Police say the alleged “assault” on Todd Snider has been determined to be self-inflicted
Police Say the Alleged “Assault” on Todd Snider Has Been Determined to Be Self-Inflicted
For more information on the ongoing investigation into the death of Todd Snider, see also:
– Bodycam Footage, Otis Gibbs Reveals New Clues About the Death of Todd Snider
– Additional Details on the Todd Snider Incident and Why His Band Walked Away
– Many Questions Remain After the Death of Todd Snider
There are still more questions than answers surrounding what happened to singer-songwriter and performer Todd Snider during his time in Salt Lake City in early November—events that ultimately led to Snider’s death at a Nashville hospital on November 14. But as the investigation continued—or, in this case, concluded—Salt Lake City Police have released additional details after issuing several definitive findings.
After reviewing surveillance footage from Todd Snider’s hotel and conducting further investigation, the Salt Lake City Police Department determined that the alleged assault against Todd Snider on October 31 was most likely a self-inflicted injury, occurring when Snider was alone on his tour bus and fell, striking his head.
Todd Snider had been scheduled to perform at The Commonwealth Room in South Salt Lake on November 1, but the performance never took place. Snider claimed he had been attacked the night before (October 31), although no evidence of an assault or explanation for the alleged attack was ever publicly provided by Snider’s team or local police.
What can be confirmed is that Todd Snider received multiple stitches to the back of his head at a local LDS Intermountain hospital. Due to his injuries, Snider’s November 1 performance in Salt Lake City was canceled, as was his entire tour.
Snider’s label/management, Aimless Inc., stated on November 3:
“ Todd suffered significant injuries as the victim of a violent attack outside his hotel. Todd will be unable to perform for an undetermined period of time.”
However, as Saving Country Music reported on November 18, conflicting jurisdictions and the absence of a local police investigation left many unanswered questions regarding the nature of the alleged attack on Todd Snider—whether any suspects were being pursued, whether any surveillance footage existed, and what exactly had happened.
Complicating matters further, Snider’s road manager initially called police about an alleged attack that reportedly occurred at The Commonwealth Room in South Salt Lake—located just across the jurisdictional dividing line from Salt Lake City, where Snider’s hotel room was, and where the alleged attack supposedly occurred. The two cities have separate police departments, and neither was certain which agency had jurisdiction.
Later, Saving Country Music confirmed that Todd Snider had been staying at the SpringHill Suites at 625 S 300 W, approximately 2.5 miles north of The Commonwealth Room in Salt Lake City. This is where the alleged attack reportedly took place—on Todd Snider’s tour bus, parked in the hotel parking lot.
Further hindering the investigation, Todd Snider and his management refused to cooperate with police as they attempted to investigate the alleged assault. As South Salt Lake patrol officer Tanner Doria wrote in a November 1 police report:
“ After being unable to reach management by phone, I began heading to the hospital to gather victim information and learn more about the incident. While en route, management called me back. I identified myself and asked for further details. The manager said he did not know why I was calling and stated that he only requested an ambulance, not police.
“ I asked the manager whether he wanted to file an additional report, and he declined. My conversation with the manager ended there. He never provided information about the involved party and insisted they did not want to speak with law enforcement.”
After Saving Country Music reported the jurisdictional confusion on November 18, the Salt Lake City Police Department re-evaluated the incident and learned that a second manager for Todd Snider had also contacted police about the alleged assault. This second manager was not in Salt Lake City at the time but called out of concern for Snider. Salt Lake City Police then obtained hotel surveillance footage to determine whether any assault had been captured.
After reviewing all available footage of Todd Snider’s time at the hotel, Salt Lake City Police determined that no assault occurred. Snider was seen walking from the hotel to the tour bus and was never approached by anyone. No one entered the tour bus during the time frame of the alleged attack. Police noted that Snider appeared intoxicated and unsteady in portions of the footage.
Police concluded that Snider most likely fell while on the tour bus, causing the head injury. Snider may have believed he was attacked after losing consciousness and awakening with blood from his head wound—an explanation consistent with the available facts.
A Salt Lake City Police report states:
“Surveillance video was collected from the hotel (both interior and exterior). Todd Snider is seen walking from the tour bus to the hotel at approximately 6:50 PM on 10/31/25 and returning to the tour bus at approximately 7:46 PM. Upon return, Todd did not appear injured. A witness (hotel employee) had a brief conversation with Todd as he passed through the lobby and also reported that Todd was not injured at that time.
