PA man charged with raping his wife will avoid jail time. She supports the decision
A man who had been accused of raping his wife at gun point was sentenced Tuesday to four years of probation, a punishment his spouse said she “absolutely” supports.
Trevor J. Snowberger, 32, of Blair County, is the “unicorn of these cases,” defense lawyer Daniel Kiss told Centre County Judge Jonathan Grine.
He pointed to about 800 pages of mental health counseling that documented Snowberger’s treatment, telling Grine his client has “turned it around.”
Snowberger’s wife said she was raped at gun point in November by her husband in Boggs Township, state police at Rockview wrote in an affidavit of probable cause. He made several threats, police wrote, including telling his wife he was going to “commit a murder-suicide.”
Troopers later found Snowberger sitting in his pickup truck near the intersection of state Route 220 and Skytop Mountain Road, where he attempted suicide by shooting himself with a handgun.
Kiss told Grine he was “shocked” and “taken aback” when he learned of the allegations. He told the Centre Daily Times after the hearing he’s handled homicide cases with “less intense circumstances.”
Snowberger, whose physical scars remained visible Thursday, declined comment before he was sentenced. He’s scheduled for surgery next week, Kiss said.
His wife made clear from the beginning she would not cooperate and did not want to see her husband prosecuted, Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna told Grine.
“Through his medical recovery, he has been able to get the help he needed for his mental health. Trevor completed (an) inpatient mental health program, as well as an intensive outpatient program. He continues to attend counseling and see his doctor regularly,” Snowberger’s wife wrote in a statement to Grine. “He did not die that night but the demons inside him did.”
Snowberger pleaded guilty in August to one misdemeanor count each of terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person and simple assault. Eleven charges were dropped, including rape.
“This is unusual,” Kiss said. “He’s a bit of a legal unicorn.”
Resources:
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line: text HELLO to 741741
Center for Community Resources: 800-643-5432, or visit 2100 E. College Ave.
This story was originally published September 13, 2022 at 2:20 PM.