Man guilty of killing father with hatchet

By Dennis Webb
Tuesday, June 14, 2011

A second trial has resulted in the conviction of a man accused of killing his father in Rangely with a hatchet in 2009.

A nine-woman, three-man jury in Glenwood Springs today convicted Jerry D. Snider, Jr., 31, of murder and aggravated robbery, the 9th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

Snider was accused of striking his father, Jerry Snider Sr., in the head nine times with a hatchet, and then stealing his wallet, credit cards and truck.

He had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. A trial in Meeker earlier this year resulted in a hung jury that voted 11-1 in favor of conviction. The retrial was held in Glenwood Springs to make it easier to seat jurors unfamiliar with the case.

Snider is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 9. A two-time convicted felon prior to his father’s murder, he faces a potential sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 48 years, the district attorney’s office said.