On the evening of February 22, 2019, Trent R. Snyder, a 28-year-old Caucasian male from Suquamish, Washington, was fatally shot. The incident that led to his death began earlier in the day and was rooted in a domestic conflict. Snyder had plans to meet with a 23-year-old woman with whom he shared a child. The woman was in a current relationship with William Benson Black, also 28, and they also had a child together.
The three adults, along with the two children, had dinner together at a local restaurant. Following the meal, while Snyder was in Poulsbo, Black discovered communications between Snyder and the woman on her phone. This discovery angered Black, as it was reportedly not the first time he had found them communicating. In an attempt to resolve the escalating tension, the woman invited Snyder to their residence in the 7000 block of NE Tundra Way.
Aware that Snyder was on his way, Black waited for him. When Snyder arrived and was still inside his four-door Lexus sedan, Black approached the vehicle and fired multiple shots, inflicting fatal injuries. Emergency services were called to the scene around 9:50 p.m. where they found Snyder unresponsive. Despite life-saving efforts by law enforcement and medics, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Black fled the area after the shooting, prompting a search by law enforcement. A Poulsbo police officer later observed Black emerging from a wooded area in Kingston. He was taken into custody without incident at approximately 12:30 a.m. on February 23. A. 40-caliber handgun was found on his person at the time of his arrest, which matched the shell casings recovered from the crime scene. Black was subsequently charged with the murder of Trent Snyder. He was held on $1 million bail and in December 2019, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
