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An accomplished Caltech astrophysicist with more than four decades of research contributions in galactic astronomy and the study of distant planets was fatally shot in a rural area of Antelope Valley on Monday morning. A suspect in the shooting has been charged with murder.
Deputies responded to a 911 call for assault with a deadly weapon in the unincorporated community of Llano at 6:10 a.m. and found a man suffering from a gunshot wound on the front porch of a home, according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
The victim was later identified as Carl Grillmair, 67, according to the L.A. County medical examiner. His death was ruled a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the torso.
While investigating the shooting, deputies arrested a suspect in a carjacking that took place nearby, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
That suspect was later identified as Freddy Snyder, 29. He was charged Wednesday with the murder of Grillmair and carjacking. He was also charged with first degree burglary related to a Dec. 28 incident, according to court records.
He is currently being held in lieu of $2 million. It is unclear what relation, if any, Snyder had with Grillmair.
A spokesperson for Caltech confirmed that Grillmair was employed as a research scientist at the university.
He worked at the university’s Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, known as IPAC, which partners with NASA, the U.S. National Science Foundation and researchers around the world to advance the exploration of the universe.
His work has focused on uncovering the structure of the Milky Way and identifying faint stellar streams and substructures that make up the galactic halo surrounding our spiral galaxy, and helping reshape our understanding of how galaxies evolve, according to his website.
He has been awarded substantial observation time as a principal investigator on the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope, and his research has earned him numerous accolades including a NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal.
His hobbies included cycling, hiking, helicopter skiing, general aviation with a specific interest in sailplanes and ultralights, waste reduction and clean energy and large dogs, according to his website.
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Clara Harter
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