Episode 590: The Murder of Albert Snyder
Episode 590: The Murder of Albert Snyder
5Digest
The episode delves into the murder of Albert Snyder, focusing on his relationship with his wife, Mamie Ruth Brown. The story begins with Ruth's troubled childhood, marked by poverty and health issues. The episode then explores Albert's life, highlighting his passion for art and motorboating. It details his relationship with his first girlfriend, Jesse, and the impact of her death. The episode then focuses on how Albert and Ruth met and their tumultuous relationship, highlighting their incompatibility and Albert's lack of interest in spending time with Ruth. It details Ruth's desire for children and Albert's opposition, leading to a strained relationship. The episode introduces Judd Gray, a hoisery salesman, and his relationship with Kitty Kaufman, a friend of Ruth's. It details Judd's own troubled childhood and his marriage to Isabelle. The episode then focuses on how Judd and Ruth met and their affair. The episode explores Ruth's interest in increasing Albert's life insurance policy and her motive for doing so. It details the events leading up to Albert's murder, including Ruth's staged attack and the discovery of his body. The episode focuses on the investigation into Albert's murder, highlighting the inconsistencies in Ruth's story and the evidence pointing towards a staged robbery. It details Ruth's confession and her accusations against Judd Gray. The episode details Judd Gray's confession and his accusations against Ruth. It explores the similarities and differences in their confessions, highlighting their motives for the murder. The episode concludes with a brief discussion of the aftermath of the case. The episode delves into the chilling murder plot of Albert Snyder, revealing how his wife, Ruth Snyder, and her lover, Judd Gray, conspired to kill him. The plan, initially a casual wish, evolved into a calculated scheme involving insurance money and a desire to avoid the stigma of divorce. Judd and Ruth are arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Despite confessing, they plead not guilty, with Ruth's lawyer claiming duress and Judd's hinting at an insanity plea. The case gains significant media attention, with the public fascinated by the details of the crime and the personalities involved. The trial commences with a packed courtroom, showcasing the public's interest in the case. The prosecution presents compelling evidence, including the insurance policy and the confessions of both defendants. The focus shifts to Ruth's testimony, where she claims she tried to stop Judd from killing her husband. The jury finds both Ruth and Judd guilty of first-degree murder. The verdict is surprising, given the messy nature of the case and the public's perception of Ruth. The episode highlights the evidence that led to their conviction, including Ruth's inconsistencies and the physical evidence found at the crime scene. Ruth and Judd are sentenced to death by the electric chair. Despite their appeals, their sentences are upheld, and they are executed at Sing Sing Prison. The episode concludes with a shocking detail: a photographer from the Daily News managed to smuggle a camera into the prison and capture a photo of Ruth's execution, which was published on the front page the next day.
Outlines
The Murder of Albert Snyder
This episode of Morbid explores the chilling murder plot of Albert Snyder, revealing how his wife, Ruth Snyder, and her lover, Judd Gray, conspired to kill him for insurance money and to avoid the stigma of divorce. The episode begins with a brief advertisement for Wondery Plus, followed by the introduction of the podcast "Morbid" and its hosts, Ash and Elena. They briefly discuss their recent Taco Bell experience and the upcoming episode's topic. The story begins with Ruth's troubled childhood, marked by poverty and health issues. The episode then explores Albert's life, highlighting his passion for art and motorboating. It details his relationship with his first girlfriend, Jesse, and the impact of her death. The episode then focuses on how Albert and Ruth met and their tumultuous relationship, highlighting their incompatibility and Albert's lack of interest in spending time with Ruth. It details Ruth's desire for children and Albert's opposition, leading to a strained relationship. The episode introduces Judd Gray, a hoisery salesman, and his relationship with Kitty Kaufman, a friend of Ruth's. It details Judd's own troubled childhood and his marriage to Isabelle. The episode then focuses on how Judd and Ruth met and their affair. The episode explores Ruth's interest in increasing Albert's life insurance policy and her motive for doing so. It details the events leading up to Albert's murder, including Ruth's staged attack and the discovery of his body. The episode focuses on the investigation into Albert's murder, highlighting the inconsistencies in Ruth's story and the evidence pointing towards a staged robbery. It details Ruth's confession and her accusations against Judd Gray. The episode details Judd Gray's confession and his accusations against Ruth. It explores the similarities and differences in their confessions, highlighting their motives for the murder. The episode concludes with a brief discussion of the aftermath of the case.
