Opinion ID: 2088760
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: Michael Snyder was born on October 6, 1979, to Joseph Messinger and Sheila Messinger. Joseph Messinger killed Sheila on June 1, 1982, and was duly convicted and sentenced to serve five to fifteen years for the aggravated manslaughter of his wife. In late 1982, Michael, then three years old, was adopted by the Snyders in a proceeding wherein Joseph Messinger relinquished his parental rights to the boy. Approximately a year and a half later, the appellant, Anna Faust, Sheila Messinger's mother, learned of her grandson's whereabouts and the fact of his adoption. She filed both a complaint for custody and a petition to intervene in the adoption nunc pro tunc. At the close of the pleadings, the matters were consolidated and upon motion for judgment on the pleadings, the court dismissed her claim for custody and her request to intervene in the adoption proceeding. She has appealed from the order of dismissal.