Trump Orders FBI And Department Of Energy Probe Into Missing Or Dead US Scientists

The Trump administration directed federal authorities to investigate whether a series of deaths and disappearances among scientists with high-level security clearances are linked, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying the effort would work with the FBI and the Department of Energy to “identify any potential commonalities that may exist.”

“US President Donald Trump has directed federal authorities to launch a full-scale investigation into the deaths and unexplained disappearances of no fewer than 10 American scientists and researchers connected to sensitive aerospace, defence, and unidentified aerial phenomena programmes”

Daily Post Nigeria

In a statement carried by USA TODAY, President Donald Trump said, “I hope it’s random,” adding, “Pretty serious stuff... Hopefully, I don't know, coincidence, whatever you want to call it.”

Daily Post Nigeria

Leavitt confirmed on April 17 that the administration is working with “relevant” agencies and the FBI and said “no stone will be unturned.”

FOX 11 Los Angeles reported that the probe followed reports that 11 individuals tied to sensitive military, nuclear, and aerospace research have been affected, and it framed the inquiry as a search for “commonalities.”

The Geo News report said the White House involved the FBI and “all other relevant agencies” and described the review as a “holistically review all of the cases together.”

Across outlets, the administration’s posture was consistent: Trump expected to know more in “the next week and a half,” while Leavitt said the White House would provide updates as the investigation progresses.

The reporting lists multiple scientists and researchers, with specific dates and places anchoring the cases that prompted federal scrutiny.

USA TODAY highlighted William “Neil” McCasland, a retired U.S. Air Force general who “was seen at his home in Albuquerque in February,” and it said authorities issued a “Silver Alert” citing unspecified “medical issues,” while also noting investigators “didn't think he was cognitively impaired at the time of his disappearance.”

FOX 11 Los Angeles

USA TODAY added that McCasland was commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, and that he joined the base in 2011 and retired in 2013.

FOX 11 Los Angeles described Monica Jacinto Reza as missing since June 22, 2025, after she disappeared while hiking with a friend near Mount Waterman in the Angeles National Forest, and it said her body has never been found.

FOX 11 Los Angeles also reported Carl Grillmair died February 16, 2026, after he was “gunned down on the front porch of his home in Llano in the Antelope Valley,” and it said authorities arrested 29-year-old Freddy Snyder in connection with the shooting and a nearby carjacking.

NewsNation added further details, including Steven Garcia, a 48-year-old government contractor, last seen leaving his home in Albuquerque on Aug. 28, 2025, “carrying a handgun,” and it said Garcia worked as a property custodian at the Kansas City National Security Campus.

NewsNation also provided a timeline for other cases, including Michael David Hicks dying July 30, 2023, Frank Maiwald dying July 4, 2024, and Monica Jacinto Reza disappearing on June 22, 2025, while it described Reza as “about 30 feet behind” her companion and “smiling and waving.”

The probe has been driven not only by the White House but also by lawmakers who argued the pattern was too coincidental to ignore.

“Published April 18, 2026 The White House has involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and all other relevant agencies to investigate the series of deaths and disappearances of high-profile U”

Geo News

Daily Post Nigeria quoted Rep. Eric Burlison raising concerns, saying the incidents appear “too coincidental” to ignore, and it described Burlison pushing for a thorough probe while pointing to access to classified materials tied to unidentified anomalous phenomena.

ThePrint reported Burlison told Fox and Friends, “This is too coincidental, and so we have to investigate this. We need to have our nation’s top investigators, the FBI and every agency looking into this matter,” and it added that Burlison said some scientists “literally just disappeared” without a trace.

New York Post similarly reported Burlison insisted the deaths or disappearances of 11 top U.S. scientists and researchers were “urgent national importance,” and it quoted him saying, “This is too coincidental, and so we have to be investigating this.”

NewsNation included a different voice from outside government: it quoted former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker telling NewsNation that the FBI was likely looking into it and that he “couldn’t rule out a possible connection,” while also saying, “I don’t believe they were abducted by aliens. I think there’s a rational explanation for this.”

Geo News described how the issue was raised during a White House press briefing by a journalist, and it said Leavitt replied that she had not consulted relevant agencies at that time but would do so.

Across these accounts, the shared theme was that the investigation is meant to determine whether there are “any links among the cases” or “any potential commonalities,” even as Trump said he hoped it was random.

The coverage diverges in how it counts the scope of the investigation and how it characterizes the underlying circumstances.

USA TODAY described “at least 10 cases of disappearances or deaths” that may be relevant, while FOX 11 Los Angeles said “11 missing or dead scientists” are under scrutiny and that “4 tied to LA County” are included in the review.

New York Post

Daily Post Nigeria said Trump directed a “full-scale investigation” into “no fewer than 10” American scientists and researchers, while ThePrint described “at least 10 top US scientists” and said the earliest deaths date back to July 2023.

Geo News framed the matter as a series of “high-profile deaths and disappearances” and said the “disturbing pattern was noticed by netizens” after McCasland’s February disappearance, while NewsNation focused on “Ten scientistshave died or disappeared” and then laid out a list with specific names, ages, and locations.

The New York Post added a different emphasis by tying the narrative to claims about threats and devices, quoting Burlison saying in many cases the scientists “felt some form of threat” and “left all of their devices at home.”

Straight Arrow News, in contrast, presented the White House statement verbatim and then added a framing that it “seems like it was ripped from a sci-fi series,” while still quoting Leavitt’s “No stone will be unturned” language.

Even within the same outlet family, the details vary: USA TODAY said investigators found “no evidence of foul play” at the time of McCasland’s disappearance, while other outlets emphasized uncertainty or the need to determine whether there are links.

The next steps described by the sources center on a coordinated review, updates to the public, and continued investigation into whether any links exist among the cases.

“(NewsNation) —Ten scientistshave died or disappeared, all with links to the nation’s nuclear programs, raising questions about possible connections”

NewsNation

USA TODAY said the White House asked federal investigators to see if there is any relation between the cases and reported that it had reached out to the FBI and the Department of Energy for more information, while CBS News reported that the DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration is looking into the cases.

NewsNation

NewsNation said Trump expected to know more “in a week and a half,” and it described the administration’s review as tied to nuclear programs and high-level security clearances.

Geo News said Leavitt told a journalist she would consult relevant agencies and then, on X, said the White House is “actively working with all relevant agencies and the FBI to holistically review all of the cases together and identify any potential commonalities that may exist.”

ThePrint echoed that Leavitt said the administration was “actively working with all relevant agencies and the FBI to holistically review all of the cases together,” and it quoted her adding “No stone will be unturned in this effort, and the White House will provide updates when we have them.”

Daily Post Nigeria similarly said Leavitt described a “holistic review” and promised updates as the investigation progresses, while also quoting Trump’s expectation that more information would emerge in the coming days.

FOX 11 Los Angeles framed the probe as federal scrutiny of 11 individuals and emphasized that Leavitt said the administration is working with the FBI and the Department of Energy to identify “any potential commonalities.”