Twelve American scientists with apparent ties to nuclear or space programs, and in some cases classified projects, have either died or gone missing since 2022, sparking concern in Washington. The mystery has prompted investigations by both Congress and the FBI, as lawmakers warn of a potential grave threat to U.S. national security.
Congressional Alarm
Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna and South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace are among a growing number of lawmakers sounding the alarm. Luna posted on X: “If you are feeling uneasy about the amount of scientists that have gone missing, died, and recent suicides ref those scientists and others you are correct in your intuition.” Mace asked: “Who killed the scientists?”
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer told Fox & Friends: “We know there are many countries around the world that would love to have our knowledge and nuclear capabilities. And these are the people that were at the forefront of it, and they’re either dead or missing.” The committee has written to the FBI, Pentagon, and Department of Energy, warning that these cases may represent a grave threat to U.S. national security.
The Cases
The death of famed UFO researcher David Wilcock by suicide on April 20 brought the total number of mysterious cases to 12. While police have ruled out foul play in some instances, and NASA has stated there is no indication of a security threat, families have dismissed conspiracy theories. President Donald Trump said he hopes it is all just a coincidence.
California Researchers
Three NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory researchers and a Caltech astrophysicist from the Pasadena area are among the cases. Frank Maiwald, 61, died July 4, 2024; Michael Hicks, 59, died July 30, 2023; Monica Reza, 60, disappeared June 22, 2025, while hiking; and Carl Grillmair, 67, was shot dead on his doorstep on February 16. Freddy Snyder, 29, has been charged with Grillmair’s murder.
New Mexico Scientists
Retired Air Force General William McCasland, 68, vanished while hiking on February 27. Melissa Casias, 53, a Los Alamos National Laboratory worker, disappeared June 26, 2025. Anthony Chavez, 79, a retired lab foreman, has been missing since May 2025. Steven Garcia, a government contractor, disappeared August 28. Conspiracy theories have linked McCasland to the Roswell incident, but his wife denies he had special knowledge about extraterrestrials.
Other Incidents
Amy Eskridge, a 34-year-old antigravity researcher, died by suicide in June 2022. Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old MIT fusion scientist, was fatally shot in December. Jason Thomas, a Novartis biologist, was found dead in a lake in March after being missing for three months. There is no evidence linking these deaths to each other or the other cases.
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