Kenzi Snider found not guilty

This week in Seoul, South Korea, Kenzi Snider will learn whether or not she will be allowed… This week in Seoul, South Korea, Kenzi Snider will learn whether or not she will be allowed to return home, following last week’s acquittal of all charges in association with the murder of former Pitt student Jamie Lynn Penich.

Snider was accused of murdering Penich after a night of drinking and dancing in South Korea on St. Patrick’s Day in 2001, while the two were studying abroad together.

Snider was found not guilty by Seoul District Court Justice Kim Nam-Tae, who said there was insufficient evidence to convict her of murder.

The only evidence the prosecution was able to produce was a confession Snider gave to FBI investigators after a three-day interrogation in the United States, Kim said.

According to Snider, the investigators coerced her into giving a false confession.

By Korean law, an acquittal does not necessarily mean an end to trial proceedings; the prosecution was given seven days to appeal the decision, and Snider could face a retrial.

The Penich family will seek a civil suit against Snider regardless of whether or not the appeal is approved, according to a June 20 article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Snider was held in a South Korean prison throughout the trial proceedings. After her release, she wrote an e-mail that said she looks forward to taking a bath and eating with a fork. She also has a craving for cheese.

Snider and her mother, Heath Bozonie, said they are very thankful for Snider’s reasonable treatment throughout her experience. Bozonie, who stayed in South Korea throughout the trial, said she thought the prison guards, as well as her lawyer’s family, made their stay as comfortable as it could be.