Rock Rapids, Iowa — The mother of a child who prosecutors say was murdered in Little Rock will likely face the trial in her case starting on Tuesday, November 4th.
Court records indicate a final pre-trial conference in the case of 26-year-old Sydney Schneidermann of Little Rock had been scheduled for this Monday (October 20th), and that proposed exhibits and jury instructions have recently been submitted.
Arrest records show she was arrested on first-degree murder and child endangerment charges. They indicate Schneidermann did an online search for “shaken baby syndrome” on her cell phone three days before taking her baby boy to the hospital in Rock Rapids on September 10th, 2023. Tests at the emergency room found the baby’s vital signs were normal, and the infant was released that night, but was back in the ER the next day in critical condition. The baby was flown to a hospital in Sioux Falls, where he died two weeks later.
Court documents say 27-year-old Brennan Schneidermann, the baby’s father, was charged with child endangerment, causing death, but those charges were dropped. Investigators say his wife sent him a screenshot of her research on shaken baby syndrome three days before her first trip to the hospital.
An autopsy indicates the infant had fractured ribs and brain trauma. Doctors in Sioux Falls say the child’s brain swelled, and bruising on his neck was consistent with child abuse.
