11 missing or dead scientists draw federal scrutiny, including 4 tied to LA County

LOS ANGELES - The Trump administration has directed federal agencies to investigate whether a series of deaths and disappearances among scientists with high-level security clearances are linked. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the probe following reports that 11 individuals tied to sensitive military, nuclear, and aerospace research have been affected.

What we know:

Leavitt stated that the administration is working with the FBI and the Department of Energy to "identify any potential commonalities that may exist." 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: White House probing disappearances, deaths of US scientists: 'Pretty serious stuff'

This review includes four prominent researchers from Los Angeles County with ties to top-tier institutions.

Monica Jacinto Reza (NASA JPL / Aerojet Rocketdyne)

• Status: Missing since June 22, 2025.
• Background: Reza was an aerospace engineer and materials processor who worked for both NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena (JPL) and Aerojet Rocketdyne. She was known for developing and patenting a specialized type of metal used in rocket manufacturing.
• The Incident: She disappeared while hiking with a friend near Mount Waterman in the Angeles National Forest. According to her companion, they were roughly 30 feet apart when they made eye contact; she smiled and waved to indicate she was fine. Moments later, when the friend turned around again, she had vanished.
• Investigation: Despite extensive search and rescue efforts, her body has never been found. Investigators have noted that her professional past overlapped with other missing figures in the field, including former colleague, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William "Neil" McCasland, who oversaw projects involving her research.

Carl Grillmair (Caltech / NASA IPAC)

• Status: Died February 16, 2026.
• Background: Grillmair was a renowned 67-year-old astrophysicist at Caltech’s Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC), which partners with NASA. He was famous for discovering water on a distant exoplanet and for his work on dark matter and galactic structures using the Spitzer Space Telescope.
• The Incident: He was gunned down on the front porch of his home in Llano in the Antelope Valley.
• Investigation: Authorities arrested 29-year-old Freddy Snyder in connection with the shooting and a nearby carjacking. It was later revealed that Snyder had been arrested months earlier for trespassing on Grillmair’s property while armed with a rifle, though a specific motive for the eventual murder has not been released.

RELATED: 

• Caltech scientist fatally shot in the Antelope Valley
• Man charged with killing Caltech scientist was arrested 2 months earlier

Michael David Hicks (NASA JPL)

• Status: Died July 30, 2023.
• Background: A resident of Sunland, Hicks was a veteran research scientist at JPL for 24 years (1998–2022). He was a highly respected physicist specializing in the physical properties of comets and asteroids.
• Key Projects: He served on high-profile science teams for the DART Project (the mission that successfully redirected an asteroid), the Near Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) Project, and the Dawn Mission.
• The Incident: Hicks passed away at age 59. His cause of death was never made public.

Frank Maiwald (NASA JPL)

• Status: Died July 4, 2024.
• Background: Maiwald was a 61-year-old principal researcher at JPL. He was a highly specialized engineer who designed critical instruments for space missions.
• Work History: At the time of his death, he was working on the Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission, designing a VSWIR (Visible to Shortwave Infrared) instrument to map Earth's "living color." He had also worked on programs to help astronauts identify signs of life on icy moons like Europa and Enceladus.
• The Incident: Maiwald died in Los Angeles on July 4, 2024. His cause of death was never made public.

The White House and House Oversight Committee (notably Rep. Eric Burlison) have flagged these cases due to the proximity of the scientists to JPL and their access to sensitive aerospace and planetary defense data.

Big picture view:

Here are the seven other individuals whose death or disappearance is under investigation:

Amy Eskridge (Deceased)

Eskridge died on June 11, 2022, in Huntsville, Alabama. While authorities officially ruled her death a self-inflicted gunshot wound, several factors have contributed to the ongoing public debate and "intense scrutiny" surrounding the case. 

In interviews and podcasts recorded prior to her death (notably in 2020 and 2021), Eskridge alleged that she and her team were being subjected to harassment and "psychological warfare" intended to stop her work on anti-gravity and exotic physics at the Institute for Exotic Science.

Nuno Loureiro (Deceased)

Loureiro died on December 15, 2025. He was fatally shot in his Brookline, Massachusetts home, an act authorities have linked to a suspect also responsible for a mass shooting at Brown University days earlier. 

The primary suspect, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in New Hampshire three days later. 

RELATED: MIT professor shot and killed at home, homicide investigation underway

Loureiro was the Director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center and a world-renowned expert in nuclear fusion and magnetic reconnection.

Jason Thomas (Deceased)

Thomas, a scientist and director at Novartis, went missing from his home in Wakefield, Massachusetts in December 2025. 

His body was recovered from Lake Quannapowitt in March 2026, three months after he went missing. 

Police have found no evidence of foul play.

Maj. Gen. William "Neil" McCasland (Ret.) (Missing)

The retired Air Force official, known for his leadership at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, went missing from his home in Albuquerque on February 27, 2026. 

His phone, prescription glasses and wearable devices were found at home, but his hiking boots, wallet and a .38‑caliber revolver were reported missing, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.

McCasland was linked to unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) research in the 2016 WikiLeaks release of John Podesta’s emails. The messages highlighted his former leadership of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a site frequently associated with Roswell-related UFO theories.

Melissa Casias (Missing)

An administrative employee with security clearance at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, Casias disappeared on June 26, 2025, after being spotted walking alone in Taos County. 

Although her car and personal belongings were found at her home, family members noted that both her personal and work phones had been factory reset. 

Her family maintains that her disappearance was not voluntary, citing her plans to care for her mother following an upcoming surgery.

Anthony Chavez (Missing)

Chavez, a retired professional who also worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory, disappeared on May 8, 2025. 

When authorities and family members searched the 78-year-old’s home, they found his wallet, keys and other personal items left behind inside. 

His car was locked in the driveway, and there were no signs of forced entry or a struggle, according to the Los Alamos Reporter.

Chavez worked for decades at Los Alamos National Laboratory before retiring in 2017, placing him within the same northern New Mexico defense hub as others who also disappeared.

Steven Garcia (Missing)

Garcia, a government contractor with high-level security clearance at the Kansas City National Security Campus, has been missing since leaving his Albuquerque home on August 28, 2025. 

Although police initially suggested Garcia might be a danger to himself after he was seen on surveillance footage carrying a handgun and leaving behind his vehicle and personal effects, sources familiar with the case have disputed claims that he was mentally unstable. 

Garcia's disappearance is notable for his proximity to fellow missing official McCasland and his oversight of sensitive assets within the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal.

What they're saying:

The administration has shifted from acknowledging the reports to an active investigation. 

"In light of the recent and legitimate questions about these troubling cases... the White House is actively working with all relevant agencies and the FBI," Leavitt said.

President Trump added, "I hope it’s random, but we’re going to know in the next week and a half."

What's next:

The White House has promised a transparent investigation, with Leavitt noting that "no stone will be unturned." 

President Trump indicated that the administration expects to have more definitive answers in the coming weeks. 

Locally, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department remains the lead on the Reza missing persons case.