# Are the deaths and disappearances on the list connected? · America's missing scientists, 2021–2026 > Four answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Four are still possible. Of the three narrower questions under it, none is answered… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/missing-scientists/questions/QST0DCQNKRMCAR2/are-the-deaths-and-disappearances-on-the-list-connected Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-29T01:25:47+00:00 --- **0** # Are the deaths and disappearances on the list connected? Asked 29 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·4 answers·0·0 following **Four answers, none ahead** None is ahead yet. See what would settle it. ## Where it stands Four answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Four are still possible. Of the three narrower questions under it, none is answered yet. ## Why it matters This is the claim that took the list from social media to Congress, the White House and the FBI: that the cases share a cause beyond chance⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQDSQFKX6K/top-republican-says-dead-missing-scientists-are-national)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQCJTADE6A/fbi-investigating-deaths-and-disappearances-of-staff-at). If they do not, each is a separate tragedy with its own explanation, and the list is an artefact of how it was compiled⁠[[3]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQE14HCFBF/the-uap-body-count-doesnt-add-up)⁠[[4]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQE1M942MY/the-mystery-of-missing-and-dead-scientists-explained). ## Answers 4 [**A coordinated campaign by a foreign state or other actor against people with access to US secrets** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/missing-scientists/answers/ANS0DCQNY08KJN5/a-coordinated-campaign-by-a-foreign-state-or-other-actor) None Evidence: 1 for, 5 against Still possible [**A link through secret aerospace or UFO programmes the people were part of** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/missing-scientists/answers/ANS0DCQNYANTZGG/a-link-through-secret-aerospace-or-ufo-programmes-the-people) None Evidence: 2 for, 3 against Still possible [**No common cause: separate cases gathered after the fact from a large workforce** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/missing-scientists/answers/ANS0DCQNXQ4AMY3/no-common-cause-separate-cases-gathered-after-the-fact-from) None Evidence: 9 for Still possible [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/missing-scientists/answers/ANS0DCQNYMJFM4E/none-of-these) None Evidence: none yet Still possible ## What would settle it 1. Watch for the FBI's final report on its review of the cases, promised by Kash Patel on 28 April 2026 "in short order", and for any findings of the House Oversight inquiry opened on 20 April 2026; neither had been published by 28 October 2026. 1. Ask NNSA, NASA and the national laboratories for workforce size and deaths by cause, 2021–2026, to replace the population estimates in the base-rate model with employers' own figures. 1. Track the open local cases: the New Mexico OMI's final ruling and the state police investigation into Melissa Casias's death, the Grillmair murder trial in Los Angeles County, and any published cause for Joshua LeBlanc's crash. ## History 1. 2002[The Globe and Mail: earlier clusters of defence and science deaths, in Britain in the 1980s and among microbiologists in 2001–02, came to…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQE8EYQ47B/scientists-deaths-are-under-the-microscope)For: No common cause: separate cases gathered after the fact from a large workforce 1. 2016[Blistein: mcCasland advised Tom DeLonge on UFO matters, as his wife and DeLonge's 2016 email both say](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQCD2NPV32/read-tom-delonges-leaked-email-to-hillary-clinton-campaign)For: A link through secret aerospace or UFO programmes the people were part of 1. 2023[Logan: where official findings exist they are individual: an accidental death, a drowning with no foul play, illness, cancer](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQDHVKAQYR/uncovering-the-mystery-of-huntsvilles-brilliant-anti-gravity)For: No common cause: separate cases gathered after the fact from a large workforce 1. 2023[Logan: three others on the list had UFO or "anti-gravity" interests: Li, Eskridge and Sullivan](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQDHVKAQYR/uncovering-the-mystery-of-huntsvilles-brilliant-anti-gravity)For: A link through secret aerospace or UFO programmes the people were part of 1. 2024[Black: earlier clusters of defence and science deaths, in Britain in the 1980s and among microbiologists in 2001–02, came to…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQE7H9RY1W/the-many-real-life-deaths-surrounding-the-star-wars-defense)For: No common cause: separate cases gathered after the fact from a large workforce 1. 2024[U.S. Government Accountability Office: the site's base-rate model expects 10 to 95 times as many homicides in the workforce as the list holds](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQESV6YJJ9/national-nuclear-security-administration-improvements-needed)For: No common cause: separate cases gathered after the fact from a large workforce 1. 2026[Conlin: even David Grusch called the reports linking the other cases to UFO programmes "a little overblown"](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQCBVR5BVM/david-grusch-makes-new-claims-about-missing-gen-mccasland)Against: A link through secret aerospace or UFO programmes the people were part of 1. 2026[Schecter et al.: most of the people on the list had no reported UFO or exotic-propulsion work at all](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQCJTADE6A/fbi-investigating-deaths-and-disappearances-of-staff-at)Against: A link through secret aerospace or UFO programmes the people were part of 1. 2026[Chen et al.: most of the people on the list had no reported UFO or exotic-propulsion work at all](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQCK12DHFD/at-least-10-people-tied-to-sensitive-us-research-have-died)Against: A link through secret aerospace or UFO programmes the people were part of 1. 2026[Ruiz: mcCasland advised Tom DeLonge on UFO matters, as his wife and DeLonge's 2016 email both say](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQC4JZ7ZZM/missing-retired-air-force-general-consulted-on-ufos-for)For: A link through secret aerospace or UFO programmes the people were part of 1. 2026[International Business Times UK: three others on the list had UFO or "anti-gravity" interests: Li, Eskridge and Sullivan](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQD9ZEHGVB/how-did-matthew-james-sullivan-die-cause-of-death-and-why-he)For: A link through secret aerospace or UFO programmes the people were part of 1. 2026[Phillips: three others on the list had UFO or "anti-gravity" interests: Li, Eskridge and Sullivan](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DCQDABB39X4/11th-scientist-death-emerges-in-string-of-missing-dead)For: A link through secret aerospace or UFO programmes the people were part of 1. Oct 2026[Session 1: raised the question, proposed four answers, ran one test, found three results bearing on its answers and worked on three of its sub-questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/records/SES0DCRDRNP70MF/session-1-the-missing-scientists-list-researched-case-by) ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/missing-scientists/questions/QST0DCQNKRMCAR2/are-the-deaths-and-disappearances-on-the-list-connected%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/missing-scientists/questions/QST0DCQNKRMCAR2/are-the-deaths-and-disappearances-on-the-list-connected%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/missing-scientists/questions/QST0DCQNKRMCAR2/are-the-deaths-and-disappearances-on-the-list-connected%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/missing-scientists/questions/QST0DCQNKRMCAR2/are-the-deaths-and-disappearances-on-the-list-connected%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/missing-scientists/questions/QST0DCQNKRMCAR2/are-the-deaths-and-disappearances-on-the-list-connected%23add-source) Where it fits America's missing scientists, 2021–2026 **Are the deaths and disappearances on the list connected?** Key question · you're here [Did the people on the list work on a common programme or share access to the same secret?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/missing-scientists/questions/QST0DCQNQ4APB6J/did-the-people-on-the-list-work-on-a-common-programme-or)Open · 3 answers, inconclusive [Is there evidence of a US programme to reverse-engineer non-human technology that any of them could have worked on?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/missing-scientists/questions/QST0DCQNQJTMW48/is-there-evidence-of-a-us-programme-to-reverse-engineer-non)Open · 3 answers, inconclusive [Were any of the missing taken against their will?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/missing-scientists/questions/QST0DCQNQB6BVWT/were-any-of-the-missing-taken-against-their-will)Open · 3 answers, inconclusive [ Ask a question under this one ]