On August 31th, 2016 St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office deputies and detectives from the Criminal Investigation Division responded to the 911 call for a possible overdose at location in California, Maryland. Barbara Ann Sneden, 31, was found unresponsive and pronounced deceased.
Detectives from the Vice/Narcotics division continued the investigation in an effort to determine the cause of death, and if it was in fact drug related, who may have supplied the drugs which killed Victim Sneden. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Maryland ruled the death “Heroin Intoxication”.
Barbara Ann Sneden
Detectives developed a suspect and began to work with our partners in the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office in an attempt to obtain additional suspect and case information. On September 30th, 2016, detectives from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Vice/Narcotics Division accompanied Calvert County detectives during the execution of a search and seizure warrant in Dowell, Maryland.
Suspect Garner II was on the scene and in possession of heroin which was uniquely packaged. Detectives recognized this specific packaging material and technique used by the dealer of the heroin which caused the death of Victim Sneden.
Detectives gathered additional evidence in the forms of witness statements, video surveillance, and digital evidence, which led to the case being presented to State’s Attorney Richard D. Fritz for review.
State’s Attorney Fritz authorized charges against Mark Steven Garner II (Age 27 of Prince Frederick, MD) for “Murder in the Second Degree, Depraved Heart” and “Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin”. Suspect Garner was served his arrest warrant in the Calvert County Detention Center where he is being held on unrelated charges.
The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Vice/Narcotics Division would like to thank their partners, Walden Treatment Centers and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office. Further, we would like to send our sincere thanks to the Sneden family for their support, cooperation and patience throughout the course of this investigation.
