‘Sinister’ links suspected in mysterious deaths of scientists
House Oversight Chair James Comer expresses concern about a “sinister” pattern in the mysterious deaths and disappearances of 11 U.S. scientists involved in nuclear, aerospace, and defense research. Former FBI agent Nicole Parker analyzes the unusual cases, noting missing cell phones and wiped data. Separately, an Iranian national was arrested for allegedly trafficking drones and weapons for Iran, highlighting critical national security concerns for the White House and NASA.
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A NASA nuclear scientist died after a fiery crash in a rural Alabama town last year, which at the time caused suspicion among family members.
Joshua LeBlanc, 29, died in a fiery crash in his Tesla on July 22, 2025. The crash happened in Huntsville, Alabama where his Tesla was found burned beyond recognition at about 2:45 in the afternoon, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency told Fox News Digital. The vehicle collided with a guardrail, then several trees, before the vehicle burst into flames.
At 4:32 a.m. on the same day, LeBlanc’s family reported him missing, according to KLFY. He uncharacteristically failed to show up to his job as an aerospace technologies electrical engineer at NASA, where he worked on nuclear propulsion projects.
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Joshua LeBlanc, a former NASA scientist who died in a car crash on July 22, 2025. Photo taken on an unknown date. (Joshua LeBlanc/LinkedIn)
His body was also burned beyond recognition, and police confirmed his identity three days later after his body was transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences.
At the time, his family told KLFY that they feared he had been abducted and that he had left his phone and wallet in his home at the time of the disappearance.
Police tracked LeBlanc down using the data from his Tesla Sentry Mode, and found that his vehicle sat at the airport in Huntsville for four hours on the morning of his death. His family said his trip west was not part of his plan for the day, and that uncharacteristically, he was not communicating with them.
A LinkedIn page for LeBlanc says he worked at NASA for about five-and-a-half years, and that he was a team lead for NASA’s Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP) Instrumentation and Control (I&C) Maturation. NASA SNP technology “would enable faster and more robust transportation for crew and cargo missions to Mars and science missions to the outer solar system,” according to the government agency’s website.
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The NASA logo is displayed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge, Calif., on Oct. 15, 2025. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
LeBlanc was later a team lead on NASA’s Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operation (DRACO), a nuclear thermal propulsion engine.
At least 12 other people, the vast majority involved in nuclear science and space research, have died or gone missing since 2022, some under mysterious circumstances.
Monica Reza, 60; Melissa Casias, 53; Anthony Chavez, 79; Steven Garcia, 48; and retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, 68, were all reported missing throughout 2023 to 2026, with each of their disappearances considered suspicious.
Jason Thomas, left, Melissa Casias, center, and Frank Maiwald are among scientists whose deaths or disappearances have drawn scrutiny as officials review whether any cases are connected. (Fox News: Sierra Casias: Legacy.com)
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Michael David Hicks, 59; Frank Maiwald, 61; Nuno Loureiro, 47; Jason Thomas, 45; Amy Eskridge, 34; and Carl Grillmair, 47, all died between 2022 and 2026.
Hicks, Maiwald and Reza were all connected to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The deaths and disappearances have not been officially connected in any way, but they have caught the attention of the White House.
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“I hope it’s random, but we’re going to know in the next week and a half,” Trump told reporters last week. “I just left a meeting on that subject.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the FBI confirmed the agency is working alongside other federal authorities in the investigation into the 11 missing and deceased scientists.
FBI agents stand on the tarmac as a plane arrives carrying Zobaidul Amin following his extradition from Malaysia to face federal charges in Alaska. (Department of Justice)
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“The FBI is spearheading the effort to look for connections into the missing and deceased scientists,” the agency said. “We are working with the Department of Energy, Department of War, and with our state and local law enforcement partners to find answers.”
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The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, which investigated LeBlanc’s death, shared a press release from July of last year reiterating details of the crash.
Fox News’ Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.