Lawmakers Demand Answers on Deaths and Disappearances of 11 US Scientists Tied to Secrets

A string of deaths and disappearances involving at least 11 American scientists has prompted questions about whether the cases, often classified as accidents or suicides, stand alone or connect to something larger.

Former FBI assistant director Chris Swecker noted the pattern in a Fox Nation special. "It is interesting to see the names on the list because the common denominator there is that every one of these scientists were working on defense-related or space nuclear rocket propulsion-related technologies and projects," Swecker said.

Fox News senior correspondent Eric Shawn hosts "Vanished: America’s Missing Scientists," a 21-minute feature where experts discuss theories on the incidents. Officials have attributed the deaths and disappearances to accidents, suicides or left them undetermined.

Lawmakers demand answers as scientists tied to US secrets die or vanish. Among recent cases, 34-year-old researcher Amy Eskridge from Huntsville, Alabama, worked on Department of Homeland Security projects and studied physics related to unidentified aerial phenomena.

"Huntsville is ground zero, it's like Rocket City. So you've got NASA there, you have the Redstone Arsenal, you have military units there, you have a military airport there," said Franc Milburn, a former U.K. military intelligence officer who connected with Eskridge on X, formerly Twitter, in spring 2021.

Shawn pointed out that Huntsville's importance makes it a prime target for foreign espionage. Milburn described threats Eskridge faced, including death threats, break-ins and hacking attempts.

Anti-gravity researcher Mark Sokol, who previously dated Eskridge, recalled suspicious events around her. Unexplained issues started at her home, and she fell suddenly ill. She said the two were being "attacked," which puzzled Sokol.

Sokol opened her front door one time and saw a vehicle with heavily tinted front windows parked across the street. "I pulled out my phone to take a picture, and the car just drove off," he said.

In 2020, Eskridge joined Sokol's livestream and outlined plans to disclose information on UAPs and extraterrestrials. She voiced fears about repercussions. "If you stick your neck out in public, at least someone notices if your head gets chopped off," she said. "If you stick your neck out in private, they will bury you. They will burn down your house while you're sleeping in your bed, and it won't even make the news."

Eskridge died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on June 11, 2022. Few official details have emerged.

Swecker said foreign agents kidnapping US scientists for information remains possible. Others see no foul play.