The Paracast Newsletter
April 26, 2026
www.theparacast.com
UFO scientist Chris Rutkowski reveals the state of reseach into the UFO saga this week on The Paracast.
The Paracast is released every Sunday and available from our site, https://www.theparacast.com, your favorite podcast app, and the IRN Internet Radio Network. All episodes from 2022 and later now feature better audio and fewer ads. We are also re-releasing some of our most popular classic episodes.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP FOR THE PARACAST+ YET? PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE PARACAST+ SO YOU CAN SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY THE ULTIMATE PARACAST EXPERIENCE AT A SPECIAL LOW PRICE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to an exclusive bonus podcast, After The Paracast, plus a special version of The Paracast with all the ads removed, when you join The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes on your device. Episodes for subscribers to The Paracast+ are now released 24 hours earlier. Flash! Now includes over 100 classic episodes, so take advantage of our lowest rates ever! Act now! It's easier than ever to susbcribe! For the easiest signup ever, please visit: https://www.theparacast.plus
This Week's Episode (April 26, 2026: Gene and Geneva catch up on the ongoing UFO saga with Canada’s premier investigator Chris Rutkowski, who has been investigating UFO phenomena since the 1970s. The discussion covered Rutkowski’s research findings, including his work with the Canadian UFO Survey and his personal experiences meeting Dr. J. Allen Hynek. The conversation explored various UFO cases, including physical evidence like the Falcon Lake case from 1967, as well as more mysterious encounters involving entities and cattle mutilations. The discussion also touched on the challenges of distinguishing between physical phenomena and psychological experiences in UFO reports, and considered the possibility of extraterrestrial life while acknowledging the lack of definitive proof. He has ten published books on UFOs and related issues, including Unnatural History (1993), Abductions and Aliens (1999), A World of UFOs (2008), the children’s book I Saw It Too! (2009), The Big Book of UFOs (2010), When They Appeared(2017) (co-authored with Stan Michalak), and Canada’s UFOs: Declassified (2021) details remarkable UFO cases investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the National Research Council of Canada. His book Canada’s UFO Secrets (2026) examines how the Canadian government has viewed UAP over the decades. Rutkowski blogs about UFOs and related issues at: Ufology Research and he oversees an annual study of UFO reports in Canada at: Canadian UFO Report
After The Paracast — Available exclusively to Paracast+ subscribers: Canadian UFO scientist Chris Rutkowski holds forth on a variety of topics on the worlds of the strange and unknown. Speaking with Gene and Geneva he focuses on such subjects as ancient astronauts, the possibility that advanced extraterrestrials visited Earth thousands of years ago and had major influences on human society. Rutkowski also covers strange artifacts around the world with possibly unknown origins, such as Stonehenge, which may or may not be related of space beings. The discussion also includes a smattering of ghosts here and there. He has ten published books on UFOs and related issues, including Unnatural History (1993), Abductions and Aliens (1999), A World of UFOs (2008), the children’s book I Saw It Too! (2009), The Big Book of UFOs (2010), When They Appeared (2017) (co-authored with Stan Michalak), and Canada’s UFOs: Declassified (2021) details remarkable UFO cases investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the National Research Council of Canada. His book Canada’s UFO Secrets (2026) examines how the Canadian government has viewed UAP over the decades. Rutkowski blogs about UFOs and related issues at: Ufology Research and he oversees an annual study of UFO reports in Canada at: Canadian UFO Report
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums. And look for @theparacast on Bluesky Social, Facebook, Threads and X.
Who is Targeting Scientists?
By Tim R. Swartz
It’s a story that has been picked up by news services all over the world. The headlines have been sensational to say the least.
"SILENCED SECRETS: 11 Space-Age Geniuses Vanish, FBI Fears Shadow Ops Execution Squad!"
"THEY KNEW TOO MUCH: 4 Years of Mystery Deaths Spark Panic Over Stolen Starship Technology!"
"‘SOMETHING SINISTER’: Congress Warns of Alien/Foreign Plot Behind Missing Nuclear Brain Trust!"
That’s not to say the story itself isn’t strange…it is. In the past three years, 11 people, possibly more, with access to sensitive scientific information, and possible connections to UFO research, have disappeared or died mysteriously. The 11 are described as “scientists and other personnel connected to U.S. nuclear secrets or rocket technology who have died or vanished in recent years.”
Included in this list are Monica Jacinto Reza, 60, was last seen June 22, 2025, around 9:10AM. She set out for a hike in Angeles National Forest with a friend
Police report Reza was about 30 feet behind her friend, smiling and waving. When the person turned back around, she was gone. Rescue teams searched for days, but her body was never recovered.
In February 2026, retired Air Force General William Neil McCasland walked out of his Albuquerque, New Mexico home on February 27, leaving behind his phone, prescription glasses and wearable devices. He completely vanished in an area he often frequented. Now the FBI is involved in his search.
