Investigators in Pennsylvania have unearthed the remains of two young children believed to have been last seen in 2015.
Mary Sue Snyder, the mother of Jasman and Nicole Snyder, was arrested on Friday, according to PennLive.com, and charged with endangering the welfare of children and obstruction in child abuse cases, according to Old Lycoming Township Police Chief Christopher Kriner.
Detectives also arrested Echo Butler, 26, on Friday. Butler is described as Snyder’s girlfriend. Both Snyder and Butler are being held without bail.
The remains of the children were found Saturday and Sunday in rural Hepburn Township and are being sent to a forensic pathologist.
Police said the remains were found near a mobile home where Snyder, Butler, and Snyder’s 7-year-old son Jesse lived with Butler’s parents, Ronald and Michelle Butler.
Children and Youth Services launched an investigation in early September after learning from a medical provider that Jesse had not been in school, barely knew numbers and letters, and was not toilet trained.
During the investigation, questions about Jasman and Nicole, who would be 8 and 11 now, surfaced. They questioned Snyder on September 15 about the girls and were told they were living with a friend, who was home-schooling them.
Kriner said that neither Butler nor Snyder provided any information about this friend, including a name or an address.
The girls were also not enrolled in school and had last seen medical or court personnel in 2015; their father, who was under custody and protection from abuse orders, said he had not seen the children since that year as well. Kriner said he was not a suspect.
Michelle Butler told investigators she had not seen the girls since Snyder moved in six years ago and that the mother had told her they were living with a friend out of state until she made enough money to afford a larger place.
The 7-year-old boy was removed from the home on Friday and put into the custody of Children and Youth Services.
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