“After Todd was seen entering the tour bus, he did not exit, and no one else entered or exited the bus until about 8:46 PM, when band members were seen interacting with Todd at the bus door (see log below). After the brief conversation, the door closed and Todd remained on the bus for the entire night, with no other individuals entering or exiting.
“The incident is believed to have occurred on the tour bus between 7:46 PM and 8:50 PM. There is no evidence of an assault in the hotel parking lot, and no one entered the bus after Todd entered at 7:46 PM. The tour bus was confirmed to have no surveillance cameras (interior or exterior).”
Below are notes from the hotel’s surveillance video review.
The report also includes an account from a female band member who stated:
“…she left the tour bus on the night of the incident (10/31) to go to dinner with the group at around 6:45 PM. According to [band member], when they all left for dinner, they saw Todd Snider on the bus and he appeared fine. Todd chose to stay behind and did not join the group for dinner.”
The band member later returned:
“According to [band member], she returned to the hotel just before 9:00 PM, bringing food out to Todd on the bus. She opened the bus door and stepped one foot inside, where she observed Todd unclothed from the waist down. Todd yelled (she believed in pain, though she saw no visible injuries) and appeared to be in some distress. Upon seeing this, she immediately reported what she saw to [redacted].”
A second female band member stated:
“She approached the bus and stood at the doorway when it opened. According to her, Todd was asleep/unconscious inside the bus, unclothed from the waist down, and his pants were on the bus steps. She described seeing soap and tissues piled on the lower steps (beneath his pants). She said she did not see any blood or injuries on Todd at that time but only viewed him from outside the bus. She immediately went to speak with [tour manager] to report what she had seen.”
The Salt Lake City Police report continues:
“After multiple interviews with witnesses (band members, tour manager, nephew, hotel staff), it was determined that Todd Snider may have been under the influence of both drugs and alcohol on the night of the incident (unknown substances). Surveillance video shows Todd stumbling and appearing unsteady before boarding the tour bus.
“Multiple attempts were made to speak directly with Todd, but due to his medical condition, he was unable to provide a statement. The only information police received was through a third party relaying what Todd had told them.”
“Todd Snider passed away in Nashville, TN on 11/14 due to reported complications from pneumonia and sepsis. Family members confirmed that no autopsy would be performed. At this time, the cause of death reported by the family is pneumonia/sepsis. Injuries sustained by Todd in Salt Lake City on 10/31/25 do not appear related to his death.”
The report concludes:
“At this time, we cannot confirm an assault occurred on the tour bus. Based on all available information, it is highly likely Todd fell on the bus and struck his head. A search warrant for medical records from LDS was obtained, detailing his reported injuries.”
––––––––––––––
The Salt Lake City Police report also describes interactions between police and Todd Snider’s manager, whose call initiated the investigation. The report fills in additional gaps in the timeline between October 31 and Todd’s injury.
“[Manager #2] stated that Todd was believed to have been injured by a glass bottle, after hearing from hospital staff that glass fragments were removed from Todd’s scalp. [Manager #2] also reported that Todd suffered a concussion from the head injury. [Manager #2] believed Todd had been at dinner with band members earlier and speculated that he may have left them afterward and been attacked during that time.”
The report continues:
“[Manager #2] stated that Todd somehow got back onto the tour bus parked at the hotel and slept there overnight (as he was found on the bus the next morning). At that time, Todd was discovered with blood on his head, and EMS responded to the bus location where Todd was treated and transported to LDS Hospital. At LDS Hospital, he received multiple stitches and was discharged later that day.”
The police investigation and determination appear to explain Todd Snider’s head injury from October 31, and dispute the claim that he was the victim of an attack—at least according to investigators.
However, many questions remain regarding the events that followed once the tour was canceled. Snider again interacted with police on November 2 at 245 S. State Street around 3:40 PM. This may have been when he was transported by ambulance to Holy Cross Hospital, where he was later arrested while seeking treatment.
Saving Country Music also learned from multiple sources that Todd Snider had planned to return to Nashville immediately after the canceled show on November 1 and had a flight booked. However, after boarding the plane and before takeoff, Snider exited the aircraft along with his road manager. It was then that he wandered the streets of Salt Lake City, eventually being arrested at Holy Cross Hospital. Snider was released from jail on November 3. It remains unclear when he ultimately returned to Nashville.
Saving Country Music contacted representatives of Todd Snider’s family seeking information and clarification about these critical events, but those emails have gone unanswered. With the family’s decision not to pursue an autopsy, key details about Todd Snider’s final days may never be known.
VIDEO: