Man accused of murdering Caltech scientist at his Los Angeles County home pleads not guilty

The man accused of murdering a Caltech scientist in front of his Los Angeles County home pleaded not guilty to charges on Tuesday morning.

Freddy Snyder, 29, is charged with murder, carjacking and burglary. He is accused of killing 67-year-old Carl Grillmair in the High Desert city of Llano on Feb. 16.

Deputies responded to the 30700 block of 165th Street East and found Grillmair on the porch with a fatal gunshot wound. Paramedics from the LA County Fire Department tried life-saving measures, but Grillmair was pronounced dead shortly after.

Detectives believe Snyder carjacked a family member's car before allegedly killing Grillmair, but the family member did not report it until after they realized Snyder had allegedly killed someone.

The LASD said Grillmair had called deputies on Dec. 20, 2025, to report Snyder trespassing on his home. Deputies arrested Snyder for weapons violations because he had left the property by the time authorities arrived, detectives said.

Grillmair was an astronomer and astrophysicist who began working at the California Institute of Technology in 1977. His research mainly focused on dark matter, galactic structure, stellar populations and exoplanets. He was awarded the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal.  

Caltech scientist Sergio Fajardo-Acosta knew Grillmair for 26 years and worked with him at the university's Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC). He said the news about his colleague's death was unexpected.

"He was always ready to teach," Fajardo-Acosta said. "To share his knowledge, he never held anything back."

The judge reset Snyder's bail to $3.175 million, and he remains in custody. His next court hearing is scheduled for June 5.