A conspiracy theory suggesting that the disappearances or deaths of at least 11 US scientists are linked in a nefarious plot involving China, other state enemies, or UFOs has gained traction online and prompted inquiries from Congress and former President Donald Trump. The theory, which has spread rapidly from internet forums to right-wing media and mainstream outlets, focuses on scientists allegedly connected to space, defence, and nuclear research.
Among the cases cited is that of retired US Air Force Major General William 'Neil' McCasland, 68, who vanished from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on 27 February. McCasland, a former commander of the Kirtland Air Force Base's Phillips research site, left without his phone or glasses but took his .38 revolver. Lieutenant Kyle Woods of the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office stated that while the UFO community has shown interest, investigators are pursuing factual leads and cannot pursue such theories without evidence.
Other scientists on the list include Michael David Hicks, a former NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist who died in 2023 at age 59 from unknown causes; Monica Reza, who disappeared while hiking 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; and Jason Thomas, a chemical biologist whose remains were found in March. Another case is Amy Eskridge, an Alabama researcher who died by suicide in 2022, though a former British intelligence officer claimed she had texted him saying not to believe reports of suicide if she turned up dead.
The theory has reached the highest levels of US politics, with Trump promising to look into the matter and Republican lawmakers demanding information from the FBI, Department of Energy, and NASA. However, experts caution that the theory may be a product of an era rife with disinformation and AI-generated content, where each conspiratorial connection fuels further speculation without satisfying the demand for answers.
