PLACERVILLE — A 57-year-old Placerville man is in custody and facing a first-degree murder charge following the fatal shooting of his wife at their home earlier this month, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded shortly after reports of a man brandishing a firearm on Feb. 17, 2026, in the 1400 block of Big Oak Road, authorities said. Upon arrival, deputies detained Geoffrey Stewart Snyder at the residence. Inside the home, they discovered his wife, 56-year-old Shelley Snyder, suffering from what investigators described as a suspected gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Snyder was arrested and booked into the El Dorado County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder. He is being held without bail.
According to court records, Snyder made his first appearance Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in El Dorado County Superior Court. Prosecutors formally arraigned him on a charge of first-degree murder. A plea was not immediately available in court records as of publication.
“The investigation into this incident remains active and ongoing,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a public statement. “No additional details are available at this time.” Authorities have not publicly disclosed a possible motive.
Public and jail records indicate Geoffrey and Shelley Snyder lived together at the Big Oak Road residence. News reports show Geoffrey Snyder earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from California State University, Sacramento.
Shelley Snyder was widely known in the community as a longtime third-grade teacher at Buckeye Elementary School in Shingle Springs. She had served in the Buckeye Union School District for more than 20 years and was regarded as a dedicated educator.
School district officials have not yet released a formal statement regarding her death, but parents and colleagues described her as a steady presence in the classroom and a fixture of the school community.
The Sheriff’s Office said additional information will be released as it becomes available.
