Trump promises answers on 10 missing US scientists: ‘Hope it’s random’

Trump promised a report within days on the unsettling pattern of lost and dead scientific experts
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters regarding the 10 missing scientists before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters regarding the 10 missing scientists before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)


WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, April 16, that his administration will provide an answer within the next few days regarding the mysterious deaths and disappearances of the ten scientists over the past three years. 

Although various theories have circulated online that all these individuals reportedly had access to classified nuclear or aerospace material, there is currently no evidence connecting these cases.

Trump promises answers on 10 missing scientists

Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn before leaving for Las Vegas, President Trump explained that he had just attended a meeting specifically focused on the missing researchers. 

“Pretty serious stuff … hopefully a coincidence, or whatever you want to call it,” he added.

Trump expressed concern over the situation but remained cautious about drawing immediate conclusions. 

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 16: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on April 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump is traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada to promote the tax cuts he signed into law in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” ahead of the midterm election. Tomorrow he will deliver remarks at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on April 16, 2026 in Washington, DC (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

He told the press, “I hope it’s random, but we’re going to know in the next week and a half.” The President acknowledged the high status of the individuals involved, adding, “Some of them were very important people, and we’re going to look at it over the next short period.” 

When asked if a foreign adversary might be involved, Trump criticized Biden administration’s security measures, stating, “Well, Biden had open borders; it wasn’t very hard to get here.” 

Major General McCasland vanishes amid UAP speculation

One of the most prominent figures in this group is retired Air Force Maj Gen William “Neil” McCasland, who disappeared from his home in New Mexico on February 27. 

McCasland had a distinguished career in space research and was once mentioned in leaked emails regarding unidentified anomalous phenomena. 

UFO expert vanishes as FBI probes disappearance tied to alleged alien secrets and mystery. (Screengrab/ US Air Force)
UFO expert vanishes as FBI probes disappearance tied to alleged alien secrets and mystery (Screengrab/ US Air Force)

Before he vanished, investigators noted he complained of “mental fog.” 

While he left behind his phone and glasses, his hiking boots, wallet and a revolver were missing.

Despite his background, his wife has denied theories that he possessed “any special knowledge about alien bodies and debris” from the Roswell incident.

Experts from Los Alamos, NASA, and MIT among the missing

Among those who have vanished are Melissa Casias, a woman who held a high-level security clearance at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Anthony Chavez, who used to work at that same lab. 

Melissa Casias from Los Alamos National Laboratory vanished last June (Jose and Joanne Mondragon/gofundme)
Melissa Casias from Los Alamos National Laboratory vanished last June (Jose and Joanne Mondragon/gofundme)

Other losses include Jason Thomas, a man who was the head of chemical biology team at Novartis, NASA engineer Frank Maiwald, MIT physics expert Nuno Loureiro, and space researcher Carl Grillmair. 

MIT professor Nuno Loureiro was shot and killed last December 2025 (MIT Physics)
MIT professor Nuno Loureiro was shot and killed last December 2025 (MIT Physics)

The group of concerned cases also includes Steven Garcia, a man who managed security for a company that makes parts for American nuclear weapons, and Monica Jacinto Reza, an engineer in the aerospace field. 

(Screengrab/legacy.com)
Frank Maiwald a NASA JPL researcher, died July 4, 2024, in Los Angeles with no cause disclosed (Screengrab/legacy.com)

Earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed these concerns during a press briefing. 

When asked about the potential for compromised classified material, she said, “I haven’t spoken to our relevant agencies about it.” 



However, she promised to investigate further, stating, “I will certainly do that, and we’ll get you an answer. If true, of course, that’s definitely something I think this government, administration would deem work worth looking into.”

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