A nuclear physicist and MIT professor was shot dead outside his Massachusetts home, while a retired Air Force general went missing from his New Mexico residence. An aerospace engineer vanished during a hike in Los Angeles. These cases are among at least 10 individuals tied to sensitive US nuclear and aerospace research who have died or disappeared in recent years.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is spearheading the effort to find connections between the missing and deceased scientists, working with the Department of Energy, Department of War, and local law enforcement partners.
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee has announced an investigation into the reports surrounding the deaths and disappearances, citing access to highly sensitive scientific information.
Lawmakers are tracing the timeline back to 2023, beginning with the death of Michael David Hicks, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist. His daughter, Julia Hicks, expressed unease over the recent speculation, saying "it's getting serious."
Others connected to JPL have also died or gone missing, including Frank Maiwald, a space research specialist, and Monica Reza, a 60-year-old aerospace engineer who disappeared while hiking in a Los Angeles forest.
The FBI is assisting in the search for William Neil McCasland, a retired Air Force major general who has not been seen since February 27.
