A conspiracy theory alleging that the disappearances or deaths of at least 11 US scientists are linked in a nefarious plot involving UFOs or foreign enemies has spread from the internet to rightwing media and the mainstream press, prompting an inquiry from Congress and questions from President Donald Trump.
The theory centres on figures such as retired US Air Force Major General William “Neil” McCasland, 68, who walked out of his Albuquerque home on 27 February and has not been seen since. McCasland, a former commander of the Kirtland air force base’s Phillips research site, left behind his phone and glasses and took his revolver. Lieutenant Kyle Woods of the Bernalillo county sheriff’s office said nothing has been ruled out, but noted that UFO theories cannot be pursued without evidence.
Other scientists cited include Michael David Hicks, a Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist who died from unknown causes in 2023 aged 59; Monica Reza, a Nasa lab director who disappeared on a hike in June last year and whose body was never found; astrophysicist Carl Grillmair, shot dead on his porch; MIT physicist Nuno Loureiro, killed by a former classmate; Jason Thomas, a chemist who disappeared in December and whose remains were found in March; and Amy Eskridge, an Alabama researcher who died by suicide in 2022 but reportedly told a former British intelligence officer not to believe reports of suicide.
Trump was asked about the story and promised to look into it, while Republican lawmakers have demanded information from the FBI, the Department of Energy, Nasa and other agencies. The theory has been amplified by rightwing media and social media accounts, but experts warn it reflects a broader trend of disinformation in an age of AI-generated content and viral conspiracy theories.
