People v. Snyder
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York
91 A.D.3d 1206 (2012)
Brenda Snyder (defendant) was accused of purposely suffocating her children to trigger breathing problems in order to collect disability benefits, with hospital admissions and apnea episodes repeatedly coinciding with reviews of her benefits eligibility. When a home health nurse found Snyder's daughter not breathing, Snyder refused to help attempt resuscitation, and the daughter died days later; the medical examiner classified the death as a homicide. A jury convicted Snyder of depraved indifference murder, and she appealed the sufficiency of the mens rea evidence.
Whether a conviction for depraved indifference murder is supported by sufficient evidence when the defendant's conduct demonstrates utter indifference to the life or safety of another.