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Mother to white supremacist who killed her son: ‘You lost’

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) The admitted white supremacist who stabbed a man to death in August 2016 because he was black was sentenced Thursday.

Aaryn Snyder received 65 years for the Aug. 21, 2016 murder of Samuel Hardrix in the backyard of a home in the 1400 block of Schilling Avenue. Snyder had pleaded guilty but mentally ill to murder earlier this month.

According to a probable cause affidavit, on Sept. 19, Snyder confessed to the killing to an Allen County Confinement Officer, saying he stabbed Hardrix seven times because he was in his yard. Synder was in Allen County Jail for failing to register as a sex offender, according to jail records.

In an interview with Fort Wayne Police, then, Snyder said “this is a hate crime” and told a detective that he killed Hardrix because he was black and he is in a “white organization,” according to the affidavit. Synder said Hardrix had a pocket knife but Snyder took it and stabbed him several times, the affidavit said. He also described the knife to police.

Synder also told the detective that Hardrix was not the first person he stabbed or killed.

In the days after that interview, Synder repeatedly confessed to the killing to several more officers while in jail and asked if the crime would be considered a hate crime, the affidavit said.

In court Thursday, Samuel Hardrix’s mother, Shirley Hardrix, told the court that her son’s spirit will live on.

“My son did not deserve to be butchered the way you butchered him,” Shirley Hardrix said, holding a picture of her son. “He (Snyder) butchered my son so he could receive a patch. There’s no apology that can make up for what you did. There’s no benefit of killing someone because of their race. You lost in all this because of the hate in your heart and joining a hateful organization. Sam won because he’s with Jesus.”

Snyder was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. He said he’s been on suicide watch for more than a year after multiple suicide attempts in jail.

He apologized for the killing, and said he was on drugs at the time.

“Growing up, I hated the world,” said Snyder. “I feel bad for what I did. I took someone’s life. It was stupid. I was on spice, bath salts and other drugs. I was highly addicted to heroin. It took me so long to admit what I did because I had to detox. Every day I feel Sam. I know you’re not going to forgive me. I’m sorry. I’m not going to heaven. I know I’m not.”

In addition to his sentence, Snyder was also ordered to pay $4584.86 in restitution to cover funeral expenses.

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