House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer said something sinister might lie behind the deaths and disappearances of 11 former scientists linked to classified information. He plans to question leaders from key agencies including the FBI, NASA and the Department of Energy. The FBI is investigating possible ties to classified work or foreign actors.
James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, told Fox News on Sunday that his committee has notified the Department of War, FBI, NASA and Department of Energy to share all details on the 11 individuals affiliated with those agencies. 'We want to try to piece this together,' Comer said. He added that nations abroad covet US nuclear knowledge, and these scientists were at the forefront before they died or vanished. The White House announced last week it would examine the cases, while President Donald Trump expressed hope they were random. The FBI, under Director Kash Patel, is coordinating with state and local authorities to consolidate evidence from homicides and missing persons reports. 'We're going to collectively pull it all into one place,' Patel told Fox News, noting the cases vary widely but the focus is on classified connections or foreign involvement. Specific incidents include NASA scientist Monica Jacinto Reza missing on a June 2025 hike; astrophysicist Carl Grillmair shot on his February front porch; MIT physicist Nuno Loureiro killed at home in December 2025; Air Force Maj. Gen. William McCasland vanishing from his Albuquerque home in March; Kansas City National Security Campus contractor Steven Garcia disappearing in Albuquerque in 2025; and pharmaceutical scientist Jason Thomas found in a Massachusetts pond after three months missing.
