Naman Shrestha
Jennifer Snyder was two months pregnant when she met her untimely and tragic demise in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in March 2011. The news of her killing left the entire community shell-shocked, while grief took over her family and friends. As the detectives reviewed surveillance footage and interviewed her loved ones, they uncovered a web of deceit that led them to the perpetrator. The episode titled ‘Devil in a White Coat’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Devil of a Boss’ chronicles the case and the investigation that followed, with interviews with Jennifer’s family and the officials involved.
Jennifer Snyder’s Remains Were Found in a Wooded Area in Lehigh County
Patricia and Terry Snyder welcomed Jennifer Lindsay Snyder as their bundle of joy on June 23, 1983, in Lehighton, Pennsylvania. Growing up alongside a brother, Jonathan Angelovich, and a sister, Justine Frantz, Jennifer developed a deep passion for animals from an early age. After completing her education, she landed a job as a certified veterinary technician at the Maple Hills Veterinary Hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She worked closely with Dr. David Rapoport, the hospital’s veterinarian, and over time, they developed feelings for each other. Despite David being married, the two began dating after he told her he would soon be separating from his wife, Elizabeth Rapoport.
In early 2011, Jennifer was elated when she learned she was pregnant with David’s child. Looking forward to becoming a mother, she booked her first ultrasound appointment for March 17, 2011. However, when the 27-year-old woman didn’t show up for the ultrasound, her family became concerned and filed a missing persons report. That same day, the police received a call about an abandoned vehicle in the 4100 block of Independence Drive in North Whitehall Township. They noticed that there were blood stains, a smashed rear passenger-side window, and spent 9 mm shell casings inside the car. It was identified as Jennifer’s car.
The following day, the police searched the area surrounding the abandoned vehicle using helicopters. At about 9:45 am, they found her remains wrapped in large black garbage bags with duct tape in a wooded ravine in the Trexler Nature Preserve. The detectives also found shattered glass and a 9 mm shell casing, similar to the ones found in her car. The autopsy reports revealed that the manner of her death was homicide, and the cause of her death was multiple gunshot wounds, two to her face and one in the middle of her back. Thus, a homicide investigation was launched to get to the bottom of the case.
Jennifer Snyder’s Killer Was Apprehended Through Witness Statements and Surveillance Footage
In order to learn the circumstances surrounding Jennifer Snyder’s murder, the detectives dug deeper into her professional and personal life. They spoke with her roommate, Hilary Schiavone, who said Jennifer was on her way to meet David the day she went missing. She also alleged that while she was excited about the pregnancy, David was far from pleased. It turned out that the veterinarian maintained his relationship with Jennifer as well as his wife, Elizabeth, who once reportedly attacked Jennifer outside a store in October 2009 after discovering the affair. Elizabeth later pled guilty to a charge of harassment and paid a fine. At the time of Jennifer’s murder, she and David were not together anymore, and the latter had taken a job at another clinic. The investigators knocked on David’s door and questioned him about Jennifer.
Initially, he denied any recent contact with Jennifer, but later admitted to having a relationship with her before. They also searched his car with his permission and found a Glock Model 17 9mm and blood-stained duct tape in the trunk. Since they didn’t have a search warrant at the time, the police couldn’t take any of the suspicious items for testing. While gathering evidence against him, the detectives reviewed surveillance footage of the area where they found Jennifer’s car. They spotted a man resembling David getting out of the car on the afternoon of March 16, 2011, and disposing of a few items into the nearby dumpster before fleeing from the scene. Upon searching the dumpster, the investigators found an empty bottle of bleach with blood on it, a towel, and a plastic bag containing documents related to Jennifer.
On March 19, 2011, they executed a formal search warrant on David’s car, where they found Jennifer’s cell phone and a box of black garbage bags, similar to the ones in which her remains were found wrapped. Soon, he was arrested and charged with one count of criminal homicide for Jennifer’s death and one count of death of an unborn child. According to investigative reports, David Rapoport learned about Jennifer’s pregnancy in late January or early February 2011, after which he took a shooting lesson and bought a gun. He also purchased bleach, a towel, duct tape, and baby wipes before luring her to meet him at a bagel shop on March 16. Claiming to have a surprise for her, he drove her to Game Preserve Road and shot her to death. The veterinarian then disposed of her remains in the wooded area.
David Rapoport is Currently Incarcerated at a Pennsylvania Prison
On December 8, 2011, David Rapoport pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Jennifer Sydney and her unborn child, in order to avoid the death penalty. In exchange, in January 2012, he was sentenced to two consecutive life terms for his gruesome crimes. During his sentencing hearing, he apologized to the Snyder family, stating, “Every moment of every day, I ask myself why.” As of today, the 45-year-old killer is serving his sentence at State Correctional Institution – Mahanoy in Frackville, Pennsylvania.
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