(ELKHART) – A man arrested following an 18 hour standoff was in court for the first time Thursday.

Elkhart County Court officials say 37 year old Ryan Snyder entered a preliminary plea of not guilty to a charge of murder in the death of his 2 year old son, and two child neglect charges regarding his son and his 4 year old daughter.

On July 6, officers with the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the 57,000 block of Pendleton Drive to conduct a welfare check on Snyder and his children, after being contacted by the children’s mother. Deputies arrived at the residence at 9:06 PM, but were not able to contact Snyder. They learned that he was in the house, was armed and threatened to harm his children and law enforcement.

The Elkhart County Regional SWAT Team responded at approximately 12:09 AM on July 7 to secure the scene and attempt to contact Snyder, but he refused to exit the home, and discharged a firearm before barricading himself in the house. This incident continued into the day, and the Indiana State Police Emergency Response Team was requested to assist at the scene.

Many attempts were made throughout the morning and into the afternoon hours to contact Snyder, but with little success. At approximately 3:30 PM, the State Police Emergency Response Team made entry into the home and took Snyder into custody.

Officers found Snyder’s son dead. His four year old daughter was also located. She was treated at the scene and released to a relative.

Snyder is scheduled to have a pre-trial conference on August 15. A status conference is set for January 9, 2025 with a jury trial to begin on February 3, 2025.