"Left Even Their Phones Behind: 11 U.S. Scientists Dead or Missing, Prompting Political Alarm"

In the United States, there is growing suspicion about possible connections between a series of deaths and disappearances of more than 10 scientists and research personnel involved in nuclear, space, and defense research in recent years. The controversy is intensifying as some of the missing individuals reportedly left their cell phones and personal devices at home before vanishing, a pattern that is fueling further debate.

U.S. President Donald Trump called the related incidents "a very serious matter" and said, "I hope it is a coincidence." Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

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According to U.S. political news outlets The Hill, Newsweek, Fortune, and Fox News on April 21, the White House is treating this matter as a serious issue and is working with relevant agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to monitor the situation. U.S. President Donald Trump described the related incidents as "a very serious matter" and said he "hopes it is a coincidence."

The FBI has launched an analysis to identify links between the cases. The investigation also involves the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Defense, and authorities are reportedly examining whether there was access to classified information and the possibility of involvement by foreign powers. However, as of now, no direct correlation tying the individual cases together has been confirmed.

Lawmakers are also responding. James Comer, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and Representative Eric Burlison, among others, have requested documents from the relevant agencies and argued that the issue should be prioritized as a matter of national security. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt also stated that the White House is actively cooperating with the FBI and other agencies.

There have been multiple missing persons cases as well. Retired Air Force Major General William Neil McCasland has been missing since leaving his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in February 2026. Reports indicate that his cell phone, prescription glasses, and wearable devices were left at home. He is known for overseeing classified space weapons programs. Monica Leza, an aerospace engineer formerly with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), disappeared in June 2025 while hiking in the Angeles National Forest in California. Her companion stated that Leza was last seen just a few meters away, but despite extensive searches, no significant traces were found.

This controversy came to the forefront after the death of physicist Michael David Hicks, who worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), in 2023. In December 2025, Nuno Loureiro, Director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center at MIT and a nuclear physicist, was found shot dead at his home, and in February 2026, Caltech astrophysicist Karl Grillmair was murdered on the doorstep of his house.

The FBI has begun an analysis to identify links between the cases. The investigation also involves the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Defense, with authorities reportedly examining whether there was classified access and the possibility of involvement by foreign powers. Photo by AP Yonhap News

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Jason Thomas, a cancer researcher at Novartis, went missing in December 2025 and was found dead in a lake in Massachusetts in March 2026. Authorities stated there was no evidence of foul play, but did not disclose a specific cause of death. Additionally, Amy Eskridge and Frank Maiwald are also reported to have died.

Personnel associated with Los Alamos National Laboratory are also included. Former employee Anthony Chavez and administrative assistant Melissa Casias both disappeared near their homes in 2025, and Steven Garcia, who held the highest-level security clearance at the Kansas City National Security Campus-a facility for manufacturing non-nuclear components of nuclear weapons-has been missing since August that year.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said, "Since the majority of nuclear security scientists are affiliated with the Department of Energy, we are, of course, conducting an investigation," but added, "So far, nothing shocking has been discovered." Investigative authorities also stated that, because each incident varies in nature and jurisdiction, it is too early to draw conclusions. However, it is true that the series of deaths and disappearances has heightened anxiety among those involved in U.S. nuclear and aerospace research.

Some have speculated about a connection between these cases and recently discussed documents related to unidentified flying objects (UFOs). However, authorities continue to focus the investigation on facts that have been confirmed so far, and whether there are direct links between the incidents will likely only become clear as additional investigation results emerge.

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