A conspiracy theory suggesting a nefarious link among the deaths, murders, and disappearances of at least 10 individuals tied to the U.S. scientific community has reached Washington and become the focus of a multi-agency investigation. The FBI announced on Tuesday that it is spearheading efforts to find connections among the missing and deceased scientists, many of whom were reportedly involved in sensitive nuclear and aerospace research. Among them is award-winning Canadian astrophysicist Carl Grillmair, originally from Calgary, who was shot dead on the front porch of his remote Los Angeles County home in February 2026.
Key Figures in the Investigation
The most recent death tied to the theory is that of Jason Thomas, a researcher for Novartis, whose body was recovered from a Massachusetts lake in March 2026. His wife reported him missing in December 2025, noting he had been struggling with his parents' sudden deaths. His phone, wallet, and Apple Watch were left behind, and authorities said foul play was not suspected.
Grillmair, 67, was a Caltech astrophysicist whose research focused on dark matter, galactic structure, stellar populations, and exoplanets. He collaborated frequently with NASA and received the agency's Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal in 2011. A 29-year-old man, whom Grillmair had previously called police about for trespassing, was charged with his murder.
In December 2025, MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, an expert in fusion and plasma physics, was shot by former classmate Claudio Neves Valente. Two days earlier, Valente killed two people and wounded nine in a mass shooting at Brown University before fatally shooting himself.
The July 2024 death of Frank Maiwald, a 61-year-old NASA JPL research scientist, and the earlier death of physicist Michael David Hicks, 59, have also been drawn into the investigation. The causes of death were never publicly disclosed, but Hicks' daughter dismissed any connection, telling CNN: 'From what I know of my dad, there's no train of logic to follow that would implicate him in this potential federal investigation.'
No Evidence of Connection
State and local police across the country have found no evidence linking the cases, which date back to 2023. Family members have also dismissed any connection. The FBI continues to investigate, but authorities emphasize that no concrete links have been established.
