There are at least six people who know more about the disappearance of Kristin Marie Snyder than they have ever said publicly.
It may be necessary for law enforcement to finally get some of these people to talk.
They are:
1. Ed Kinum: Head Trainer of the Nxivm intensive in Anchorage, Alaska from which Kristin was ejected from and then disappeared.
2. Esther Carlson Chiappone: Kinum’s Assistant Trainer – who actually arranged to remove Kristin from the intensive.
3. [Name Redacted]: An attendee of the class, who seems to have coached Kristin and evidently lied to police about her whereabouts.
4. Karen Abney: Kristin’s Coach who spoke constantly with Kristin by phone during the days leading up to her disappearance.
5. Nancy ‘Prefect’ Salzman: She was in Albany at the time of Kristin’s disappearance – but overheard to be frequently on the phone with Chiappone giving her directions on handling Kristin.
6. Keith Alan Raniere: The leader of Nxivm – who allegedly raped or had sex with Kristin during her visit to Albany prior to the intensive in Anchorage. Kristin was claiming she was pregnant with his child.
Ed Kinum left Nxivm years ago. Perhaps because of the Snyder matter. Kinum got out without being targeted by Nxivm. He did this by remaining silent.
Still, he was a witness to the alleged derangement of Kristin and undoubtedly reported this to his superior, Nancy Salzman, and possibly to Raniere himself.
It must have been alarming to him and others that Kristin was claiming that the allegedly celibate leader of Nxivm, Keith Raniere, got her pregnant. Kinum likely thought she was being a lunatic and this perhaps reinforced the idea that nobody should take Kristin seriously. They looked to Ed for direction.
Kristin was likely telling the truth. It came out years later that Raniere was not celibate, but a sex addict and that he kept a harem and had raped girls. Back in 2003, Raniere’s reputation was clean. His women kept up the lie for him. The lie that he was a monk.
Whether Kinum knew or not about Raniere’s sex life, he ignored Kristin’s pleas for help. She was upset because of what Raniere had done to her.
Exacerbating this was that Kristin was a lesbian. She was in a committed relationship with Heidi Clifford. Now, she was telling everyone that she was pregnant with Raniere’s child.
Kinum, as Head Trainer for the class, probably should have arranged to have her taken to a hospital to get treatment. Instead, he followed the instructions of Nancy Salzman – who told him that Kristin was lying and that nothing was really wrong – she was just trying to get attention.
In her heart, Salzman probably knew Kristin was not lying. But the mission was to save Raniere – and that meant discrediting Kristin.
At the very least, Kinum could have called Kristin’s parents and let them know what Kristin was doing – that she was acting erratically.
Maybe he trusted Nancy’s superior judgment.
After all, the Nxivm tech was so powerful that it could create dynamic changes – and maybe Kristin was just working through these.
Ed failed to see the warning signs – and did not believe Kristin was pregnant.
Everyone seemed to prefer to not believe Kristin – to think that she was deranged and that her story was her imagination.
But suppose the reason for her derangement was her guilt and fear?
Suppose Raniere really did have sex with her and got her pregnant?
Her family is a devout Christian family. Kristin had deviated from the family’s religious ideals already by being a lesbian. She felt guilty about that, her mother told me.
But being a lesbian is not the same as having an abortion – which to the Christian – is the actual killing of a child.
Kristin kept saying, “I don’t know if I can go through this.” Which may have meant an abortion or maybe having a child.
At the time no one knew, but by February 2003, Raniere had already ordered more than a dozen abortions – demanding women he got pregnant get abortions rather than give birth to his child.
It may not be fair to blame Kinum. He is a practicing chiropractor and a successful businessman. He left Nxivm. He left Chiappone who he was dating for a time [and who would have definitely known Raniere had a harem].
Kinum escaped and wants to forget and be forgotten.
But he was there. He was the leader of the class and he was in charge on the deadly day when Kristin Snyder was removed from the class – driven away by a Nxivm member – Elaine Smiloff – and never seen again.
It would be sterling of him to tell what he knows:
Why the decision was made to remove Kristin and not get medical help. Why Elaine was chosen to pick Kristin up.
What happened to Kristin’s pickup truck that was in the parking lot of the Westmark Hotel where the classes were held – and that mysteriously disappeared shortly after Kristin was removed from class.
What does Kinum know? I have asked him to speak on several occasions. He has declined.
Now, as we look closer, at the disappearance of Kristin Snyder – trying to find out what happened – it might be time for Ed to tell us:
Does he know who took Kristin’s pickup truck? Did he arrange that? Did he know that [Name Redacted] had been coaching Kristin on relationships and what she said to her?
Did he know that [Name Redacted]had access to a cabin right near where Kristin’s pickup truck was found?
Did he know if Kristin was being persuaded by Raniere to do something drastic?
Did Kinum’s Vanguard get on the phone with Kristin – ostensibly to help the poor woman – but really to protect his cowardly ass?
These are some of the questions I would ask Kinum.
He may be entirely innocent; he may know nothing other than that a poor woman was crying out to be heard and everyone ignored her because they thought she was raving when she claimed the man – then known as a celibate – now known as a sex trafficker, and child rapist – got her pregnant.
It was the total discounting of her authentic experience – and her cry for help, for she needed help – she needed guidance – that may have led to her undoing.
Ed was the Head Trainer who worked to ensure she did not get help that may have led her to her death. He should answer for that.
It may be even worse.
Kristin Snyder’s sister Kim was one of the first to suspect homicide. And that may be the real truth.
What does Ed Kinum know?
Stay tuned for our next in the series as we discuss Esther Carlson Chiappone’s curious role in the disappearance – including a strange ride she took to Seward with a group of Nxivm members shortly after the disappearance of Kristin Snyder.
If anyone wants to come forward with information about the disappearance of Kristin Snyder, please feel safe in calling me at 716-900-5740 or emailing me at frankparlato@gmail.com. I will protect your confidentiality – and if you are a coconspirator in a crime, I will help you obtain legal counsel who may be able to negotiate with law enforcement for a better plea deal or even immunity in return for truthful testimony.
Ed Kinum is a chiropractor in the Albany area, He was once a Head Trainer for Nxivm. He led the class that led to Kristin Snyder’s disappearance. What does he know?
The broken family – Robert Snyder, Kristin Snyder, Kim Snyder, Seated Jonnie Snyder – during a happier time when they were all together. Before Kristin joined Nxivm and met Keith Raniere.
