A prominent astrophysicist from Caltech met a tragic end this week when he was fatally shot on the front porch of his Southern California home.
Carl Grillmair, aged 67, was discovered dead outside his residence in the rural community of Llano, situated approximately 75 miles north of Los Angeles, authorities reported on Monday.
Renowned for his expertise in the study of distant planets, Grillmair succumbed to a gunshot wound to the torso, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office.
On Wednesday, police apprehended 29-year-old Freddy Snyder, charging him with murder. In addition to this charge, Snyder faces accusations related to a nearby carjacking and a first-degree burglary incident that occurred on December 28.
Snyder’s bail is currently set at $2 million. Authorities have yet to determine any connections between Snyder and the late astrophysicist.
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Cops found the victim lying on his front porch after a 911 call at around 6.10am on Monday. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A spokesman for Caltech confirmed he was employed there as a research scientist at the institute’s Infrared Processing and Analysis Center.
Grillmair was known for his decades of work and contributions in galactic astronomy.
His interests included work on Dark matter, Galactic structure, stellar populations and exoplanets, according to the Caltech website.
He had 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.”
Fellow scientist Fajardo-Acosta described Grillmair as both a mentor and close friend, and told KTLA his death is 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.”
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
