Man indicted on murder in girlfriend’s homicide

LEBANON — A Columbus man accused in the slaying of his 29-year-old girlfriend has been indicted on four charges, including murder.

A Warren County grand jury Friday indicted Richard A. Snyder, 42, on murder, a first-degree felony; tampering with evidence and having weapons while under a disability, both third-degree felonies; and abuse of a corpse, a fifth-degree felony.

The grand jury attached firearms specifications to each of the charges.

The indictments were made public on Monday.

Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell said Snyder is believed to have fatally shot his girlfriend Nicole Berry on Nov. 23 near where her body was found in “a very shallow grave” at Caesar Creek State Park on Furnas-Oglesby Road.

When asked if the grave was covered, Fornshell said, “not even.”

Berry’s body was found by hunters on Thanksgiving Day.

“We believe he shot her at a fairly close range near where her body was found,” Fornshell said. “We believe he got rid of her clothing and other items that would be indicative of what happened.”

Fornshell said it was believed Snyder and Berry was heading to the riverboat casinos in Indiana, and between sunset and 9 p.m. Nov. 23, they got off Interstate 71 near the state park.

She was shot multiple times, three to five times, Fornshell said.

Fornshell said the preliminary autopsy report indicated Berry had other wounds, but did not know if they were defensive. He said prosecutors and investigators are awaiting final forensic reports on the evidence.

Snyder was arrested on Nov. 28 by U.S. Marshals as he checked into a VA Hospital in St. Louis, Mo.

Sheriff’s investigators also recovered the white 1997 Camaro he was driving.

Snyder was arraigned last week in Warren County Court on the murder charge and has remained in the county jail under a $1 million bond. He is slated to be arraigned on the indictments at Wednesday in Warren County Common Pleas Court.

Berry’s family said they last spoke with her just before 3:30 p.m. Nov. 23.

Berry’s father, Paul Berry, said he felt Snyder was dangerous and claimed he had abused his daughter on several occasions and made threats toward her.

“I could tell he was an abusive person. He was physical with my daughter,” he said. “I told her three or four times, ‘Nikki, he’s going to kill you.’ I thought in my mind and in my heart that he was a vicious person.”

Paul Berry said his daughter did have her share of personal problems, but was trying to get her life back on track. He said she was discharged from a drug rehabilitation facility in August.

Berry has four children. The eldest, a 14-year-old, lives with Paul Berry and his wife, Gloria. The other three - ages 8, 5 and 2 - live with the parents of Berry’s estranged husband.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4504 or Ed.Richter@coxinc.com. Staff Writer Michael D. Pitman contributed to this report.

About the Author