‘Sinister’ links suspected in mysterious deaths of scientists
James Comer, the Chair of the House Oversight Committee, has voiced serious concerns over what he describes as a “sinister” pattern regarding the unexplained deaths and disappearances of 11 American scientists who were engaged in nuclear, aerospace, and defense research. This sentiment is echoed by former FBI agent Nicole Parker, who highlights troubling similarities in these cases, such as missing mobile phones and erased data. Meanwhile, a separate incident involving the arrest of an Iranian national accused of trafficking drones and weapons for Iran has underscored significant national security issues for both the White House and NASA.
The death of a NASA nuclear scientist following a catastrophic car crash in a rural Alabama town last year raised immediate suspicions among his family.
Joshua LeBlanc, aged 29, tragically lost his life in a fiery incident involving his Tesla on July 22, 2025. The accident occurred in Huntsville, Alabama, where his vehicle was discovered completely incinerated around 2:45 in the afternoon, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s report to Fox News Digital. The vehicle had collided with a guardrail and several trees before erupting into flames.
Earlier that day, at 4:32 a.m., LeBlanc had been reported missing by his family, as he uncharacteristically failed to report for work at NASA. There, he was an aerospace technologies electrical engineer involved in nuclear propulsion projects.
Pictured is Joshua LeBlanc, a former NASA scientist who perished in a car accident on July 22, 2025. The date of the photo is unknown. (Joshua LeBlanc/LinkedIn)
LeBlanc’s body was also charred beyond recognition, but authorities were able to confirm his identity three days later, following an examination conducted by 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.
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)
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.
“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)
“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.”
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, which investigated LeBlanc’s death, shared a press release from July of last year reiterating details of the crash.
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