Trump orders FBI probe into deaths, disappearances of space scientists
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into a series of deaths and disappearances of scientists, researchers, a contractor, a retired Air Force general, and lab staff/former staff linked to sensitive nuclear and space programs. The cases, which have sparked public speculation about possible connections to unidentified flying objects (UFOs), include around 10 people associated with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Presidential statement
Trump acknowledges seriousness of investigation
Trump has acknowledged the seriousness of the investigation. "I just left a meeting on that subject, so pretty serious stuff," he told reporters on Thursday, adding that some of the individuals involved were very important people. The cases span around three years and include disappearances, murders, and deaths from seemingly unrelated causes.
Disappearance details
Probe gains traction after Major General McCasland's disappearance
The investigation has gained traction after the disappearance of retired US Air Force Major General William Neil McCasland. McCasland was last seen at his Albuquerque home in late February, leaving behind his watch, mobile phone, and prescription glasses. His wife dismissed theories that he was taken for military secrets as unlikely since he had been out of service for over a decade.
Additional cases
Aerospace engineer among other missing people
Other cases include Steven Garcia, who disappeared from his home in Albuquerque; Melissa Casias, an administrative assistant at Los Alamos; and Anthony Chavez, a former Los Alamos employee. In California, aerospace engineer Monica Reza vanished while hiking in Los Angeles County. The investigation also includes deaths such as MIT fusion physics professor Nuno Lureiro's murder outside his home and Caltech astrophysicist Carl Grillmair's shooting death outside his Los Angeles residence.
Expert opinion
Experts see no credible link between cases
Despite the wave of speculation, national security and law enforcement experts see no credible link between these cases. Joseph Rodgers from the Center for Strategic and International Studies said these incidents are "scattered across several years at different and only loosely affiliated organizations." A former US Department of Energy official bluntly stated, "People do just die. Strokes, heart disease, suicide, mugging, it happens."