'Grave threat': 3 things to know about investigations into missing US scientists
3. Missing or deceased scientists connected to US nuclear secrets
The committee’s letters referenced “unconfirmed public reporting” on the disappearance and death of individuals, noting that they had “access to sensitive U.S. scientific information.”
Among the individuals who disappeared within the last several years is Air Force Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, who went missing from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in February. McCasland is believed to have left home with a .38 caliber revolver at the time of his disappearance.
He had been involved in aerospace research throughout his career, but had been retired for at least 13 years, according to a Facebook post by his wife in March.
McCasland allegedly had a “close professional connection” with Monica Reza, who served as the director of the NASA Lab’s Materials Processing Group, the congressional committee noted. The two were connected through an Air Force-funded research program in the early 2000s on “advanced materials needed for reusable space vehicles and weapons.”
Reza also disappeared while hiking in California in June 2025, according to reports. In addition to scientists associated with NASA JPL, the other missing or deceased individuals include people affiliated with the Los Alamos National Laboratory and an MIT scientist working on nuclear fusion.
All of the missing or deceased individuals appear to have had some sort of connection to U.S. nuclear secrets or rocket technology, which has prompted concerns about a possible national security threat.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