The Trial and Execution
Judd and Ruth are arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Despite confessing, they plead not guilty, with Ruth's lawyer claiming duress and Judd's hinting at an insanity plea. The case gains significant media attention, with the public fascinated by the details of the crime and the personalities involved. The trial commences with a packed courtroom, showcasing the public's interest in the case. The prosecution presents compelling evidence, including the insurance policy and the confessions of both defendants. The focus shifts to Ruth's testimony, where she claims she tried to stop Judd from killing her husband. The jury finds both Ruth and Judd guilty of first-degree murder. The verdict is surprising, given the messy nature of the case and the public's perception of Ruth. The episode highlights the evidence that led to their conviction, including Ruth's inconsistencies and the physical evidence found at the crime scene. Ruth and Judd are sentenced to death by the electric chair. Despite their appeals, their sentences are upheld, and they are executed at Sing Sing Prison. The episode concludes with a shocking detail: a photographer from the Daily News managed to smuggle a camera into the prison and capture a photo of Ruth's execution, which was published on the front page the next day.
Keywords
Mamie Ruth Brown
Mamie Ruth Brown was the wife of Albert Snyder and the main suspect in his murder. She had a troubled childhood marked by poverty and health issues, which influenced her desire for a stable life and a family.
Albert Snyder
Albert Snyder was the victim of a murder in 1927. He was a successful editor of Motorboating Magazine, but had a strained relationship with his wife, Ruth. He was described as obsessive about order and cleanliness, and his lack of interest in spending time with Ruth contributed to their marital problems.
Judd Gray
Judd Gray was a hoisery salesman who had an affair with Ruth Snyder. He was initially reluctant to get involved in the murder plot, but was ultimately coerced by Ruth's threats to reveal their affair.
Chloroform
Chloroform is a volatile liquid that was used as an anesthetic in the early 20th century. It was also used as a means of incapacitating victims in crimes, as it can induce unconsciousness.
Double Indemnity
Double indemnity is a clause in a life insurance policy that doubles the payout in the event of an accidental death. Ruth Snyder took out a double indemnity policy on Albert's life, which was a key motive for her involvement in his murder.
Topsy-Turvy
A term used to describe a state of disorder or confusion. In the context of the Snyder murder, the house was described as "systematically topsy-turvy," suggesting that the scene had been staged to appear like a robbery.
Ruth Snyder
Ruth Snyder was a woman who, along with her lover Judd Gray, conspired to murder her husband, Albert Snyder, for insurance money and to avoid the stigma of divorce. Her case became a media sensation, with her trial and execution attracting widespread public attention.
Sing Sing Prison
Sing Sing Prison is a maximum-security prison located in Ossining, New York. It is known for its history of housing notorious criminals, including Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray, who were executed there in 1928.
Electric Chair
The electric chair is a method of execution that uses electricity to cause death. It was a common form of capital punishment in the United States in the early 20th century, and was used to execute Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray.
Q&A
What were the key factors that led to the Snyder's unhappy marriage?
The Snyder's marriage was marked by incompatibility, with Albert's lack of interest in spending time with Ruth and his opposition to having children. Their differing personalities and lifestyles also contributed to their growing unhappiness.
What was Ruth's motive for killing Albert?
Ruth's motive for killing Albert was a combination of factors, including her desire for financial security, her unhappiness in the marriage, and her desire to escape Albert's abuse. She also hoped to gain full custody of their daughter, Lorraine.
How did the investigators determine that the murder scene had been staged?
The investigators determined that the murder scene had been staged based on several inconsistencies, including the lack of signs of a forced entry, the absence of valuable items that were supposedly stolen, and the presence of items that didn't belong to the Snyders, such as the Italian newspaper and the half-smoked cigarette.
What was the role of Judd Gray in the murder?
