The list of dead and missing scientists throughout the U.S. was already spurring growing alarm and, in some cases, the attention of law enforcement. Another name has been added to the list by some news outlets, which now stands at nine. Some of the people on the list worked as NASA scientists or were connected to NASA programs.
According to News Nation, the new name is that of Michael David Hicks, a NASA scientist who died in 2023. At the time, his death “went largely unnoticed, but nearly three years later, there’s renewed interest in what happened to the NASA scientist,” News Nation reported. No cause of death was released for Hicks, 59, but he “worked on major space missions, including NASA’s Dart Project, which tested whether asteroids could be deflected,” News Nation reported.
However, Men’s Journal has determined, the Los Angeles County Coroner does list a cause of death for Hicks, saying he died of “arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease” in his residence with “morbid obesity” being described as a “significant condition.” The manner of death was listed as “natural.” At the same time, the medical examiner still lists the 2023 death as “open.”
Although Hicks’ death and a few of the others on the list may not be connected or the result of anything nefarious, there are other cases on the list that are much stranger and are raising growing concern. That’s true in particular of the scientists on the list who simply disappeared into thin air. One had a connection to the UFO research community. And Mike Hicks did have a lengthy career at NASA.
Michael David Hicks Was Part of Teams Helping NASA Understand Comets & Asteroids
According to Daily Mail, Hicks “worked at JPL (NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory) from 1998 to 2022,” and he “was credited with publishing over 80 scientific papers and was part of multiple teams helping NASA understand the physical properties of comets and asteroids.”
Hicks’ obituary reads, “Michael David Hicks of Sunland, California, astronomer, artist and father, passed away Sunday July 30, 2023, at 59 years of age. Born in Dayton, Ohio, Michael earned degrees from Boston University and a PhD in Lunar and Planetary Science at the University of Arizona followed by long career at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.” His loved ones posted a lengthy video tribute to him on YouTube.
Daily Mail wrote that there is no indication of foul play in Hicks’ death, but added that he is connected to three of the other scientists on the list who also “worked at the Jet Propulsion Lab or participated in NASA missions there.” They include Monica Reza, who also has professional ties with a retired general who disappeared.
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker told the Daily Mail: ‘You can say these are all suspicious, and these are scientists who have worked in critical technology.’
Who are the Other 8 Dead or Missing Scientists?
Monica Reza disappeared while hiking in June 2025. That month, the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Office posted an alert reading, “Missing Hiker – Help Us Locate Monica Reza.” The flyer posted with the alert says that Reza was a resident of Los Angeles County who was last seen hiking on June 22, 2025, at 9:10 a.m. along Angeles Crest Highway. “There is concern for Ms. Reza’s well-being,” the flyer said, indicating that the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau was involved. “Fellow-Materials Science and Engineering at Aerojet Rocketdyne,” her LinkedIn page says.
William McCasland is a retired Air Force General. McCasland’s wife Susan McCasland Wilkerson wrote on Facebook on March 6. In her post, she confirmed that he associated with the “UFO community,” but added, “Neil does not have any special knowledge about the ET bodies and debris from the Roswell crash stored at Wright-Patt. Though at this point with absolutely no sign of him, maybe the best hypothesis is that aliens beamed him up to the mothership. However, no sightings of a mothership hovering above the Sandia Mountains have been reported.”
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico released a detailed timeline about the mysterious disappearance of 68-year-old McCasland, who was “last known to have been at or near his residence in the area of Quail Run Court NE on the morning of Friday, February 27, 2026.
Carl Grillmaier was an astrophysicist at Cal Tech when he died. According to ABC 7, a suspect was charged with killing Grillmair “after carjacking his own relative and burglarizing a home.” Grillmair “was found shot to death on the porch of his home in rural Llano.”
Frank Mailand worked at the Jet Propulsion Lab. Maiwald’s obituary says, “Frank Werner Maiwald, aged 61, passed away on July 4, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA. Born on June 24, 1964, in Ratingen, Germany, Frank’s journey brought immense contributions to both his personal life and professional endeavors.” The cause of death was not released.
Melissa Casias, who disappeared in summer 2025, worked at Los Alamos National Labs. In September 2025, the Taos News reported: “Two months after Melissa Casias, a 53-year-old Los Alamos National Labs employee, went missing, her disappearance has left more questions than answers. New Mexico State Police reported no breakthroughs in the investigation.”
Anthony Chavez, who also disappeared, worked at that lab as well. In May 2025, the Los Alamos Police Department shared photos of Chavez and wrote, “MISSING PERSON: On 05/08/2025 Mr. Anthony Chavez of Los Alamos was reported as a missing person. Since then, exhaustive efforts to locate him have proved unsuccessful. Mr. Chavez is not believed to be endangered, but the public is asked to help locate Mr. Chavez to ensure his safety.”
Some sites include murdered MIT nuclear scientist Nuno Loureiro on the list. Police believe that Loureiro was shot and killed when he answered the door at his home by Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, the suspect in the Brown University mass shooting, who later died of suicide.
Jason Thomas was a scientist at Novartis, a Swiss pharmaceutical company, when he went missing in December 2025, according to People. According to People, he was struggling with the deaths of his parents, and no foul play is expected. His body was found in a lake.
This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Apr 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.