BRANCH COUNTY, Mich. — A southern Michigan driver is accused of intentionally running into a walking couple in a cul-de-sac on Simco Dr. in Kinderhook Twp. this week.
Macain Matthew Synder, a 22-year-old from Coldwater, faces two counts of attempted murder after he allegedly ran over the couple in Kinderhook Township Monday evening.
According to court documents filed in the case, Synder had been stalking the older couple's granddaughter and falsely believed the pair had sexually assaulted her.
Synder also falsely believed he was the woman's fiancé.
Law enforcement interviewed multiple family members and witnesses, including the granddaughter, and learned that Snyder had recently started smoking a lot of marijuana and had begun writing on the walls and getting fixated on biblical scriptures.
Court documents state that on June 10, Snyder went to the older couple's home to confront them about how he believed they were assaulting their granddaughter. When he left their home he told the couple, "I'll be back."
The couple was identified in court documents as 77-year-old Jill and 81-year-old David Sluyter. David told police that he and his wife decided to go talk to Snyder's parents about the incident. They were walking down the street when they saw him sitting in his truck at the end of the driveway. He said they watched Snyder drive away from the home as he sped toward them. He said they were both off the road about 20 feet apart when Snyder swerved at the last minute, hitting both of them.
SUSPECT'S MOTHER WITNESSED THE HIT AND RUN
Snyder's mother told police that her son had been at her house prior to the incident. She said she watched him get into his truck, accelerate quickly and strike the victims by swerving into the grass. She also told police that her son had alleged that the granddaughter had been assaulted by another man as well as her grandparents.
Police spoke to the granddaughter who stated she had not been the victim of any sexual assault. She also stated she was not Snyder's fiancé.
Snyder was found by police at a friends house the same evening as the incident. Snyder told a trooper on scene that he "did not have sympathy for the devil," and that he had just killed child molesters. He also told the trooper that the family of the girl had given him their support. Snyder was then arrested.
SUSPECT ADMITTED TO TRYING TO KILL THEM
During a later interview Snyder told a trooper, "I talked to her, I talked to her dad, I talked to her brother, and they were okay with it. They wanted them f****** dead. And I f****** killed them."
Police also found that prior to hitting the couple, Snyder had been sitting in the Michigan State Police Post parking lot in Coldwater. When asked why he told them he was "trying to make sure he wasn't getting hunted down."
When asked during an interview who he had hit with his car, Snyder said "I hit the grandma, but I was trying to hit the grandpa. I was trying to get the two for one, you know, two birds one stone."
He confirmed to police that he had hit the couple with the intention to kill them. He was asked if he also planned on killing the young man he had accused of assaulting the granddaughter. He responded to police by saying "Well he is a serial rapist."
Snyder told police he had only had a few sips of beer before the incident. A blood draw was done and he was lodged in the Branch County Jail.
COUPLE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED
Jill and David Sluyter both sustained serious injuries and were airlifted to a nearby hospital. David had a large laceration on his leg which was later amputated below the knee. Jill sustained multiple fractures to her pelvic bone and back. Court docs said she was listed as being in critical condition.
Snyder was arrested and brought into the jail the same evening as the crash. He was arraigned on two counts of attempted murder as well as two counts of leaving the scene of a personal injury crash, resulting in serious impairment.
Snyder was placed on a $1 million bond and remains in jail awaiting his next court date.
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