'Missing scientist' cases have stoked wild speculation. For loved ones, the theories are hurtful

'Missing scientist' cases have stoked wild speculation. For loved ones, the theories are hurtful22 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleSheila FlynnCalTechThe killing of Carl Grillmair, a renowned astronomer, is one of several cases spurring conspiracy theories onlineThe disappearances and deaths of at least 10 people tied to sensitive US research have drawn scrutiny from online sleuths and now federal investigators. But for grieving relatives, all the wild speculation is "disgusting".Carl Grillmair "would laugh" at the conspiracy theories about his killing, says his widow."I think it's absolute nonsense," says Louise Grillmair. "I mean, there's the facts, and they're out there."Her 67-year-old husband was gunned down at their Llano, California, home in February. Grillmair's alleged killer, a 29-year-old local man, Freddy Snyder, has been charged with murder and burglary and is due in court next week for his arraignment.Despite the arrest, Grillmair figures prominently in conspiracy theories about the deaths and disappearances of about 10 people with connections to top-secret labs or scientific work. They are often lumped together as "missing scientists", but the list includes an administrative assistant, an Air Force general, an engineer and a custodian, and spans several fields, from researching exoplanets to pharmaceuticals.Online sleuths have suggested the cases may be connected, even prompting the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee and the FBI to announce investigations - despite other established explanations and family members' attempts to quell the hysteria.Grillmair's wife believes her husband was targeted in a misguided revenge plot. Months before the killing, a man had "wandered on [their property] with a rifle", claiming to be coyote hunting. She says her husband directed the suspect to a nearby ridge.The man had also been causing mis...