Samantha hardiman sentenced to 15 years to life after death of special needs child in toledo

A Toledo woman will spend at least 15 years in prison after pleading guilty in the starvation death of her 7-year-old son, prosecutors said.

Toledo, OH – A Lucas County judge sentenced Samantha Hardiman to 15 years to life in prison Friday after she pleaded guilty to murder in the death of her 7-year-old son, according to the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office.

Judge Joseph McNamara handed down the sentence Friday following Hardiman’s guilty plea on Feb. 27 to murder under Ohio law. The case stems from the 2023 death of Kristopher Snyder inside a home on Freeman Street in Toledo.

Key Points

• Samantha Hardiman sentenced to 15 years to life for the death of her 7-year-old son
• Child was found severely emaciated inside a Toledo home in June 2023
• Prosecutors say the boy weighed just 19 pounds at the time of his death

Child found dead inside Toledo home

Investigators with the Toledo Police Department responded June 2, 2023 to a home in the 1700 block of Freeman Street after receiving information about a deceased child inside the residence.

Detectives found Kristopher Snyder, a 7-year-old with special needs, dead and alone in a playpen.

Authorities said the child was extremely emaciated with pale skin and weighed only 19 pounds at the time of his death.

Medical care stopped years earlier

Investigators determined the child’s last in-person medical appointment occurred in 2019.

According to prosecutors, Hardiman later switched to telehealth appointments and painted the home’s windows black, preventing others from seeing the living conditions inside.

Detectives also reported finding food, alcohol, and marijuana inside the home during the investigation.

Additional charges dismissed

Hardiman originally faced several additional charges including endangering children and involuntary manslaughter. Those charges were dismissed at sentencing as part of the plea agreement.

Lucas County Prosecutor Julia R. Bates said resources had been available to help the child develop medically.

“The defendant had numerous free therapy opportunities available to help Kristopher develop the muscles he needed to eat and sit up,” 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.”

Co-defendant trial scheduled

A second defendant, Joshua Mulvey, 29, is scheduled to stand trial May 12 on related charges connected to the child’s death.

Chief of the Criminal Division Jennifer Liptack-Sutphin prosecuted the case for the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office.

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