The White House is investigating the reported deaths and disappearances of multiple U.S. scientists and government employees who had access to classified nuclear and space information.
When asked about the issue and if the cases were connected, President Donald Trump said Thursday, “I hope it’s random, but we’re going to know in the next week and a half. I just left a meeting on that subject. Pretty serious stuff,” Live Now Fox reported.
One of the cases was 68-year-old retired Air Force Maj. General William “Neil” McCasland, who vanished in February from his family home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to Fox News.
During his career, McCasland oversaw advanced and highly classified research programs for the military. When he disappeared, he left his phone but his wallet and a .38-caliber revolver were nowhere to be found, the outlet continued:
The general previously had said he was experiencing what he described as a “mental fog,” according to investigators, but authorities stressed there was no indication he was disoriented at the time of his disappearance.
“Arguably, he would still be the most intelligent person in the room,” Albuquerque police Lt. Kyle Wood said March 16.
McCasland is one of 10 cases involving scientists with ties to U.S. military and government research.
Audio of Susan Wilkerson, McCasland’s wife, recorded her saying, “My husband is missing. I have some indication that he must have planned not to be found,” according to NBC News:
Fox News’s Peter Doocy recently asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt about the cases.
“There are now 10 American scientists who have either gone missing or died since mid 2024. They all reportedly had access to classified nuclear or aerospace material. Is anybody investigating this to see if these things are connected?” he said.
Leavitt told him, “I’ve seen the report, Peter. I haven’t spoken to our relevant agencies about it. I will certainly do that, and we’ll get you an answer. If true, of course, that’s definitely something I think this government administration would deem worth looking into. So let me do that for you.”
Before he retired, McCasland oversaw a classified program “linked to UFO research,” NewsNation reported March 17, noting that some question if that research could have made him a target:
A former colleague of McCasland’s also disappeared “under strange circumstances” in 2025, the outlet’s Elizabeth Vargas said.
