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Authorities have detained a suspect in connection with the tragic shooting of esteemed Caltech research scientist Carl Grillmair, renowned for his significant contributions to astronomy.
Freddy Snyder, 29, is currently in custody with bail set at $3.175 million. His arrest occurred during a police response to a reported carjacking in the vicinity. Investigators revealed that Snyder has been formally charged with murder and carjacking related to Grillmair’s death, with these charges being filed on Wednesday.
Investigators discovered Grillmair’s body on the front porch of his residence in Llano, California, bringing shock and sadness to those who knew him.
Records show Snyder had a previous encounter with law enforcement in Southern California in late 2025 when he was arrested for allegedly carrying a loaded firearm. Although charges were filed, the case was later dismissed, and Snyder was released on his own recognizance on December 23, according to jail records. The reasons behind the dismissal of the 2025 firearm charges remain unclear at this time.
Grillmair’s body was discovered on the front porch of his home in Llano, California, according to investigators.
Snyder was previously arrested in Southern California in late 2025 on suspicion of carrying a loaded firearm. He was charged in that case, but the charge was later dismissed, according to court records. Snyder was released on his own recognizance on Dec. 23, jail records show. It was not immediately clear why the 2025 gun charges against him were dropped.
Caltech confirmed that Grillmair, 67, worked as a research scientist at the institute’s Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, commonly known as IPAC.
“Thank you for your condolences yes, we can confirm that Carl was employed by Caltech,” Senior Media Relations Manager Robert Perkins said, adding that the institute is working to determine whether an official statement will be released.
Grillmair was widely respected in the astronomy community for his work analyzing data from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, the school says. Colleagues say his research helped scientists identify water signatures on planets beyond our solar system and better understand distant worlds by studying infrared light.
He was also known for discovering stellar streams faint trails of stars left behind by disrupted star clusters and dwarf galaxies research that provided important insight into how the Milky Way formed and evolved.
Fellow scientist Sergio Fajardo-Acosta described Grillmair as both a mentor and close friend, calling his death a profound loss to the scientific community.
“He was a great friend and will be missed dearly,” Fajardo-Acosta said, adding that Grillmair “takes knowledge with him that will be irreplaceable.”
Outside of his professional work, Grillmair maintained a personal observatory at his home and was an avid pilot and outdoorsman, according to colleagues.
Snyder is scheduled to be arraigned March 26.
affiliate KTLA contributed to this report.