Blaze Bernstein was on winter break and visiting his parents in Lake Forest when they proudly explained that his namesake was Blaise Pascal, the 17th-century child prodigy who went on to become a mathematician, inventor and master of prose.
The 19-year-old pre-med student at the University of Pennsylvania flashed a shy smile when they added, “We expect great things from you, too,” according to a website the family created in his memory.
A few hours later, Bernstein left the house without saying goodbye. He was reported missing the next day by his family, who became concerned after he didn’t show up for a dental appointment.
On Friday, three days after his body was found in a shallow grave in an Orange County park, detectives said they had arrested a former high school classmate in the slaying.
