Trump orders probe into mysterious deaths of US nuclear scientists

The White House has launched an investigation into the unexplained deaths and disappearances of nearly a dozen elite US scientists, raising concerns within national security and scientific circles as officials seek to determine the circumstances behind the cases.

US President Donald Trump ordered the investigation into the mysterious deaths and disappearances of scientists with access to some of the nation's most closely guarded nuclear and space secrets. The cases have fuelled online speculation ranging from foreign espionage to a government cover-up of classified research.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the administration is seeking answers, noting that the situation is "definitely something I think this government and administration would deem worth looking into."

While half of the scientists remain missing, others have met violent or unexplained ends. Two prominent researchers were killed in shootings.

Five of the 10 scientists vanished without a trace, often under abrupt circumstances and leaving behind essential personal belongings.

Among the most high-profile cases is retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William "Neil" McCasland, 68, who disappeared from his Albuquerque home on Feb. 27, 2026.

McCasland, who previously oversaw highly classified research programmes, left his phone behind, though his wallet and a .38-calibre revolver were missing, according to American media reports.

Authorities stressed there was no indication he was disoriented, with one police lieutenant noting, "Arguably, he would still be the most intelligent person in the room."

"I hope it's random, but we're going to know in the next week and a half. Some of them were very important people, and we're going to look at it over the next short period," the president said.

Since 2023, at least ten individuals with ties to advanced research have died or vanished under puzzling circumstances. Among them:

Steven Garcia, 48, a government contractor at the Kansas City National Security Campus, which produces over 80% of non-nuclear components for US nuclear weapons, vanished from his Albuquerque home in August 2025, leaving behind his phone, wallet, and keys and taking only a handgun.

Anthony Chavez, a former Los Alamos National Laboratory employee, and Melissa Casias, an administrative assistant at the same nuclear weapons lab, both disappeared in 2025, leaving their homes on foot and abandoning their belongings.

Monica Jacinto Reza, 60, a director at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, vanished while hiking in California in June 2025.

Two other scientists at the lab have reportedly died since 2023: Frank Maiwald and Michael Hicks. No foul play has been alleged in the latter two cases, and no cause of death has been made public, according to the Daily Mail.

Nuno Loureiro, 47, director of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center, was shot dead at his home in December 2025.

Carl Grillmair, 67, a Caltech astrophysicist, was gunned down on his porch in February 2026.

The body of missing cancer research scientist Jason Thomas was reportedly discovered in a Massachusetts lake last month.

A possible 11th case also emerged on Thursday as the Daily Mail reported that Amy Eskridge, a 34-year-old scientist allegedly researching anti-gravity technology, was found dead in Alabama in 2022 from a self-inflicted gunshot. However, the outlet found that neither the police nor medical examiners had released a public investigative report on the incident. Before her death, Eskridge stated on a podcast that her life was in danger.

Former FBI assistant director Chris Swecker previously told the Daily Mail the cases warrant scrutiny, noting that "they are all suspicious, and these are scientists who have worked in critical technology."

The authorities have so far not established any confirmed link among the cases.