A conspiracy theory linking the disappearances or deaths of at least 11 US scientists to a nefarious plot involving UFOs, China, or other state enemies has gained traction online and reached the White House. The theory, which has spread from the internet to rightwing media and mainstream press, has prompted inquiries from Congress and questions from President Donald Trump.
The case of retired US Air Force Major General William “Neil” McCasland, who went missing on 27 February from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has fueled the theory. McCasland, 68, was a former commander of the Kirtland Air Force Base’s Phillips research site, focusing on space vehicles and directed-energy technologies. He left his phone and glasses behind, took his .38 revolver, and has not been seen since.
Other scientists reportedly linked to the theory include Michael David Hicks, a former NASA jet propulsion lab scientist who died in 2023 at age 59 from unknown causes; Monica Reza, a NASA lab director who disappeared during a hike in June last year and whose body was never found; and astrophysicist Carl Grillmair, who was shot dead on his porch. The list also includes MIT physicist Nuno Loureiro, killed by a former classmate, and Jason Thomas, a chemical biologist whose remains were found in March after he disappeared in December.
Amy Eskridge, an Alabama-based researcher who claimed to work on “gravity-modification research,” died by suicide in 2022. However, Franc Milburn, a self-proclaimed former British intelligence officer, told NewsNation that Eskridge had texted him, saying, “If you see any report that I killed myself, I most definitely did not.”
Law enforcement officials have stated they are investigating all possible links but have not found evidence supporting the UFO or conspiracy theories. Lieutenant Kyle Woods of the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office said, “I appreciate that there’s a community that wants to go down the rabbit hole of UFOs. I don’t have a way with which to pursue that.”
