UPDATE: Thursday, March 14 — David Snyder made a brief appearance in court to have his prehearing conference put off until 9 a.m. April 30. The judge, the defense and the prosecution all agreed to the delay, to allow more time for discovery, or the sharing of evidence.

UPDATE: Friday, Feb. 15 — David Snyder, 32, was released on $2 million bail pending a March 14 court date. A court order prohibits him from returning to campus without notifying UC Davis police.

David Snyder, 32, the suspect who was arrested in connection with a Jan. 17 chemical explosion in a campus apartment, remains in custody at the Yolo County Jail on $2 million bail, pending a Feb. 8 hearing. He is charged with 10 felony counts that include possession of firearms on campus and possessing materials with the intent to make an explosive.

UC Davis Police Chief Matt Carmichael, in meetings with students and others since the incident, has reiterated that police have found no evidence to suggest Snyder had broader plans. Carmichael has also said that he cannot comment on whether the suspect had help in connection with the incident, but has reminded the campus community that additional charges may be filed as the investigation moves forward.

“A lot more information likely will come out at trial, but for now, we ask our community's continued patience and understanding. We are taking this very seriously and must protect the integrity of the investigation,” Carmichael said. “I promise that as soon as we are free to release additional information, we will.”

Some additional information about Synder is becoming known, however:

• An organic chemist, his research focused on compounds with pharmaceutical potential in the treatment of cystic fibrosis, polycystic kidney disease and secretory diarrhea, an illness that affects millions of people around the world, primarily in developing countries. 
• After earning a Ph.D. in chemistry from UC Davis in 2011, Snyder was hired as a postdoctoral fellow by UC San Francisco Professor Alan Verkman. Snyder continued to work out of the UC Davis chemistry department while employed by Verkman. When that position ended, UC Davis Professor Mark Kurth hired Snyder as a junior specialist for two months. That temporary job was scheduled to end Jan. 31. (Snyder was placed on investigatory leave immediately following his arrest.)
• In January, the journal Current Pharmaceutical Design published online a paper co-authored by Snyder, “CFTR Inhibitors.”
• Snyder was the first author on another paper, “Potent, Metabolically Stable Benzopyrimideo-Pyrrolo-Oxazine-Dione (BPO) CFTR Inhibitors for Polycystic Kidney Disease,” published in the Aug. 11, 2011, issue of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
• In 2011, campus administrators received a complaint that two years earlier, shortly before July 4, 2009, Snyder and a classmate allegedly had been seen making what were determined to be small firecrackers in a chemistry department lab. The complaint was handled through appropriate campus review processes and closed.
• The Achievement Reward for College Scientists Foundation granted Snyder a $10,000 award during the 2008-09 academic year.
• In 2005, he received a UC Davis Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award.

Law enforcement officials have released no information about the origin or makeup of the chemicals that were removed from Snyder’s apartment in the Russell Park housing complex or from his work area in the Chemistry Annex building.

Last updated March 7, 2013