FBI Opens Probe Into U.S. Scientist Deaths and Disappearances as Congress Flags Security Risk

Overview

• Federal agents confirmed an active case and said they are working with the Energy and Defense Departments and NASA to determine whether any of the incidents connect.
• House Oversight Chair James Comer called the cluster a national‑security concern and pressed agencies for records as the committee makes the matter a priority.
• Reports list eleven people since 2022, while the FBI cited ten, including NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory researchers, Los Alamos staff, and a retired Air Force research chief with access to sensitive projects.
• One of the most scrutinized cases is retired Maj. Gen. William “Neil” McCasland, who vanished on February 27 after leaving his Albuquerque home without his phone or glasses, with a sweatshirt later found two kilometers away.
• Officials urge caution as some deaths involve unrelated crimes or unclear causes, with a DOE official noting many employees in these fields and NASA stating it sees no sign of a NASA‑linked threat, while speculation about foreign involvement remains unproven.