Man Found Guilty of 1st-Degree Murder in Slaying of Former Boss

A Ventura County jury convicted a Russian immigrant of first-degree murder Friday for shooting his former boss at a Camarillo software company two years ago.

Mikhail Khaimchayev, 31, sat quietly listening to a Russian translation as jurors also found him guilty of using a firearm when he killed computer executive Sheldon Snyder.

The victim’s mother, Patricia Snyder, let out a muffled cry and leaned into her daughter after hearing the verdict. Moments later, she said she was pleased the jurors decided on a first-degree murder conviction, despite the defense’s contention that Khaimchayev suffered from mental problems.

“It won’t bring [my son] back, but I’m happy it turned out the way it did,” said Snyder, who traveled from Pennsylvania. She was flanked by Sheldon’s sister and family friends.

Khaimchayev faces 50 years to life in state prison in the slaying of 36-year-old Snyder, a Simi Valley resident and the co-owner of Postal Innovations Inc.

Khaimchayev’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Howard Asher, admitted that his client shot Snyder, but said he did not have the mental stability to rationally plan the killing. Asher said his client acted on impulse and he urged the jurors to consider a lesser charge of second-degree murder.

The verdict came after a weeklong trial and nearly two days of deliberation. At one point, jurors asked to rehear testimony from the defense’s only witness, a psychologist who said Khaimchayev showed signs of psychosis.

The psychologist said in court that Khaimchayev had attempted suicide several times and suffered from depression, but she did not have doctors’ reports or test results to back up her testimony.

Juror Al Diaz said he and the three other men and eight women who listened to testimony decided that there just wasn’t enough evidence to show that Khaimchayev had serious mental problems.

“He acted rationally,” said Diaz, a biomedical engineer. “He knew exactly what he was doing.”

Khaimchayev walked into the Camarillo company Jan. 13, 1999, shot Snyder nine times and then wounded himself. He told two employees and a detective immediately afterward that he shot the company’s co-owner because he would not rehire him, witnesses said. Khaimchayev worked at Postal Innovations for two months before getting fired because of poor computer and English language skills.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Bob Calvert argued that Khaimchayev had carefully planned the shooting. He presented testimony that the former computer programmer called to see whether Snyder was there and showed up about an hour later. He also bought the gun and the bullets months ahead of time and wrote a letter in Russian explaining why he killed Snyder.

The letter, which was found in Khaimchayev’s pocket, blamed his former employer for ruining his chance to be successful in the United States. Khaimchayev and his family emigrated in 1996 from Uzbekistan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, and settled in a neighborhood in Los Angeles populated by other Russian immigrants.

“All around me are liars and promises,” he wrote. “After all, I came to America to build my future. With my zero luck, this will never happen.”

Asher contended that the letter was an irrational reaction to getting fired and clearly demonstrated his client’s dysfunctional mental state. He said his client overvalued his worth in the world and could not think clearly.

Khaimchayev was diagnosed as psychotic in July 1999 and a judge declared him incompetent to stand trial. But after a year of treatment in a mental hospital, doctors determined that Khaimchayev was capable of participating in his own defense.

Jury foreman James Drury said the letter was proof that Khaimchayev carefully plotted the slaying.

“The letter was a major factor in the decision,” Drury said. “It was hard to discount it.”