US scientist deaths and disappearances prompt administration-ordered probe into reported links

US authorities have ordered an investigation after reports said at least 10 senior scientists died or went missing. Several of the people reportedly had access to aerospace, defence, or extra-terrestrial life information. The developments triggered public debate in the US. President Donald Trump was briefed earlier this week, and officials said further details should emerge soon.

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration was working with the FBI and other agencies. The aim was to review each case together and check for shared factors. "No stone will be unturned in this effort, and the White House will provide updates when we have them,\" Karoline Leavitt said. The statement also said the questions were legitimate.

US scientists deaths and disappearances probe ordered

Congressman Eric Burlison, a Republican from Missouri, said the pattern looked suspicious. Burlison sits on the House Oversight Committee. Burlison said Burlison had raised concerns for some time. Burlison linked the cases to classified access in aerospace, defence, and UFO matters. Burlison also suggested hostile involvement by China, Russia, or Iran.

\"This is too coincidental, and so we have to investigate this. We need to have our nations top investigators, the FBI and every agency looking into this matter,\" Burlison told Fox and Friends. Burlison said some people vanished without any clear trail. Burlison highlighted Air Force Maj Gen William McCasland. Burlison said McCasland disappeared in February after trying to contact Burlison twice.

US scientists deaths and disappearances timeline and cases

American media reports said the earliest known death dated to July 2023. Michael David Hicks died on July 30, 2023. Hicks worked as a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory physicist. Hicks studied comets and asteroids. Reports said the cause of death was not disclosed. Another JPL researcher, Frank Maiwald, died in Los Angeles on July 4, 2024, aged 61.

Several cases were reported during 2025, including disappearances tied to Los Alamos. Former Los Alamos employee Anthony Chavez disappeared on May 4, 2025. Chavez was last seen leaving home on foot. Melissa Casias disappeared from home on June 26, 2025. Casias worked as an administrative assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Another reported case involved Monica Jacinto Reza, described as a JPL employee. Reports said Monica Jacinto Reza disappeared on June 22, 2025, during a hike. Steven Garcia also went missing in 2025. Garcia, aged 48, was last seen leaving home in Albuquerque on Aug 28, 2025. Reports said Garcia was on foot and carrying a handgun.

Police reportedly warned Steven Garcia may have been a danger to himself. Reports identified Garcia as a government contractor. Garcia worked as a property custodian at the Kansas City National Security Campus. The facility manufactures non-nuclear components for nuclear weapons. Another death was reported near Boston. Nuclear physicist and MIT professor Nuno Loureiro was shot dead at home on Dec 15, 2025.

A separate case involved Novartis researcher Jason Thomas. Reports said Jason Thomas disappeared on December 12, 2025. Jason Thomas’s wife reported Jason Thomas missing after Jason Thomas did not return home. The body was recovered from a Massachusetts lake on March 17, 2026. Another killing was reported on February 16, 2026, involving astrophysicist Carl Grillmair.

Carl Grillmair was shot to death on his front porch. Reports said Grillmair worked at Caltech and collaborated with NASA. Grillmair was also credited with finding water around exoplanets. These cases were among those cited in the debate around the broader pattern. Officials have not publicly confirmed any common link across the incidents.

US scientists deaths and disappearances and Trump response

Donald Trump described the reports as \"pretty serious stuff\" and said some involved \"very important people.\" Trump said Trump would learn more in the coming days. Trump was asked on Thursday about possible links between cases. \"I hope its random,\" Trump replied. The White House said updates would be shared as reviews progress.

The administration said agencies were examining the reported deaths and missing-person cases together. Burlison continued to argue the circumstances were unlikely to be random. Reports said more information may be available over the next week and a half. For now, the cases remained under review, with the FBI and other agencies involved in the assessment.

With inputs from PTI