SUNNYVALE: Gurmeet Shergill was two classes away from a master’s degree at Stanford University, eager to continue on for a Ph.D. The soft spoken, 36yearold Sunny wale resident spent every waking hour studying or working at his job as an Intel Corp. research engineer.
He was the last person coworkers and fellow students thought would die from a brutal stabbing.
“It’s obviously such a tragedy,” said Stanford material science professor Robert Sinclair, Shergill’s adviser for the past two years. “He ‘was a person dedicated to his work, very studious and quiet. This is the kind of thing you would never expect to happen to him.”
Sunnyvale investigators are still searching for Shergill’s attackers three young men who apparently followed Shergill home from a McDonald’s at Bernardo Avenue and El] Camino Real around 8 p.m. Sunday.
While waiting in line at the McDonald’s, Shergill had asked the young men to hurry up and order, according to police reports, the three men were in front of him, taking their time. Shergill was hungry.
After his meal, Shergill drove home to the Viscount Apartments in Bemardo Avenue. The young men apparently followed him. Shergill ended up dead on the parking lot pavement of his Sunnyvale apartment building. He had more than a dozen deep stab wounds to the chest, and abdomen, according to the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office.
“I heard the screaming. Someone was just screaming for their life,” said Louise Boatwright, the assistant apartment manager, who lives two doors down from Shergill’s unit.
The residents of the 148unit complex where Shergill lived alone in a one bedroom apartment are having a hard time sleeping. So are his coworkers at Intel, where Shergill was highly regarded for his semiconductor research.
“People are very, very upset,” said Neil Cox, Shergill’s supervisor at Intel for the past six years. Shergill had quickly worked his way up at Intel, from a beginning engineer to the highest level.
Those who knew him said he devoted his life to his work and studies.
Shergill was close to taking his qualifying exams for a master’s degree in materials science at Stanford. He had been taking courses at the university part time since 1986, through a special honors program with Intel.
Shergill had planned to continue on for a doctoral degree at Stanford.
“He was really eager to do the right thing,” said Jeff Murray, an Intel engineer who was a year ahead of Shergill at Stanford. “He used to come to me a lot and ask for advice on which class to take, He wanted to know how you make the changeover to be a fulltime student.”
Police are looking for the three young male suspects, thought to be in their mid to late teens. They are particularly eager to question one of the youths, who apparently just served as the driver and was not involved in the attack.
Apartment residents saw the suspects driving from the scene in a light blue or gray compact car, Possibly a Japanese import.
Police also are looking for witnesses who may have been inside the McDonald’s.
“Someone might have observed what words were exchanged,” said Lt. John Messier. “There was no commotion inside. It appears that it was low key.”
Those who knew Shergill can’t imagine him starting an argument. “That’s what’s so surprising about this,” Murray said. “He’s not the type to confront anyone.”
The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety is offering a reward to anyone providing information helpful to the case. If you can help, call Sunnyvale detective Jim Gong at (408) 730-7120.
San Jose Mercury News
Expansion of cabinet soon
On board a TAF aircraft, Indian Prime Minister, Vishwanath Pratap Singh said the federal cabinet would be expanded before the winter session of Parliament.
Singh was replying to questions from reporters while returning to Delhi
Article extracted from this publication >> October 5, 1990
