A conspiracy theory claiming that the disappearances or deaths of at least 11 US scientists are linked in a nefarious plot involving Chinese enemies or UFOs has spread rapidly from the internet into rightwing media and mainstream press, prompting inquiries from Congress and questions from President Donald Trump.
The theory gained traction after retired US Air Force Major General William 'Neil' McCasland, 68, vanished from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on 27 February. McCasland, a former commander of the Kirtland Air Force Base's Phillips research site, left his phone and glasses behind and took his .38 revolver. Despite a silver alert, he has not been found.
Other cases include Michael David Hicks, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist who studied near-Earth asteroids and died in 2023; Monica Reza, a NASA lab director who disappeared while hiking in June; astrophysicist Carl Grillmair, shot dead on his porch; and Amy Eskridge, an Alabama researcher who died by suicide in 2022 but allegedly told a former British intelligence officer not to believe reports of suicide.
Lt Kyle Woods of the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office said nothing has been ruled out but that UFO theories cannot be pursued without evidence. The FBI, Department of Energy, and NASA have been asked by Republican lawmakers to investigate.
