President Trump on the 10 Missing and Dead Scientists: ‘Pretty Serious Stuff’

Ten American scientists with ties to classified nuclear and aerospace programs have either vanished or turned up dead over the past two years. And now President Trump is personally involved.

The President confirmed on Wednesday that he had just come out of a White House meeting specifically about the growing list of missing and deceased researchers. His tone was measured but unmistakable: this is not something the administration is taking lightly.

When Fox News reporter Peter Doocy pressed White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on the matter during a briefing, she confirmed the administration was looking into it.

PETER DOOCY: "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?"

KAROLINE LEAVITT: "I’ve seen… pic.twitter.com/CCqhmwQx7D

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 15, 2026

The cases span from mid-2024 to early 2026. Almost all of the scientists involved either worked directly for the U.S. government or on government-funded programs related to nuclear energy, aerospace research, or advanced defense technology. The list includes names tied to NASA, MIT, Caltech, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Among the most alarming cases: retired Air Force Major General William “Neil” McCasland disappeared from his Albuquerque home on February 27. McCasland previously led the Air Force Research Laboratory and the National Reconnaissance Office. His wallet, phone, and glasses were all left behind. He took only hiking boots and a .38-caliber revolver.

Then there is Monica Jacinto Reza, a 60-year-old aerospace engineer and director of Materials Processing at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She vanished while hiking in the Angeles National Forest last June. She was last seen smiling and waving to a companion before she simply disappeared.

Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn before departing for Las Vegas, President Trump did not mince words.

BREAKING: President Trump vows to look into the 10 scientists who have gone missing or turned up dead:

"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… Some of them were very important… pic.twitter.com/VMgeZyayXl

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 16, 2026

Fox News provided extensive details on all ten cases:

The National Nuclear Security Administration acknowledged awareness, noting: “NNSA is aware of reports related to employees of our labs, plants, and sites and is looking into the matter.”

Steven Garcia, a 48-year-old government contractor who worked for the Kansas City National Security Campus, went missing on August 28, 2025. He was last seen on surveillance leaving his Albuquerque home carrying a handgun. His phone, wallet, keys, and car were all left behind.

Nuno Loureiro, the 47-year-old director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center and a leading fusion energy researcher, was shot at his Brookline, Massachusetts home on December 15, 2025. He died the following day.

Carl Grillmair, a 67-year-old Caltech astrophysicist who worked on the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes, was shot outside his Llano, California home on February 16, 2026.

The pattern is hard to ignore. Scientists with security clearances, working on some of the most sensitive projects in the country, are dropping off the map. Some vanished without a trace. Others were found dead under circumstances that raise more questions than answers.

The Rapid Response 47 account shared the President’s full remarks on the situation:

.@POTUS on the recent disappearances and deaths of U.S. scientists: "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… some of them were very important people, and we’re going to look at it…" pic.twitter.com/hGnKGYln27

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 16, 2026

Newsweek laid out the full scope of the cases:

There are now 10 American scientists who have either gone missing or died since mid-2024, and they all reportedly had access to classified nuclear or aerospace material.

Melissa Casias, a 53-year-old administrative employee who held security clearance at Los Alamos National Laboratory, was last seen walking State Road 518 in Taos County, New Mexico on June 26, 2025. She left behind her car, purse, keys, and both phones, which had been factory-reset.

Anthony Chavez, a 78-year-old retired Los Alamos National Laboratory employee, was last believed seen on May 4, 2025. His wallet, keys, and personal items were left behind. His car was locked in the driveway with no signs of forced entry or struggle.

Officials have established no confirmed connections between cases, though the clustering has prompted increased scrutiny and public concern.

President Trump said he hopes the pattern is just coincidence. But the fact that the White House held a dedicated meeting on the matter tells you everything you need to know about how seriously this is being taken. The President indicated answers could come in the next week and a half.