Mystery deepens as FBI investigates missing US scientists; House Oversight Committee launches parallel probe

A string of deaths and unexplained disappearances involving scientists and government personnel in the United States has triggered growing concern, especially as some cases involve prominent figures. Among those unaccounted for is a retired Air Force general, with several of the individuals reportedly having professional connections to him. On Monday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced it would take the lead in examining whether any links exist between at least 10 such cases recorded over the past few years, reported NBC News. While the incidents initially appeared unrelated, investigators are now exploring possible connections.

Since 2022, at least 7 scientists connected to highly sensitive government work - including nuclear programs, NASA, and other classified areas - have either died or gone missing. Although investigators have not established any direct links between the cases, their nature has fueled widespread online speculation. Some theories suggest the individuals may have been deliberately targeted, either by foreign adversaries or as part of efforts to conceal information related to unidentified aerial phenomena.



The move follows a surge in online speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding the cases, which recently drew the attention of US President Donald Trump. He stated late last week that the matter had been discussed during a recent meeting, further intensifying public interest in the situation.

"I hope it’s random, but we’re going to know in the next week and a half," Trump told reporters Thursday. “Pretty serious stuff ... hopefully a coincidence, or whatever you want to call it.”


The FBI said that it is coordinating with multiple agencies - including the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, as well as state and local law enforcement - in a joint effort to determine what may be behind the incidents.

“We started this process last week, and then we’re going to look for connections, on whether there are connections to classified access, access to classified information and or foreign actors, and then we will produce that information to the White House and the world because it’s of such great public importance,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on Fox News as quoted by Newsweek.

On the same day, the House Oversight Committee confirmed it is launching a separate inquiry. The panel has formally requested a briefing from the Defense Department, Energy Department, the FBI, and NASA regarding the deaths and disappearances of individuals who had access to highly sensitive US scientific data.


The conversation has intensified across various online platforms and other social media networks, especially since February, when 68-year-old retired Air Force Major General Neil McCasland was reported missing from his home in New Mexico.

According to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, McCasland left his home wearing hiking boots and appeared to have taken his wallet along with a .38-caliber revolver in a leather holster. However, he left behind personal items such as his phone and glasses. Soon after his disappearance, investigators began encountering theories suggesting that the circumstances might be connected to his previous professional role.

Another incident that added to the growing speculation is the disappearance of Monica Reza, a 60-year-old former NASA scientist and specialist in rocket materials. She was reported missing on June 22, 2025, while hiking in the Angeles National Forest. The case remains unsolved and is currently under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Reza had previously worked with Neil McCasland, though their professional connection dates back more than a decade.

THE FULL LIST OF MISSING AND DECEASED US SCIENTISTS AND WORKERS

• Frank Maiwald (deceased) - NASA JPL principal researcher, died July 4, 2024, in Los Angeles at age 61. His obituary stated: “Frank Werner Maiwald, aged 61, passed away on July 4, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA. Born on June 24, 1964, in Ratingen, Germany, Frank’s journey brought immense contributions to both his personal life and professional endeavors.” An autopsy was reportedly not performed.
• Monica Reza (missing) - Connected to NASA JPL projects, missing since June 22, 2025. A Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Office alert stated she was last seen hiking along Angeles Crest Highway at 9:10 a.m. on June 22. The alert noted, “There is concern for Ms. Reza’s well-being,” and the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau was involved.
• Melissa Casias (missing) - Employee at Los Alamos National Labs, missing since June 26, 2025. In September 2025, Taos News reported: “Two months after Melissa Casias, a 53-year-old Los Alamos National Labs employee, went missing, her disappearance has left more questions than answers. New Mexico State Police reported no breakthroughs in the investigation.”
• Anthony Chavez (missing) - Missing since May 8, 2025. Daily Mail noted, “Chavez left his car locked in the driveway and did not take his wallet, keys or other personal items, which were all found inside Chavez’s home.” The Los Alamos Police Department urged the public to assist in locating him.
• Ex-Air Force General William 'Neil' McCasland (missing) - Missing since February 27, 2026. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office stated he was last seen near his residence on Quail Run Court NE. McCasland previously commanded the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, managing a $2.2 billion science and technology program. His wife, Susan McCasland Wilkerson, debunked UFO-related theories on Facebook, noting, “Neil does not have any special knowledge about the ET bodies and debris from the Roswell crash stored at Wright-Patt.”
• Nuno Loureiro (deceased) - MIT professor of nuclear science and engineering and physics, died at age 47. Police reported he was shot by Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a person known to him from university in Portugal.
• Carl Grillmair (deceased) - 67-year-old astrophysicist with work supported by NASA JPL, connected to missile tracking technology used by the Air Force, was shot on his front porch on February 16, 2026, at 6 a.m.
• Jason Thomas (deceased) - Pharmaceutical researcher at Novartis, went missing in December 2025. His body was recovered from Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield on March 17, 2026. People reported that Thomas was struggling with the deaths of his parents and no foul play is suspected.
• Amy Eskridge (deceased) The 34-year-old scientist died by suicide in 2022 in Huntsville, Alabama. Reports indicate she had been involved in research focused on developing antigravity technology.
• Michael David Hicks (deceased) - A research scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory who contributed to the DART Project and the Deep Space 1 passed away in July 2023.
• Steven Garcia (missing) - A government contractor working at a facility in New Mexico for the Kansas City National Security Campus has been reported missing since August 2025.