Eight U.S. Scientists with Classified Connections Dead or Missing Since 2024

The Running Count

Since July 2024, at least eight people connected to classified U.S. research programs have died under unexplained circumstances or vanished without a trace. The cases span California, New Mexico, and Massachusetts and involve personnel from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and private pharmaceutical research.

The incidents have attracted attention from Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett, who said in public remarks: "There have been several others throughout the country that have disappeared under suspicious circumstances. I think we ought to be paying attention to it."

Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker, speaking to reporters, assessed the cases this way: "You can say these are all suspicious — and these are scientists who have worked in critical technology." Swecker added that administrative staff at classified labs, not just researchers, can be high-value targets for foreign intelligence: "In a classified lab, or just a high clearance lab, they would basically be in the know on what's going on. It wouldn't be the first time their administrative assistant has been targeted."

The Cases, One by One

Frank Maiwald, NASA JPL (died July 4, 2024): Maiwald, 61, had been a principal researcher at JPL since 1999, working on satellite technology capable of scanning Earth and other planets. JPL designates the title "JPL Principal" for scientists making outstanding individual contributions. Maiwald died in Los Angeles at age 61. His cause of death has never been made public, and no autopsy was performed, according to reporting that found no official NASA statement about his death. The only public record of his passing was a private obituary posted online that mentioned no prior illness. NASA JPL declined to confirm or deny his employment despite records of his professional achievements appearing on their own website.

Anthony Chavez, Los Alamos National Laboratory (missing since May 4, 2025): Chavez, 79, was a retired LANL employee who worked at the facility until 2017. He left his home in the Denver Steels neighborhood of Los Alamos on foot and never returned. The Los Alamos Police Department confirmed to reporters that the search for Chavez is still ongoing and that no new information has emerged, nearly one year after his disappearance. Investigators noted he left without his wallet, keys, phone, or other personal items — and was not dressed for hiking, despite being known as an avid hiker.

Melissa Casias, Los Alamos National Laboratory (missing since June 2025): Casias, 54, was an administrative assistant at LANL believed to hold security clearances. She vanished under nearly identical circumstances to Chavez, just two months after he disappeared. She was last seen walking alone after dropping her husband off at work at the lab. Both her personal and work phones were found inside her home, each having been factory-reset. Investigators have not identified a suspect. LANL did not respond to requests for comment on the nature of her work.

Monica Reza, NASA JPL (missing since June 2025): Reza, 60, was the Director of the Materials Processing Group at JPL and had worked on advanced materials for rocket engines — work that was directly overseen by retired Air Force General William Neil McCasland. She disappeared during a hike in California's Angeles National Forest, just four days before Casias went missing. Her disappearance has not been explained, and no body has been found.

William Neil McCasland, retired U.S. Air Force (missing since February 27, 2026): McCasland, 68, is a retired general who commanded the Air Force Research Laboratory, where he directly supervised Reza's work on advanced metals for rocket and missile propulsion. He was last seen near Quail Run Court NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Like Chavez and Casias, he left home without his phone, smart devices, or glasses. He did take a handgun and a pair of boots. His disappearance has not been resolved.

Carl Grillmair, Caltech / NASA JPL (killed February 16, 2026): Grillmair, 67, was an astrophysicist whose research was heavily supported by NASA JPL. He was shot on the front porch of his home in California at approximately 6:00 a.m. Before his death, he worked on the NEOWISE and NEO Surveyor infrared telescope projects, which track asteroids using the same sensor physics that underpin military systems for tracking satellites and hypersonic missiles. These systems fell under McCasland's oversight while he commanded AFRL's space surveillance work. No arrest has been publicly announced.

Nuno Loureiro, fusion energy researcher (killed, Brookline, Massachusetts, December 2025): Loureiro was working on nuclear fusion research as a potential unlimited energy source. He was shot dead in his Brookline, Massachusetts home. No further official statement has been released publicly.

Jason Thomas, Novartis pharmaceutical researcher (found dead March 17, 2026): Thomas disappeared without a trace three months before his body was found in a lake in Wakefield, Massachusetts on March 17, 2026. He had been a pharmaceutical researcher testing cancer treatments at Novartis. The circumstances of his death were not immediately classified as suspicious by public reporting, but his case has been included in broader congressional inquiries into the pattern.

What Investigators and Officials Are Saying

No U.S. law enforcement agency has publicly announced a coordinated investigation linking all eight cases. However, Congressman Burchett has called for formal inquiry, citing the pattern of disappearances in classified research environments. The FBI has not publicly commented on whether the cases are being examined together.

Former FBI Assistant Director Swecker said that even non-scientist staff at high-clearance facilities are legitimate targets for foreign intelligence operations. "I think you have to pull out all the resources necessary to look for links and look for potential espionage activities," Swecker said. "That's where you start."

The cases at LANL are particularly notable given the lab's origins: it was founded as part of the Manhattan Project during World War II and has been a center for nuclear weapons research ever since. The lab has not issued any public statement about the disappearances of Chavez or Casias.

Patterns and Caveats

Investigators and reporters covering these cases have noted several common features among the disappearances: victims left their homes without phones, wallets, or identifying documents; they were associated with classified programs involving aerospace, nuclear, or satellite technology; and no suspects or explanations have been publicly offered in any of the missing-person cases.

It is important to note that no official authority has publicly confirmed that these cases are connected. The deaths of Thomas and Loureiro were separate criminal events (apparent homicides), and it is not established that they are linked to the disappearances. The UFO and advanced-technology speculation surrounding McCasland's background, while documented in congressional hearings, has not been verified by any government agency as a factor in his disappearance.

What is verifiable: eight people with connections to U.S. classified research programs have died or gone missing since mid-2024. At least one member of Congress has publicly called for an investigation. The Los Alamos Police Department has confirmed it has not found Anthony Chavez. NASA JPL has refused to comment on the death of Frank Maiwald despite records of his employment existing on their own platform. No body has been found in the cases of Reza, Casias, Chavez, or McCasland.