US President Donald Trump has directed federal authorities to investigate a series of deaths and unexplained disappearances involving at least 10 American scientists and researchers connected to high-level aerospace, defence and unidentified aerial phenomena research.
The directive follows a presidential briefing earlier this week on incidents dating back to mid-2023. The White House confirmed that multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, have been tasked with examining whether the cases share any common links.
Describing the matter as serious, Trump said several of the individuals were key figures in sensitive scientific programmes and indicated that further details could emerge as the inquiry progresses. He also expressed hope that the incidents prove to be unrelated.
Concerns about a possible pattern were raised by Eric Burlison, a member of the House Oversight Committee, who argued that the number of cases and the nature of the work carried out by the scientists were too coincidental to dismiss. He has pushed for a thorough review, pointing to the researchers’ access to classified material, including studies involving unidentified anomalous phenomena.
Among the cases under review is the July 2023 death of Michael David Hicks, a physicist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory known for his work on comets and asteroids. Details surrounding the cause of his death were not made public.
Other incidents involve a nuclear physicist killed in Massachusetts and several researchers and contractors linked to facilities such as Los Alamos National Laboratory and NASA installations who reportedly went missing under unclear circumstances.
In one case, a scientist reported missing in late 2025 was later discovered dead months afterward.
Burlison also cited the disappearance of a senior Air Force official who had allegedly tried to reach him regarding research into aerial phenomena before vanishing earlier this year.
While some lawmakers have speculated about the possible involvement of foreign adversaries such as China, Russia or Iran, no official evidence has been presented to support such claims.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is conducting what she described as a comprehensive assessment of all reported cases to identify any similarities or connections.
She stressed that investigators would leave no lead unexplored and pledged that the public would be updated as findings become available.
For now, authorities emphasise that the review remains in its preliminary stage, with no confirmed indication that the incidents are linked. However, the high-profile nature of the individuals involved and the sensitive areas of research they were engaged in have drawn significant public and political attention.
