Four years ago, Cecil & Doris Babcock, of Dunnellon, Florida, decided to help a young man in need. At the time, 15-year-old Zachary Snyder was on the verge of being put into foster care. Snyder met Doris Babcock while he was staying at a mental health hospital where she worked. The Babcocks took Snyder into their home. Snyder even took to calling 66-year-old Doris Babcock, "Grandma." He also referred to her as "Mrs. Dee." It looked as if Zachary Snyder and the Babcock's were as good as family. However, those loving family ties were just an illusion.
Zachary moved out of the Babcock's home on October 30 (A Friday).
From Snyder's Myspace:
??Country Boy??Wow Phillies beat the Yankees again 6-1. Im so happy cannot wait until 2marro! I move out and enter the real world. 2BR/1BA I need company!
Mood:Nervous/Excited
Posted at 6:22 PM Oct 29
Cecil Babcock, a truck driver, usually talked to his wife several times a day while he was away. When Babcock couldn't get in touch with his wife this weekend, he called the Marion County Sheriff's office. The last time he talked to his wife was Friday morning. Deputies arrived at the Babcock residence to check on Mrs. Babcock's welfare. Instead of finding Doris Babcock, they found nineteen-year-old Zachary there instead. Cecil Babcock said that Snyder shouldn't have been there.
Snyder told the deputies that Mrs. Babcock took him to church Thursday night.
Last Thursday, Zachary posted:
??Country Boy??Got back from cowboy church !! not a single man anymore!! Heading back home picking up my baby!! want to see her bad.
Mood:God is good
Posted at 7:57 PM Nov 12
Zachary said that on Friday, the 13th of November, Mrs. Babcock took him to Wal-Mart.
??Country Boy??Had to take grandma to the hospital
.. Didn't get to sleep til bout 5am. Wanting to make my baby happy but I cant even see her its like I keep missing ou
Posted at 10:33 AM Nov 13
Mood: Head lifted high
Zachary doesn't post anything on his MySpace on Saturday, November 14 –the day that the deputies showed up.
When deputies learned that Snyder had no business in the home, they detained him. Snyder was already on probation for grand theft. But, it looks like his thieving ways were not over by any means. 6 credit/debit cards belonging to Doris Babcock were found on Snyder's person. (Snyder said he was going to destroy them.) Deputies looked around the home and did not like what they saw. There was blood throughout the house –in the sink, on the walls, in the bedroom. Doris' SUV, which was parked in the back of the residence, also had blood in it. A large area of carpet was pulled up in the bedroom. Signs of foul play were evident. But, where was Doris Babcock? Deputies contacted the Marion County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Special Investigation Bureau.
Investigators found that Zachary was burning something in a pit. Snyder said he was burning some garbage that he found inside Mrs. Babcock's house. But, when the investigators looked into the contents of the pit, they found human remains. Those remains were determined to be those of Doris Babcock. Zachary denied the obvious. He would never hurt "Grandma." Other witnesses, upon being interviewed, told a different story. Zachary was wearing bloody clothing Friday, the day he posts about taking Babcock to the hospital. Snyder had cuts on his fingers. He needed medical attention. (He told deputies that he tried to fillet a shark.) Investigators got a warrant to search his mobile home. Inside they found his bloody clothes. They also found a knife –it's blade had somehow been bent. The truth was out. He was trying to hide his heinous crime. He probably drover her vehicle to his mobile home after he killed her.
On Snyder's MySpace, he describes himself as "In a Relationship." His posts allude to some significant other –about being lonely and missing her. This person should consider herself fortunate to be able to save herself. Snyder is a dangerous person.
Snyder also describes his heroes:
Jesus Christ because he died on the cross for my sins and god because he loves the world so much that he gave his only begotten son that whoever shall believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life JOHN 3:16
Mrs. Dee because she gave me another chance after I did so many hurtful things. which now I gladly know I am forgiven for.
Investigators found several "to-do lists" in Snyder's mobile home. Each list had the same item at the top –"Kill Mrs. Dee."
More from Snyder's MySpace:
About me:
Alright well here I go My name is Zachary Lee Snyder and you will never meet anybody who is as nice as I am. You couldn't have met me before February 26th 1990. Im the shit and you cant flush me so just get over it. I act wierd but all my friends have accepted me for who I am and if you cant then well thats your problem!! I go to church and I believe in god so if you have any problems with that you have problems yourself!! I have found out that life is what you make it so dont exspect handouts. Im pretty cool you just got to get to no me. I get along with most people but there are those few individuals out there that I just cant put up with. Trust me if your one of them you will know it already.. you wouldnt be reading this. Well im sure I could tell you more about myself but I dont think you want to hear me anymore. If you have a cell phone hit me up sometime (number redacted)..
Who I'd like to meet:
I want to be with the person who wants to be with me and spend a lifetime with me.. Someone who cares and understands. Someone that I can just hold if need be.. I need someone who I can tell things to and they will listen.. I need someone who is outgoing,openminded.. I need someone who is a saved christian. Someone who likes to be adventurous and just go out and jump in freezing ass water and be like that was fuckin crazy. I want her.. If you are this person then your the one for me… I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. PHILIPPIANS 4:13)
Snyder's MySpace blog just contained a couple of YouTube videos posted on different days, both depicting "monkey sex."
Zachary Lee Snyder was charged with First Degree Premeditated Murder. He's sitting in the Marion County Jail. No bond has been set. Snyder was also charged with theft of the credit cards and violation of probation. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
Despite his having her blood on his clothes and in his home, despite having her credit cards in his pockets, despite claiming to be burning garbage while the body of "Mrs. Dee" still smoldered in the pit, Zachary Snyder denies having anything to do with her murder. Apparently, he thinks everyone is as stupid as he is.
"I'm fighting this all the way. I didn't do it. I'm fighting. I'm not giving up, The woman has cared about me more than anybody that I've known in my life — my family, any of my friends."
Snyder had Doris Babcock's credit and debit cards in his pockets when deputies found him at her house. Even Snyder admits it wasn't the first time he took advantage of her. This time, though, he took much more than before.
"That lady has been there through me stealing her credit cards, I've torn down doors, I misbehaved, I had behavioral problems when I came there."
And what thanks does she get?
Doris helped Snyder through his teen years. Now, he's on his own.
——————
(Note: For some reason court and jail records show Snyder's first name spelled as "Zachery." Snyder actually spells his name "Zachary.")
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