As claims about a missing scientists conspiracy gain traction online, investigative journalist Ross Coulthart has warned that the narrative may be “a red herring,” arguing there is no clear evidence of a connected pattern behind the cases.
As the story of missing or dead individuals linked to UFO speculation gathers momentum, investigative journalist Ross Coulthart said on Newsnight that “I don’t think there is a connection… I don’t see a pattern,” with regard to the missing or dead people.
However, he did add, “I am not saying some individual cases… aren’t suspicious.”
Coulthart began his segment by describing the pattern problem: humans are prone to clustering isolated phenomena together, even when there is no real association between them.
He punchily asserted, “People die every day… what’s the connection then?” Coulthart also noted that millions of people work for the Defense Department. With such a large pool, conspiracy theories may not be needed.
Coulthart pointed to the fact that it’s the high-profile cases that matter, mentioning the missing General McCasland as a “very concerning” example, especially given the fact that he is a high-level defense figure. One key component is the lack of evidence that the General even left his house.
The shared location of government contractor Steven Garcia of Albuquerque, New Mexico, adds to the sense of a convenient, if unverified, narrative, in which the “leaving their house with a handgun” element slots right into a Breaking Bad-esque recital.
And that brings us to the fact that not all individuals who have gone missing are scientists. There is a particular element of misreporting doing the rounds.
At least 11 US-linked scientists, many connected to nuclear, aerospace, or defense fields have died or gone missing between 2022 and 2026, according to Fox News. pic.twitter.com/TzrSCFxUHp
undefined Current Report (@Currentreport1) April 21, 2026
Coulthart was keen to mention that not all of these workers were scientists. The “11 scientists” idea is convenient for journalistic infographics, but the list included government contractors, defense personnel, and even an administrative staff member.
This mislabelled core claim could be that “It’s just going to blow up in our faces,” according to Coulthart, because the unsubstantiated claim could simply be treated as unrelated incidents in the ongoing FBI investigation.
“General Neil McCasland and the Monica Razer case… have been obscured by what I do think is a red herring.”
And on Amy Eskridge, a plasma physicist, who died in 2022 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Coulthart said: “I'm privy to emails and videos that she shot where she was expressing grave concern in the weeks, months before her death that she was being targeted with directed energy weapons.”
The counterpoint that the family mentions a mental health issue has to be factored in, according to Coulthart, and that, therefore, competing interpretations exist.
Historical comparison
One example in Coulthart's report stood out that was eerily similar, and that was the 1980’s case of the Marconi scientists, when 25 scientists working on a defense torpedo project allegedly died. There were various conspiracies connected to British, American, and even Soviet spies, but nothing could be confirmed.
Coulthart regards Open Verdict by Tony Collins as the definitive book on the topic, from which he draws inspiration.
“The author himself says, ‘I’m often asked whether I think the scientist’s deaths are part of a conspiracy or are entirely coincidental.’ The answer is I don’t know.”
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