Homicide questions linger for defendants

HOLLIDAYSBURG - A 15-year-old unsolved murder of a Blair County woman who lived several years after being shot in the head has come up again during a discussion of drug activity in Altoona.

Lisa D. Snider, 33, of Claysburg RD lived for three years after being critically wounded on Nov. 5, 1996. She sought help from a homeowner on Ponderosa Drive, Logan Township, after being shot.

The coroner who investigated her death, Dennis Kwiatkowski of Cambria County, ruled that her death was due to the bullet that could not be removed, and he classified her death as a homicide.

Prior to her death, Snider told the Mirror that she had been working with the West Drug Task Force at the time of the shooting.

Over the years, the Snider case has been investigated and Logan Township police have aired the killing in hopes that witnesses would come forward to help solve the case, said Logan Police Chief Ron Heller said.

The case came up on Monday, when Blair County Judge Timothy Sullivan held a status conference with 12 attorneys and their clients involved in one of the largest drug cases ever in Blair County. Several Altoona residents and Damion "Benny" Floyd, 33, of Baltimore, who allegedly provided kilos of cocaine for distribution locally, were arrested in the drug case.

In one year, police estimated the gang took in more than $ 2 million.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly in March announced the arrests of Floyd and 13 others, noting that Floyd continued to run his drug operation while he was serving eight years in state prison for prior drug offenses.

Attorneys in Sullivan's courtroom clashed Monday.

Pennsylvania Senior Deputy Attorney General Dave Gorman and Blair County Assistant District Attorney Peter Weeks said they were hesitant to provide defense attorneys with all the statements they have taken from suspects and potential witnesses.

Defense attorneys Steven P. Passarello, who is representing suspect Lieesha Simone Samuel and Brian P. (Bubba) Stroh, who managed the Corner Bar & Grill where alleged drug activities occurred, and Thomas Hooper, representing Floyd, argued vehemently with the prosecutors, contending all statements that provide evidence that would be helpful to the defense must be released.

Passarello said that the issue is "simple - really."

He said that any statements that would help the defense is "discoverable" and must be given to the defense. He said if there is an argument whether the statements can be used at trial, it is up to the judge to settle the issue.

"I don't agree with you on this issue," Gorman shot back.

Hooper said the law makes it "mandatory" that the statements be given to the defense.

As the discussion became more heated, the prosecution attorneys indicated the potential for violence and threats in the present case.

"Some of the individuals have been linked to prior homicides, your honor, and that is part of the issue in this case," Gorman stated.

Weeks said one homicide involved a confidential informant who had testified against one of the individuals now under arrest.

"She [the confidential informant] was shot ... lived for a while and died," Weeks said without stating Snider's name.

He mentioned a second murder involving a drug dealer. Tapes of the hearing before Sullivan indicate that Weeks did not mention details about the second victim.

"They were never charged," said Passarello, responding to the prosecution's concerns.

Weeks shot back, "Whether they [the suspects under arrest] did it or not, your honor, everybody in Altoona who is in the drug world believes they did it."

He was pointing out the potential for intimidation in the case.

Neither Gorman nor Weeks would talk about their statements concerning the cold-case murders following the hearing before Sullivan.

Passarello persisted that no one has ever been charged.

Heller said Tuesday the Snider case is still open and a detective has followed up on leads throughout the years.

He said at one point police attempted to resolve the murder using a grand jury, and last year police sought help through the news media by doing a television story on the Snider murder.

Mirror Staff Writer Phil Ray is at 946-7468.

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