Will Cain Highlights Series of Deaths and Disappearances Involving Scientists and Researchers
Fox News host Will Cain recently devoted a segment of The Will Cain Show to several deaths and disappearances involving individuals with professional ties to prominent U.S. research institutions, including NASA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
During the broadcast, Cain reviewed seven separate cases involving scientists, engineers, and researchers whose work included aerospace, defense, and advanced scientific research. He emphasized that authorities have not publicly linked the incidents but suggested the similarities in the individuals’ professional backgrounds warranted closer public attention.
Among the cases discussed was Carl Grillmair, a Caltech astrophysicist who contributed to NASA-supported space research. Grillmair was fatally shot outside his California home in February 2026. Authorities arrested a suspect, and investigators have said the incident was connected to an alleged carjacking and burglary.
Cain also referenced Frank Maiwald, a longtime scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory known for his work on satellite and spacecraft instrumentation. Maiwald died in Los Angeles in July 2024. Public officials have not released additional information regarding the cause of his death.
Several missing-person cases were also highlighted. Monica Reza, a former NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer, disappeared while hiking in California’s Angeles National Forest in June 2025 and remains missing. Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, who previously led the Air Force Research Laboratory, has also been reported missing from his Albuquerque, New Mexico, home since February 2026.
Cain further discussed Melissa Casias, a former administrative employee with security clearances at Los Alamos National Laboratory whose remains were later discovered after she disappeared in 2025, and Anthony Chavez, a retired Los Alamos employee who remains missing after disappearing near his home. The segment also included MIT plasma physicist Nuno Loureiro, who was killed in Massachusetts in December 2025 in a shooting that investigators have linked to another criminal incident.
Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker told the program that individuals with access to sensitive government research could face unique security risks. However, he also acknowledged that investigators have not identified evidence connecting the cases.
Federal authorities have likewise stated that available information does not indicate a coordinated national security threat. The investigations remain ongoing, and officials continue to treat each case according to its individual circumstances.
