Neil Snyder

Falsely Accused Neil Snyder

Publisher Marketing: In September 2006, Cyndi Marchbanks, an intelligent and attractive 22 year old woman, was accused of murdering Amber Robey and her unborn child. Despite overwhelming evidence that she acted in self-defense, Cyndi was charged with two counts of murder, death or injury to a child inutero, and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a violent crime. If convicted, she would have to spend a minimum of 100 years in prison with no chance for parole. Cyndi became the focal point of a media feeding frenzy accompanying the high-profile murder case. In the eyes of many people in Anderson, South Carolina, it transformed the demure and relatively unknown young woman into a notorious celebrity, a hideous monster, the cold-blooded killer of a mother and her unborn child. Falsely Accused is a gripping account of a travesty of justice. An overzealous prosecutor who was seeking re-election completely ignored the evidence for self-defense and the conclusions of the state's own forensic scientist to pursue a conviction. To make her case, the prosecutor latched onto contradictory statements provided by the victim's boyfriend who did not witness the shooting. For almost 14 months, Cyndi Marchbanks and her entire family had to live with the paralyzing fear that Cyndi might spend the rest of her life in prison. The jury for Cyndi's trial in October 2007 saw through the prosecutor's deception and decided Cyndi was not guilty in less than 2 hours. This is a true story about Almighty God intervening on behalf of one of His children. It depicts a Christian family turning to God for help during a horrific 14 month ordeal; it reveals a loving God drawing a wandering child back to Him in the midst of harrowing circumstances; and it portrays God taking steps to restore Cyndi Marchbanks' reputation after it had been dragged through the mud by a fanatical prosecutor on a mission to win a high profile murder trial. Contributor Bio:  Snyder, Neil Neil H. Snyder and James J. Dowd, Jr. teach at the Mclntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia.