Dismissal sought in case of starvation

Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2005 | 7:47 a.m.

Charges against the boyfriend of a woman whose 2-year-old girl starved to death in a squalid trailer home should be dismissed because there is no evidence he lived in the household or was responsible for the child's welfare, his public defender says.

Jack Richardson, 25, and Charlene Snyder, 28, have pleaded not guilty to the charges related to Adacelli Snyder's death and the alleged neglect of her three siblings.

In a writ of habeas corpus filed Tuesday afternoon, Richardson's attorney, Deputy Public Defender Timothy O'Brien, contends the testimony that the grand jury used to establish Richardson as a resident of the trailer was "incomplete, insufficient and incompetent."

O'Brien also contends there was no evidence presented to the grand jury to suggest Richardson had "any familial relationship with any of the aforementioned alleged victims."

Chief Deputy District Attorney Tom Carroll, however, said records indicate Richardson is the biological father of Charlene Snyder's 11-month-old son.