A Luzerne County man called 911 shortly before he died to report someone shot him in the chest twice late Tuesday afternoon.
Police found John Rabbitz Jr. inside his Sugarloaf Twp. home, and he survived long enough to say William Hunter Snyder wanted “to hurt him ... over a girl,” according to arrest papers charging Snyder with criminal homicide.
Snyder, 27, of Milton, a former state trooper, dated Rabbitz’s girlfriend for a month in October. Despite her pleas, he refused to leave her alone after she broke up with him, according to the arrest affidavit.
A state police spokesman confirmed Snyder worked as a trooper for 18 months, including his academy training, before leaving the force in May 2023. Murder investigators found Snyder was charged June 27, 2023, with stalking and harassment. The affidavit doesn’t detail that case.
In texts or snapchats that started Sunday, Snyder told Courtney Lee Burgard he would never stop pursuing her and felt his life was “meaningless without you in it,” according to the affidavit.
“I know you miss me, and I know you still love me,” Snyder texted. “You miss me. Your connection is strong(er) than anything I’ve ever felt, and I know you feel the same way. Selfishly and unselfishly, I am the best thing for you and I would do everything to prove that. We never had a single issue. You are my one person. I am crazy I know. But you are my soulmate. We honestly belong together.”
“Hunter, I can’t,” Burgard replied.
“Why can’t you?” Snyder wrote back. “You can do anything! You know it in your heart Courtney. You know I’m your person. I’m your human. We are meant for so much more. I know it and you know it. You said you’ve been questioning why you ran away ... because you know it was a mistake.”
“I really can’t deal with this,” she replied.
Rabbitz called 911 at 5:24 p.m. Tuesday and said “a male knocked on my door, shot me and ran away,” according to the affidavit.
Sugarloaf police Sgt. Justin Ackerman found Rabbitz suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and lying on the floor near the top of stairs “leading from the front door to the main level of his bi-level home.”
A cell phone was next to him.
While waiting for paramedics, Rabbitz said he did not know who shot him, but mentioned “Hunter Snyder” wanted to hurt him.
An ambulance drove Rabbitz for treatment, but a paramedic reported he died shortly after leaving the scene, according to the affidavit.
Burgard told police about Snyder and provided the messages and 28 photos he sent her.
She told Rabbitz about the messages and photos. In the days leading up to his death, they installed a home video security system on her Sunbury home. Rabbitz also bought a surveillance camera for his home.
About 5:50 a.m. Friday, while Burgard and Rabbitz slept inside, video captured Snyder dropping off a coffee press at her home, according to the affidavit.
Snyder showed up at her home at least one other time, neighbors who saw him told Burgard.
Using available video cameras, investigators traced Snyder’s 2018 Hyundai Tucson traveling before the shooting on local and state roads. They could tell it was his because it has a medium-sized white decal on the driver side rear quarter window.
“The decal is not factory equipment and is unique to Snyder’s vehicle,” investigators wrote in the affidavit.
Minutes after the shooting, local video cameras tracked the vehicle headed back to Interstate 80 west. They also tracked his social media activity and found it stopped at 4:06 p.m. and resumed at 6:16 p.m., long enough to drive to the crime scene and then to the home of a co-worker in Shamokin, according to the affidavit.
The co-worker called police Wednesday to say Snyder showed up at his home about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Snyder lived in Milton, Northumberland County, with his father, who owned three .40-caliber handguns, according to the affidavit.
Investigators found blood and three .40-caliber shell casings inside the front door of Rabbitz’s home. They also tracked the whereabouts of Snyder’s cell phone through cell tower data.
The co-worker told police Snyder took off his shoes because they were wet.
“The wet shoes are consistent with the fact that responding officers observed footprints in otherwise undisturbed snow covering Rabbitz’s front yard,” investigators wrote.
Magisterial District Judge Daniel O’Donnell denied Snyder bail, as required in homicide cases.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. March 7.