The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched a national investigation into the deaths and disappearances of at least 11 American scientists.

All of these scientists were linked with sensitive projects, including nuclear research, space programs, and classified defence projects.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky) warned that all have a similar pattern, which indicates “something sinister could be happening,” referring to the cases as a potential “grave threat to U.S. national security.”

Among 11 scientists, 6 individuals are dead, including:

• Jason Thomas, a pharmaceutical researcher at Novartis working on cancer treatments (died March 17, 2026; body found in Lake Quannapowitt, Massachusetts)
• Carl Grillmair, a Caltech astrophysicist who worked on NASA’s NEOWISE and NEO Surveyor missions (shot outside his home on February 16, 2026)
• Nuno Loureiro, Director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Centre (fatally shot outside his home on December 16, 2025)
• Frank Maiwald, Principal researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (died July 4, 2024; cause unknown)
• Michael David Hicks, Research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, worked on the DART Project and the Deep Space 1 mission (died July 30, 2023; cause unknown)
• Amy Eskridge, Researcher of anti-gravity technology, UFO, and extraterrestrial life (died June 11, 2022; self-inflicted gunshot wound)

5 individuals are reportedly missing, including:

• William “Neil” McCasland, Former U.S. Air Force Major General (missing as of February 27, 2026, last known to be hiking in Sandia Mountains, New Mexico)
• Steven Garcia, a government contractor working at Kansas City National Security Campus, Albuquerque, New Mexico (missing as of August 28, 2025)
• Anthony Chavez, a former employee of Los Alamos National Laboratory (missing as of May 8, 2025)
• Melissa Casias, Administrative officer at Los Alamos National Laboratory (missing as of June 26, 2025)
• Monica Reza, Materials processing director at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, missing as of June 22, 2025.

U.S. President Donald Trump also told reporters that officials have briefed him on the cases, describing them as “pretty serious stuff.”

“I hope it’s random,” he added.