A series of eight deaths and disappearances involving scientists and military figures has raised concern across the United States. Some of the cases are very confusing and several of the people involved had professional connections with each other. It is still not clear if the cases are linked but the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department in New Mexico told Newsweek that the agency is “looking into this to see if there is any connection at all.”
NASA scientist Monica Reza went missing on June 22 last year. (Representative image/ Unsplash)
Out of the eight cases, four people disappeared without any clear explanation. While some of the deaths seem unrelated because of different circumstances, two of the missing individuals, retired Air Force General William “Neil” McCasland and NASA scientist Monica Reza “had a close professional connection” and went missing within eight months of each other. The New York Post also described Reza as a “rocket scientist.”
These cases drew more attention after McCasland disappeared in February 2026. His case brought renewed focus on earlier incidents involving experts in aerospace, defense and scientific research. Fox News’ Will Cain also spoke about the situation saying that the missing and deceased scientists had worked with sensitive information.
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Who are the eight people?
Frank Maiwald (July 4, 2024) – A researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Maiwald died in Los Angeles at the age of 61. No cause of death was disclosed.
Anthony Chavez (May 4, 2025) – A former employee at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Chavez vanished and his whereabouts remain unknown.
Monica Reza (June 22, 2025) – A NASA scientist who went missing during a hike in the Angeles National Forest, reportedly disappearing just yards from others in her group. Reza had previously worked on a government-funded rocket materials project overseen by McCasland, according to reports. Detectives told Newsweek in March 2026 that they were still assessing whether her case is connected to McCasland’s disappearance.
Melissa Casias (June 26, 2025) – An administrative assistant at Los Alamos, Casias disappeared from her residence. Her mobile devices had been wiped at the time of her disappearance.
Jason Thomas (December 12, 2025) – A researcher at Novartis, Thomas went missing in December, prompting a search that ended when his body was recovered from a lake on March 17, 2026.
Nuno Loureiro (December 15, 2025) – The head of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Loureiro was fatally attacked at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Carl Grillmair (February 16, 2026) – The astrophysicist was shot on his front porch during the early morning hours.
William Neil McCasland (February 27, 2026) – The retired Air Force Major General was last seen near Quail Run Court NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico at around 11am. A Silver Alert was issued due to unspecified medical issues. Investigators noted that McCasland left his phone, prescription glasses and wearable devices at home before disappearing. A gray US Air Force sweatshirt was later found about 1.25 miles east of his residence, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.
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What congress is saying
The cases have also caught the attention of lawmakers, who are asking for answers. Missouri Republican Eric Burlison has officially asked for the FBI to get involved. He wrote on X that, “The disappearance of multiple scientists and military personnel with ties to advanced research is deeply concerning. I’ve already requested FBI involvement and we will keep pressing for answers.”
Tennessee Republican Tim Burchett also shared his concerns. Speaking to Fox News as cited by Newsweek, he said the situation has had “a real chilling effect. People don’t want to talk about this issue of Unidentified Flying Objects anymore, and it’s kind of difficult to get to people because they are afraid.” He added: “I just wanna know what we’re spending tens of millions of your hard-earned tax dollars [on].”
However, McCasland’s wife has disagreed with these claims and has rejected suggestions from the UFO community that his disappearance is linked to any classified information.