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Nancy Grace warns of troubling 'pattern' in deaths and disappearances of 11 scientists
By Taylor Penley
Published April 21, 2026
Nancy Grace is sounding the alarm over what she calls a troubling "pattern" in the deaths and disappearances of 11 scientists, pointing to shared national security work, missing autopsies and unexplained similarities.
"There is a global race to attain and implement the knowledge that these scientists — all of them having the very highest clearance possible and national security — there was a race and a competition to get their knowledge and be able to implement it," Grace said during a "Hannity" appearance Monday.
Grace argued that several of the cases share striking overlaps, including connections to sensitive research and, in some instances, links to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.
She said some of the scientists were working on advanced technologies ranging from heat-resistant materials to propulsion systems.
Jason Thomas, left, Melissa Casias and Frank Maiwald are among scientists whose deaths or disappearances have drawn scrutiny as authorities review whether any cases are connected. (Fox News: Sierra Casias: Legacy.com)
"There are connections, and that's what we look for in criminal law," she said.
"When I would have a serial offender — be it a serial killer, rapist, child molester, arsonist, you name it — you look for a connection."
Grace also raised concerns about investigative gaps, noting that some of the deaths were never fully autopsied or that findings were not publicly released.
Nancy Grace speaks onstage during the Variety True Crime Summit at Assembly Hall in Austin, Texas, on March 13. (Julia Beverly/Getty Images)
"Many of those people were either never autopsied or the autopsies were not revealed. I’ve got a problem with that," she said.
"And several of them were last seen leaving their own homes and never seen again, and they all leave behind their phone, their wallet, their keys and their car. Who goes anywhere without their phone? I don't get it."
Grace's concerns come as lingering questions surround the disappearances and deaths of multiple high-profile scientists in recent years, prompting House lawmakers to push for answers.
At least 11 people have either died or vanished since 2022. The vast majority were involved in nuclear science and space research, with some connected to the study of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs).
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Michael David Hicks, 59; Frank Maiwald, 61; Nuno Loureiro, 47; Jason Thomas, 45; Amy Eskridge, 34; and Carl Grillmair, 47, all died between 2023 and 2026. Each played a key role in scientific research, Fox News Digital previously reported.
Hicks' and Maiwald's causes of death remain unknown. Two of the other scientists were shot and killed while one died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and another's body was discovered in a Massachusetts lake three months after he was last seen walking from his home late at night.
Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/nancy-grace-warns-troubling-pattern-deaths-disappearances-11-national-security-scientists