Neighbors say Snyder was brilliant, troubled

John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 17, 2007 at midnight

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THORNTON - People who live along the same quiet suburban street as Aaron Richard Snyder did for most of a decade described him as a brilliant but troubled young man.

They would not elaborate on what they described as his "problems," saying it wasn't their place.

Whatever his troubles, nothing had prepared them for the news that Snyder had been shot to death outside Gov. Bill Ritter's office after declaring himself "Emperor" and making threats.

"Aaron was a loving person. He never exhibited any aggressive behavior," said Mary Annunziato. "It would be nice for people not to judge him harshly, but to judge him in the light of circumstances."

She said his parents, Rick and Kathie, are wonderful neighbors who cared very much about the 32-year-old son living with them.

"They truly loved him," Annunziato said. "He was not this kind of monster who went to kill the governor. That was not the Aaron that I knew."

Police executed a search warrant at the Snyders' home late Monday as part of their investigation..

Annunziato described Snyder as someone who tutored other students in math and had recently landed a job with an engineering firm.

Snyder had no history of violent crimes, only traffic violations.

A few doors down, Doug Egge leaned on the rail of his front porch and tried to make sense of the news. "I can't believe it," he said. "It's unreal."

Egge, a software consultant, said Aaron Snyder would sometimes talk to him about computers.

"It was very obvious he was pretty much a loner," Egge said. "I don't want to give up details, that's up to his mom and dad, but he had some problems.

"He'd walk up and down the block smoking his cigarettes and he was pretty much in his own little world."

Annunziato said she thought nothing of that because she knew Snyder's parents wouldn't let him smoke in the house.

"My heart goes out to the family. They've got to be devastated," she said.

Staff writers Hector Gutierrez and Lynn Bartels contributed to this report.

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