Congress wants answers about 10 missing scientists, 4 are from New Mexico
By John Rupolo
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ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — Four scientists from New Mexico, all with connections to U.S. nuclear secrets or rocket technology, are among 10 who have died or disappeared in recent years, raising concerns about national security.
The most recent disappearance involves retired Air Force Maj. William McCasland, who was last seen on Feb. 27 after going hiking in the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque. He has not been seen since.
Two other missing scientists from New Mexico were employees of Los Alamos National Laboratory. Anthony Chavez has been missing since May 2025, and Melissa Casias has been missing since June 2025. Casias was last seen walking along State Road 518 in Talpa near Taos.
Federal officials have not identified a connection between the missing scientists, but all of them had access to U.S. scientific information.
This week, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform sent a letter to federal agencies, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and FBI Director Kash Patel, requesting a briefing on the matter.
“We request a briefing on any information regarding these deaths and disappearances,” the letter stated.
Lawmakers also wrote that the deaths and disappearances “may represent a grave threat to U.S. national security.”
Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri, a member of the committee, said he would not be surprised if foreign adversaries such as China, Russia, or Iran were involved in targeting some of the nation’s top scientists.
The letter specifically mentioned McCasland’s disappearance, as well as Chavez and Casias.
President Donald Trump addressed the issue last week, saying, “Well, I hope it’s random. We’ll know in the next week and a half. I just left a meeting on this subject, pretty serious stuff.”
New Mexico Rep. Melanie Stansbury also commented on the investigation.
“My understanding is this is being handled by the highest levels of security, so at this time we don’t have any information we can share directly about any potential connections between these individuals,” Stansbury said.
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