A conspiracy theory alleging that at least 11 US scientists with ties to space, defense, and nuclear research have mysteriously disappeared or died has surged from the internet into rightwing media and mainstream outlets, drawing attention from lawmakers and President Donald Trump. The theory posits a nefarious plot involving Chinese or other state enemies, or even UFOs.
Origins of the Theory
The theory gained traction after retired US Air Force Major General William "Neil" McCasland, 68, vanished from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on February 27. McCasland, former commander of the Kirtland Air Force Base's Phillips research site, left behind his phone and glasses, taking only his .38 revolver. Despite a silver alert, no trace has been found. His disappearance sparked interest in UFO communities due to his work on space vehicles and directed-energy technologies.
Lt. Kyle Woods of the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office stated that no possibilities have been ruled out, but noted that UFO theories cannot be pursued without evidence. "We can only go off the facts," he said.
Other Cases
Reports soon emerged of other missing or dead scientists, including Michael David Hicks, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist who died in 2023 at age 59 from unknown causes; Monica Reza, director of NASA's materials processing group, who disappeared during a hike in June 2024; astrophysicist Carl Grillmair, shot dead on his porch; MIT physicist Nuno Loureiro, killed by a former classmate; and Jason Thomas, a chemical biologist who disappeared in December 2024, his remains found in March 2025.
Amy Eskridge, an Alabama researcher working on "gravity-modification research," died by suicide in 2022. However, Franc Milburn, a self-proclaimed former British intelligence officer, told NewsNation that Eskridge had warned him not to believe any reports of suicide if she died. "If you see any report that I killed myself, I most definitely did not," she allegedly texted.
Political and Media Reaction
The story spread rapidly via social media and rightwing outlets. Trump promised to look into it, and Republican lawmakers James Comer and Eric Burlison demanded investigations by the FBI, Department of Energy, and NASA into a "possible sinister connection." They cited two additional workers from Los Alamos National Laboratory who have died or gone missing.
UFO researcher David Wilcock, 53, died by suicide in Colorado, prompting Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett to say, "I just don’t think there’s any chance that this is just all coincidental."
Expert Analysis
Experts argue that the connections are coincidental. Among over 2 million US scientific researchers, or 700,000 with top-secret clearances, 11 cases are statistically unremarkable. Greg Eghigian, professor at Penn State and author of After the Flying Saucers Came, notes that the theory feeds into existing concerns about science, medicine, and UFOs. "It’s one of those things that get folded into other kinds of concerns and conspiracy theories that have been circulating since Covid," he said.
The theory emerges amid heightened national security anxiety, often accompanied by increased UFO reports. Podcaster Joe Rogan suggested the disappearances could relate to "plasma technology."
Debunking the Mystery
McCasland's wife, Susan McCasland Wilkerson, has been the most effective debunker. She noted that her husband retired 13 years ago and had no special knowledge of extraterrestrial bodies or Roswell debris. In a wry statement, she said, "Maybe the best hypothesis is that aliens beamed him up to the mothership. However, no sightings of a mothership hovering above the Sandia Mountains have been reported."
Eghigian concludes that the theory represents a convergence of long-standing elements: military, state secrets, nuclear facilities, and fear of missing figures. "The seeds of this were planted decades ago," he said.
