Page 11 - Jack Proctor News Today

Which is call the cops and face the music? >> yes, at that point i was just solving a problem. >> reporter: so the tears and regret that im seeing now, you werent feeling that then? >> no. never cried. >> reporter: because at the time ellen says she was on autopilot and needed to dispose of a body, and how did she do that? in the want ads she found a guy with a backhoe who came out to the house and dug a hole. did you tell the guy why you were doing this? >> no, he didnt ask. >> reporter: ellen ...

Information six, seven years later. we dont have the actual crime scene. at that time they would have seen blood strains from where he first got shot to where his body was laying to where the bullet projectiles stopped. >> reporter: ellen claimed michael woke her up yelling and fought in the family room where mike slept. >> im in the middle of the family room and hes about as far as you and i facing each other. >> reporter: and what happened? >> he came steps forward and i started shooting. >> r...

Of the snyders former home. how did patrick know this? his best friend michael had told him, and on more than one occasion. >> he even said the next day he told him about it. and then over the years, if they were together drinking or something, that he would break down and tell him again the story. >> reporter: do you believe him? >> yes. >> reporter: so this is one more person pointing you to the backyard? >> yes. >> reporter: but you already looked there? >> this seemed very believable this in...

Because of that, that it occurred? is that what youre implying? >> reporter: im not implying it, im saying you made money out of the death of your husband. >> i did not make substantial amount of money out of the death of my husband, no. >> reporter: it was now the job of prosecutor david wehmeyer to put together a case for a jury to hear. >> covering up the crime would be her best evidence in terms of trying to convince the jury that her intent at the time of the killing was something along the...

Their abusers, they call the police and theyre sitting there with the gun when the police drive up. >> okay. >> reporter: they dont try to evade responsibility. they admit what they did and they say, i didnt have any choice. pretty much as youre saying to me now. but they dont bury the body. and tell a series of pretty good lies over a long period of time. thats pretty unusual. >> okay. >> reporter: which suggests to some people that theres more to this story than youre telling. >> they didnt li...

Ever. >> reporter: she says she ran to the bedroom and got the gun from the closet. the gun her colleague frank had loaned her. >> i said i have a gun. hes laughing at me, telling me im a coward and im never, ever going to tell anybody. >> reporter: so hes like taunting you. >> hes taunting me. >> reporter: saying you dont have the courage to shoot me. >> calling me, you know, a pitch a bitch, telling me what a rottern person i am, screaming at me. >> reporter: and in that moment of fear, ellen ...

Just as he had been on the day she shot her husband. michael was still a minor when the killing happened. and so in exchange for his cooperation, he was given immunity and faced no charges. as we sit here, youre about to go into that courtroom and a judge is going to pronounce sentence. >> yeah. >> you ready for whats coming? >> how do you say youre ready for that? i know that it has to happen. i know it has to happen for this to be over. so i dont know that i can say yes, im ready, but its goin...

So in her view it was self-defense but maybe she was guilty of manslaughter or second degree murder, but you couldnt prosecute her for either of those offenses? >> thats correct. the statute of limitations here in new mexico on a state case like this prohibited us from going forward on any of those lesser types of offenses. >> reporter: ellen snyders defense attorney penni adrian knew a first degree murder conviction could mean a life sentence for ellen but felt the prosecution would have a toug...

Ellens 6-year-old daughter was fast asleep in the bedroom. she didnt wake up but ellens son michael whos 17 was in his bedroom and he did. >> he was calling 911. i told him to hang up, mierkal. >> reporter: and he hung up. >> and he hung up. and i sat down on the steps and waited for the police to come. >> reporter: but the police never did show. >> i covered him up. i told michael to get ready for school. i told him, i shot mike. you just need to go to school. >> reporter: how was michael doing...

Classic battered wifes explanation for her bruises? a few days later cassell says he heard yelling coming from ellens office. >> i hear world war iii breaking loose in the office next to me. there was a guy screaming in there. >> reporter: turns out the loud, angry voice belonged to none other than mike snyder. >> hes standing on this side of the desk, shes standing on her side of the desk and hes just screaming and he stops. and i barge in and he looks at me, i told him, i said you know, you ca...