There has been fresh scrutiny over the death of a researcher a few years ago, which was just one among many such deaths and disappearances.
According to The Mirror, Amy Eskridge (34) died on June 11, 2022, in Huntsville from what authorities described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. However, officials have not publicly shared detailed findings, leaving gaps around the circumstances of her death. With Eskridge’s passing, the number of nuclear and space scientists in the U.S. who have died or disappeared has gone up to eleven.
Eskridge had been working on anti-gravity technology, a field with potential implications for both space travel and energy systems. In 2020, she had indicated plans to present foundational work on the subject, pending clearance from NASA. While her death took place nearly four years ago, it has been revisited following the emergence of an earlier interview and independent submissions made to the U.S. Congress, both of which questioned the suicide finding and suggested the possibility of a larger conspiracy.
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President Donald Trump responded to questions on April 16, saying that authorities were examining the pattern of deaths. “I hope it’s random, but we’re going to know in the next week and a half,” he said, calling the matter “pretty serious” and noting that several of those involved were “very important people.” Eskridge had also co-founded the Institute for Exotic Science with her father, Richard Eskridge, a retired NASA engineer specializing in plasma physics and fusion technology. The organization aimed to create a public platform for discussing advanced research, including anti-gravity concepts. It has reportedly shut down following her death.
Eskridge had previously spoken about perceived risks linked to her work. She warned that making research public offered a degree of safety, while remaining private could invite threats without scrutiny. In a 2020 podcast interview, she also described increasing pressure and alleged intimidation, saying she felt urgency to publish her findings amid what she claimed were escalating threats.
Since 2022, at least five other researchers connected to advanced scientific fields have died, including two in violent incidents at their homes. In 2025, nuclear fusion researcher Nuno Loureiro, 47, was shot dead at his residence in Boston. While authorities have attributed this killing to a former classmate, independent investigators have linked the incident to his work.
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Months later, in February 2026, astrophysicist Carl Grillmair, 67, was fatally shot outside his California home. A suspect has since been charged with multiple offences, including murder.
Other deaths remain unexplained. NASA-affiliated scientists Michael David Hicks and Frank Maiwald, both associated with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, died at relatively young ages under unspecified circumstances. Jason Thomas, who was working on cancer treatments at Novartis, was found dead in a Massachusetts lake in March, three months after he went missing. Police have said no foul play is suspected.
These cases taken together has fueled discussions about whether they are coincidences or if there is a deeper pattern at play. Officials say investigations are ongoing.