Representative Eric Burlison has added a “new name” to a list of scientists whose deaths or disappearances he said warrant deeper federal scrutiny, citing the case of NASA engineer Joshua LeBlanc in a social media post that has renewed attention on an expanding congressional probe.
Federal investigators are examining whether the instances of missing and dead scientists are connected, with the FBI leading a multi-agency review of cases involving researchers tied to sensitive aerospace, defense and nuclear work. Officials said the bureau is coordinating with agencies including the Department of Energy, NASA and state and local law enforcement to identify any potential commonalities while cautioning that no links between the cases have been confirmed.
In a post on X on Tuesday morning, the Missouri Republican said LeBlanc should be included among researchers he believes may be linked to a broader and troubling pattern. Burlison has repeatedly questioned whether a series of recent deaths and disappearances involving scientists working in sensitive aerospace, defense and nuclear fields are coincidental, calling for answers from federal law enforcement agencies.
“A new name for the list. A young scientist named Joshua, working on the nuclear propulsion technology we’d need to reach Mars, just turned up dead in a Tesla crash after his car drove two hours by itself on rural Missouri-style backroads,” Burlison posted. “Body burnt beyond recognition. This is not normal.”
LeBlanc, 29, was a NASA electrical engineer in Huntsville, Alabama, who worked on nuclear propulsion projects at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center. He was reported missing in July 2025 after his family expressed concern that he had been abducted. Later that day, his Tesla was discovered burned out following a crash in a rural area near Huntsville, and his remains were identified days later by state forensic officials.
Discussion about LeBlanc in regard to the scientist cases is not new. His death has drawn outsized attention because it occurred in the same city as another scientist, Amy Eskridge, an antigravity researcher who died in 2022. While authorities have not established any connection between the two cases, the fact that both scientists lived and worked in Huntsville—a major hub for aerospace and defense research—has fueled online speculation and political concern.
Burlison has argued that LeBlanc’s case fits a broader pattern involving scientists tied to sensitive government work who have died or gone missing in recent years. He and other lawmakers, including House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, have called on agencies such as the FBI, NASA and the Department of Energy to provide briefings on what they know about the cases.
While some people shared Burlison’s concern about the details of LeBlanc’s case, others pushed back.
“And obviously your inability to investigate things any deeper than the title of a news article means we should let you and Looney Tunes Luna tell the world about all our planes and pilots,” one person responded on X.
“Congressman Burlison you good ? Always praying you brother,” another said.
“Try to keep up–that happened a week ago,” one said.
Federal officials have cautioned that no evidence has shown the cases to be connected. The FBI has confirmed it is reviewing multiple deaths and disappearances alongside other agencies but has not publicly identified any common thread. In earlier comments, President Donald Trump described the matter as “pretty serious stuff” while also saying he hoped the incidents were unrelated.
Families of some of the scientists and independent experts have pushed back on online conspiracy theories, warning that many of the claims circulating lack evidence. Still, Burlison has said he believes LeBlanc’s death deserves closer examination as part of what he views as an unresolved national security question.
The congressman has indicated that he plans to continue pressing federal agencies for information as investigators review LeBlanc’s case and others, adding that more names could be raised publicly as the inquiry moves forward.
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