**Case Overview**
A Pennsylvania man allegedly strangled his wife’s fiancée to death, buried the body along a creekbank, and kept the crime hidden for seven years until he guided police to the gravesite.
**Incident Scene**
Photographs show, from left to right, David Snyder and Kimberly Gsell (Middlesex Township Police). The background depicts the Rodeway Inn in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the location where Snyder is accused of killing Gsell (Google Maps).
**Charges**
David Allen Snyder, 39, faces charges of first‑degree murder and strangulation for the death of 38‑year‑old Kimberly Gsell.
**Relationship and Motel Incident**
According to a probable‑cause arrest affidavit obtained by *Law&Crime*, Gsell was engaged to Snyder’s wife, Amanda Snyder. Police indicated that the Snyders remained married at the time. On September 27, 2019, Gsell and her fiancé checked into the Rodeway Inn in Carlisle. During that stay, Amanda Snyder sustained a nasal injury during an altercation with Gsell, the affidavit notes.
**Initial Investigation**
David Snyder drove to the motel, collected his wife, and transported her to a hospital. He initially told investigators that he remained with his wife for the entire hospital stay.
**Missing Person Report**
When Amanda Snyder returned to the motel, she discovered that Gsell was absent. She offered numerous explanations for Gsell’s whereabouts to family members and friends, according to police statements.
**Inconsistent Statements**
Snyder later claimed he never saw Gsell again. Investigators identified several inconsistencies in his statements, and during a recent interview they confronted him with those discrepancies. He subsequently confessed.
**Confession Details**
Snyder asserted that on the night of Gsell’s death he persuaded her to accompany him to Amanda’s hospital visit. After she entered his vehicle, he used the passenger seat as leverage to choke her, believing she was intoxicated and “did not fight back.” He then reported covering Gsell’s body with a blanket.
**Disposal of the Body**
Snyder drove the victim to a remote area in Cumberland County and buried her on the bank of Yellow Breaches Creek, the affidavit states. He and Amanda Snyder, who has not been charged, later reported Gsell missing to her family and to law enforcement.
**Location Disclosure**
On Saturday, Snyder led police to the site where he allegedly interred Gsell.
**Recovery of Remains**
Cumberland County District Attorney Seán McCormack explained that investigators initially uncovered the blanket encasing the body and a single bone. Additional personnel were deployed, allowing authorities to recover the remainder of the remains.
**Motive**
The affidavit does not specify a motive for the homicide.
**Historical Context**
Middlesex Township Police Chief Andrew Bassler noted that the parties “were well aware of each other through mutual friends and direct friendships, so they did have a history together.”
**Legal Proceedings**
David Snyder was arrested and is being held in the Cumberland County Jail without bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for October 7.
**Family Closure**
District Attorney McCormack expressed hope that the recovery of Gsell’s body will provide her family with some measure of closure. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to provide a happy ending for Kim’s family, but hopefully now, we’ll be able to provide answers,” he said. “In cases like this, the question is always why this happened. Hopefully, those answers will be developed as the case makes its way through the court system.”
**Conclusion**
The investigation into the murder of Kimberly Gsell reveals a disturbing sequence of deception, violence, and concealment perpetrated by a family member. While the legal process now moves forward, the recovery of Gsell’s remains offers the victim’s relatives a long‑awaited opportunity for closure and underscores the importance of diligent law‑enforcement work in uncovering hidden crimes.
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