WOODLAND — The former UC Davis chemistry researcher accused of making explosives inside his campus apartment made his first out-of-custody court appearance Thursday.
Dressed in a coat and tie, 32-year-old David Scott Snyder added a pair of eyeglasses to the ensemble just before Yolo Superior Court Judge David Reed called the case. Snyder’s attorney, Linda Parisi, asked that the pre-hearing conference be put off to April 30.
“I don’t believe we have all of the discovery,” Parisi said. She also objected to the release of Snyder’s medical records from Sutter Davis Hospital and the UC Davis Medical Center, which had been subpoenaed by prosecuting attorney Martha Holzapfel, until potential privacy issues could be argued in court.
As he left the Woodland courthouse, Snyder deferred comment to Parisi, who said only that they “look forward to participating in the criminal justice process so that Dr. Snyder can clear his name.”
Snyder, who earned both a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in chemistry from UCD, is accused of keeping potentially unstable explosives-making materials and as many as seven firearms inside his Russell Park apartment. They were discovered on the morning of Jan. 17 after Snyder sought medical attention for a hand injury he suffered in a small explosion inside the residence.
The subsequent removal process resulted in the evacuation of about 75 residents of the apartment complex, as well as a nearby day-care center. The apartment has since been condemned by the Yolo County Health Department.
Snyder has pleaded not guilty to 17 felony charges, including reckless disposal of hazardous waste, possession of a destructive device or explosive, possession of materials with intent to make a destructive device, and possession of a firearm on university grounds. He remains free on a $2 million bail bond.
According to court documents, Snyder phoned an acquaintance while at the hospital, asking him to remove incriminating evidence from Snyder’s apartment before police arrived on the scene. The investigation of that person, who reportedly dumped materials at four different locations in Davis, is continuing, Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Cabral said Thursday.
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8048. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene
