Calls for answers relating to a series of deaths and disappearances involving military figures and scientists amid speculation over potential links to Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) research continue to grow, though no firm connection has been established by authorities.
The Context
Recent calls for scrutiny followed the February disappearance of retired Air Force Major General William Neil McCasland, whose case reignited attention on earlier incidents involving specialists in aerospace, defense and laboratory research.
McCasland's case in particular has caused a major stir in UFO circles, which have suggested that his vanishing is connected to his work.
What To Know
Among the disappearances that have sparked speculation are those of McCasland and aerospace engineer Monica Reza.
McCasland was last seen on February 27 at about 11 a.m. near Quail Run Court NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a Silver Alert was issued because of unspecified medical issues, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators said McCasland left his phone, prescription glasses and wearable devices at home, and a gray U.S. Air Force sweatshirt was later found about 1.25 miles east of his residence.
Detectives told Newsweek in March that they were still assessing whether McCasland’s case is connected to Reza, who disappeared while hiking months earlier after previously working on a government‑funded rocket materials project overseen by McCasland, according to reports.
Below is a timeline and summary of disappearances and deaths between 2025 and 2026, according to OAN:
July 4, 2024 – Frank Maiwald: The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory researcher died in Los Angeles at age 61, with no cause of death disclosed.
May 4, 2025 – Anthony Chavez: The former Los Alamos National Laboratory employee vanished.
June 22, 2025 – Monica Reza: The NASA scientist went missing during a hike in the Angeles National Forest, reportedly disappearing just yards from others in her group.
June 26, 2025 – Melissa Casias: A Los Alamos administrative assistant disappeared from her residence; her mobile devices had been wiped.
December 12, 2025 – Jason Thomas: The Novartis researcher went missing, prompting a search that ended when his body was recovered from a lake on March 17, 2026.
December 15, 2025 – Nuno Loureiro: The head of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center was fatally attacked at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts.
February 16, 2026 – Carl Grillmair: The astrophysicist was shot on his front porch during the early morning.
February 27, 2026 – William Neil McCasland: The retired Air Force general left his New Mexico home and has not been seen since.
What People Are Saying
Among the members of Congress that have spoken publicly about their concern surrounding the string of disappearances and deaths are Tennessee Republican Tim Burchett and Missouri Republican Eric Burlison.
Burlison recently said he had requested the involvement of the FBI in the “deeply concerning” disappearances.
“It’s remarkable that General McCasland apparently walked out of his home, left all of his devices and never came back,” Burlison told Fox News. “And Monica Reza, she was on a hike as well and mysteriously disappeared. And I’ve heard of others…”
Burlison also previously suggested McCasland has “a lot of information” on the topic of UFOs. McCasland’s wife, meanwhile, has pushed back against speculation from the UFO community that his disappearance is related to classified information.
Also speaking to Fox News, Burchett recently said that the slew of disappearances in recent years has had “a real chilling effect. “People don’t want to talk about this issue of Unidentified Flying Objects anymore, and it’s kind of difficult to get to people because they are afraid.”
He added: “I just wanna know what we’re spending tens of millions of your hard-earned tax dollars [on].”
Update, 10:30 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a new headline.