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LITTLEFIELD, Arizona — Police in Arizona announced Thursday that their main suspect in the 5-year-old investigation into the shooting deaths of a West Jordan couple — whose remains were found near the Virgin River Gorge area near the Utah-Arizona border — is now deceased.
A spokeswoman for the Mohave County Sheriff's Office said that while detectives are not calling the investigation into the deaths of Jerry and Susan McFalls "closed," a statement from the department on Thursday notes that police believe "Kenneth Gene Snyder was responsible" for the couple's deaths, and that Snyder was "shot and killed during the commission of a domestic violence assault on his property on June 1, 2023. With Snyder being deceased, no arrest can be made in reference to his involvement in the murders of Jerry and Susan McFalls."
The long investigation into the disappearance and deaths of Jerry David McFalls and his wife, Susan Marie McFalls, both 62, dates back to Jan. 21, 2018, when deputies from the Mohave County Sheriff's Office conducted a welfare check on the couple after the family reported them missing.
The McFalls owned a second home in Littlefield, Arizona. They were last seen on Jan. 11, 2018. On that day, the couple texted family members that they would be traveling from Littlefield to West Jordan, according to court documents.
But when deputies went to their Littlefield residence to check on them after the couple failed to arrive in Utah, they found the house unlocked, pickup trucks that looked like they were in the process of being loaded, two dogs inside the house with no food or water, and a purse, wallet and cellphone on the kitchen table, according to a search warrant affidavit.
"Over the next several months several interviews were conducted with persons of interest and potential witnesses," according to the sheriff's office.
On Oct. 15, 2018, two sets of human remains were fond in a shallow grave near the Virgin River Gorge.
"Susan McFalls was positively identified on Oct.18, 2018, by comparing medical records and a medical device located along with the remains. Jerry McFalls was positively identified on Jan. 30, 2020, using DNA analysis," the sheriff's office said.
As the investigation progressed, Snyder, 57 of Littlefield, Ariz., was identified as a possible suspect.
"Detectives conducted follow-up interviews with neighbors and acquaintances. As a result, a witness was identified who alleged that Kenneth Snyder had shot and killed the McFalls," the sheriff's office said.
"The witness gave extensive details into the night of the McFalls' death, claiming that Jerry McFalls and Kenneth Snyder had gotten into a verbal altercation after Jerry approached Snyder's residence. The altercation escalated, resulting in Snyder shooting Jerry, then Susan, and removing their bodies from the property. Snyder allegedly threatened to kill the witness if they called law enforcement. Detectives followed up on the new information, executing search warrants and collecting evidence to substantiate the claim. Investigators have determined that Kenneth Gene Snyder was responsible for the death of Jerry and Susan McFalls," the sheriff's office said Thursday.
Despite the gunman now being deceased, the sheriff's office says it will continue to investigate the case if any new leads or evidence is discovered.
