulvey told the court, adding, “I will be a part of this process. I need answers myself.”