Kelton Snyder Gets Life for Witness Murder Conspiracy

Decatur man Kelton Snyder, 24, is behind bars for life after being sentenced in federal court for the 2015 conspiracy to murder 19-year-old Paige Mars, a key witness in an armed robbery case. U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce handed down the mandatory life sentence without parole, underscoring the severity of targeting a witness in a federal prosecution. Snyder’s actions triggered a violent chain of events that ended with Mars’ body dumped near a sanitation district just days after the robbery.

The conviction stems from a Circle K holdup on April 3, 2015, at 1685 South Baltimore in Decatur, where Snyder, a convicted felon, brandished a 12-gauge shotgun during the armed robbery. He pleaded guilty to the robbery on March 7, 2016, admitting he illegally possessed the firearm. Surveillance footage from the store captured Snyder wielding the same weapon later used to kill Mars, tying him directly to both crimes.

Federal prosecutors proved at trial that Snyder met with a co-conspirator on April 5, 2015, driven by fear that Mars—serving as the getaway driver—would expose him. Texts and Facebook messages revealed Mars had begun questioning Snyder about rumors of violence against women, raising red flags before her death. Her body was discovered the next day, April 6, in the sanitation district near where the murder weapon would later be found.

That same day, law enforcement raided Snyder’s basement bedroom at his grandmother’s home in the 300 block of S. 19th Street, Decatur. Officers recovered 12-gauge and 20-gauge shotgun shells—crucial ballistic evidence linking him to the crimes. On May 15, 2015, investigators unearthed a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun hidden along a path in the sanitation district, matching the weapon used in both the robbery and murder.

“Because of defendant Snyder’s actions, a young woman’s life ended in a violent and senseless act,” said U.S. Attorney Jim Lewis. “The result of investigative work by our partner law enforcement agencies, together with the U.S. Attorney’s office, to investigate and prosecute these crimes, holds Snyder accountable, and in prison, for the rest of his life.”

“The arrest and sentencing of Snyder highlights how the teamwork of our federal and local law enforcement partners continues to remove violent criminals from our streets,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Cox. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Bohm and Katherine Boyle. The Decatur Police Department and FBI led the investigation, with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office.