Judd Gray was initially reluctant to participate in the murder plot, but was ultimately coerced by Ruth's threats to reveal their affair. He helped Ruth stage the scene to appear like a robbery and assisted in binding her wrists and ankles.
What was the motive behind the murder of Albert Snyder?
Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray conspired to kill Albert Snyder for two main reasons: to avoid the stigma and problems of a divorce and to access the large life insurance payout Ruth would receive upon his death.
What evidence was presented at the trial that led to the conviction of Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray?
The prosecution presented compelling evidence, including the insurance policy, which Ruth had manipulated, and the written confessions of both defendants. The confessions, read aloud in court, detailed their involvement in the murder plot.
How did the public react to the trial and execution of Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray?
The case captivated the public, with the trial attracting a large audience of celebrities and locals. The media coverage was extensive, and the public was fascinated by the details of the crime and the personalities involved. The execution of Ruth Snyder, particularly the photo taken by a photographer who smuggled a camera into the prison, became a shocking and iconic moment in American history.
Show Notes
On the morning of March 20, 1927, nine-year-old Lorraine Snyder was awakened by the sound of gentle knocking at her bedroom door and when she opened it, she found her mother bound and gagged on the floor. According to the girl’s mother, Ruth Snyder, someone had broken into the house in the middle of the night, knocked her unconscious and tied her up, then murdered her husband, Albert. Ruth claimed the motive was robbery, but investigators were immediately suspicious of her. Not only was there no sign of forced entry, but Albert’s murder had been particularly brutal and appeared personal. A day later, when police found Ruth’s supposedly stolen items hidden in the house, her story started to fall apart.
The murder of Albert Snyder had everything depression-era Americans were looking for in a media distraction—sex, extramarital affairs, fraud, and murder. From the moment Ruth and her boyfriend, Judd Gray, were arrested for the murder of her husband, they were thrust into the spotlight and would remain fixtures on the front pages of the papers across New York up to and including the final moments of their lives.
Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!
References
Beckley, Zoe. 1927. "Ruth Snyder to escape chair, is Zoe Beckley's forecast." Times Union, April 19: 1.
Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1927. "Suspect is held after cops grill dead man's wife." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, March 21: 1.
Brooklyn Times Union. 1927. "Hid lover in her home, then went to party." Brooklyn Times Union, March 21: 25.
—. 1928. "Ruth and Judd die, she first, in sobs; each is forgiving." Brooklyn Times Union, Janaury 13: 1.
MacKellar, Landis. 2006. The Double Indemnity Murder: Ruth Snyder, Judd Gray, and New York's Crime of the Century. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.
New York Times. 1927. "Cross-examination of Mrs. Ruth Snyder on her last day on the stand." New York Times, May 4: 16.
—. 1927. "Girl finds mother bound." New York Times, March 21: 1.
—. 1927. "Gray's first story was full of denial." New York Times, March 22: 3.
—. 1927. "Judge warned jury to avoid sympathy." New York Times, May 10: 1.
—. 1927. "Mrs. Snyder and Gray found guilty in the first degree in swift verdict; both to get death sentence Monday." New York Times, May 10: 1.
—. 1927. "Not a cruel killer, Gray writes in cell." New York Times, April 8: 25.
—. 1927. "Says Gray was hypnotized." New York Times, March 26: 9.
—. 1927. "Slayers indicted; Snyder case trial sought for April 4." New York Times, March 24: 1.
—. 1927. "Slayers of Snyder face speedy trial; racant confession." New York Times, March 23: 1.
—. 1927. "Slayers of Snyder hear doom unmoved; put hope in appeals." New York Times, May 14: 1.
—. 1927. "Snyder jury hears Gray's confession accusing woman." New York Times, April 28: 1.
—. 1927. "Snydwer was tricked into big insurance, state witness says." New York Times, April 26: 1.
—. 1927. "Widow on stand swears Gray alone killed Snyder as she tried to save him." New York Times, April 30: 1.
—. 1927. "Wife betrays paramour as murderer of Snyder, and he then confesses." New York Times, March 22: 1.
Sutherland, Sidney. 1928. "Ruth and Judd die in chair, asking for forgiveness for sin." Daily News, January 13: 1.
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