MALIBU—The body of a missing 53 year-old Malibu woman was found in the crawl space of her parents’ home on Wednesday, February 19.
Julia Christine Snyder had been missing since 9:00 p.m. on February 8. During the investigation, officials searched Snyder’s parents’ home located on the 4300 block of Ocean View Drive.
At about 3:35 p.m., her body was discovered on February 19. Three searches of the home were conducted prior to the discovery. According to reports, the crawl space was overlooked the first few searches because a piece of plywood was covering the entrance.
Officials believe that she had been in the crawl space since the day she disappeared. Snyder was staying at her parents’ house while her home was being renovated. Her home was destroyed during the Woolsey Fire in 2018.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Malibu Search and Rescue Team launched a thorough search of the Malibu area with the aid of drones and K-9 units after Snyder’s disappearance was announced. Families expressed concern over her wellbeing since Snyder suffered from bipolar disorder and was without her medication.
Authorities do not suspect foul play at this time because there was no evidence at the scene to indicate a crime was committed, but have not ruled out the possibility that foul play was involved.
The cause of her death is still under investigation. An autopsy will have to be performed to determine an official cause of death. It is unknown why Snyder was in the crawlspace of her parents’ home.
