Caltech astrophysicist gunned down by stalker

The man accused of gunning down a prominent California Institute of Technology astrophysicist had been on the scientist’s isolated desert property just months before the deadly encounter, according to a new report. Carl Grillmair, 67, a world-renowned researcher at Caltech’s IPAC Science and Data Center, was fatally shot on Feb. 16 at his home in Llano. The suspect, Freddy Snyder, 29, lived just two miles away and had a history of trespassing on the scientist’s property, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles Times reported.