In June, 2025, Melissa Casias, who worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, vanished while walking on a highway near Talpa, New Mexico. According to New Mexico State Police she left her belongings at home, including a phone that had been factory-reset.
A Federal Investigation
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee has announced it will investigate reports of the deaths and disappearances of the individuals, whom it said had access to sensitive scientific information.
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), who sits on the House Oversight Committee, said recently the individuals were all read in at the highest security levels one could possibly imagine, working on sensitive national security projects related to aerospace, including advanced propulsion and plasma research.
“That’s fascinating, but what’s really fascinating is the four individuals that stepped out of their home, left their phones behind, left their wallet, left everything behind and just completely disappeared and never came back,” he said.
“That’s not something that a normal person does, and the fact that it happened within one year, you know, four people walked out of their home never to be seen again, all of which were working together on these projects for the Department of Defense, that’s very mysterious,” Burlison added.
Mysterious Deaths
These current cases are oddly similar to a spate of unusual deaths that also involved scientists working on top-secret government projects.
In the 198o’s, scientists involved in research and development of weapons, biology, and other disciplines have died mysteriously.
In 1983, President Reagan proposed a "Strategic Defense Initiative" to protect America and her allies with a high-tech shield against enemy nuclear missiles. Thanks to the allure of millions of dollars of top-secret, black budget money, dozens of defense contractors signed on to try and make Reagan’s dream a reality.
Unfortunately, for some scientists, Reagan’s dream soon became their worst nightmare. Between the years 1985 and 1988, over thirty scientists working for Marconi and Plessey Defence Systems in Great Britain died violent and highly unusual deaths.
The deaths were first brought to the American public’s attention from an article written by Larry Wichman in the June, 1989 issue of Hustler magazine, (Who's Killing the Star Wars Scientists? — Volume 15, number 12). Wichman writes that each scientist was a skilled expert in computers, and each was working on a highly classified project for the Star Wars program. None had any apparent motive for suicide.
Wichman offered a list of just a few of the unusual deaths surrounding scientists.
AUTO ACCIDENT—Professor Keith Bowden, 45, computer scientist, Essex University. In March 1982 Bowden's car plunged off a bridge, into an abandoned rail yard. His death was listed as an accident.
MISSING PERSON—Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Godley, 49, defense expert, head of work-study unit at the Royal Military College of Science. Godley disappeared in April 1983. His father bequeathed him more than 60,000 [pounds], with the proviso that he claims it by 1987. He never showed up and is presumed dead.
SHOTGUN BLAST—Roger Hill, 49, radar designer and draftsman, Marconi. In March 1985 Hill allegedly killed himself with a shotgun at the family home.
DEATH LEAP—Jonathan Walsh, 29, digital-communications expert assigned to British Telecom's secret Martlesham Heath research facility (and to GEC, Marconi's parent firm). In November 1985 Walsh allegedly fell from his hotel room while working on a British Telecom project in Abidjan, Ivory Coast (Africa). He had expressed a fear for his life. Verdict: Still in question.
DEATH LEAP—Vimal Dajibhai, 24, computer-software engineer (worked on guidance system for Tigerfish torpedo), Marconi Underwater Systems. In August 1986 Dajibhai's crumpled remains were found 240 feet below the Clifton suspension bridge in Bristol. The death has not been listed as a suicide.
DECAPITATION—Ashaad Sharif, 26, computer analyst, Marconi Defense Systems. In October 1986, in Bristol, Sharif allegedly tied one end of a rope around a tree and the other end around his neck, and then drove off in his car at a high speed. Verdict: Suicide.
SUFFOCATION—Richard Pugh, computer consultant for the Ministry of Defense. In January 1987 Pugh was found dead, wrapped head-to-toe in rope that was tied four times around his neck. The coroner listed his death as an accident due to a sexual experiment gone awry.
ELECTROCUTION—John Ferry, 60, assistant marketing director for Marconi. In August 1988 Ferry was found dead in a company-owned apartment, the stripped leads of an electrical cord in his mouth. Foul play has not been ruled out.
Just like the cases from the 1980s, with the most recent mysterious deaths and disappearances, some authorities are speculating that a hostile country could be involved. The pattern that is emerging would be disturbing to any statistician. The list of dead and missing scientists is factual, and it appears strange that this is happening to people who are in a certain profession. The questions remain; for what reason did they die, and who killed them?
Tim R. Swartz is an Indiana native and Emmy-Award winning television producer/videographer, and is the author of a number of popular books including The Lost Journals of Nikola Tesla, and Gef the Talking Mongoose. His most recent books, along with author Sean Casteel, are The Persistence of Ghosts, Weird Time – Exploring the Mysteries of Time and Space, Mimics - The Others Among Us.
Copyright 1999-2026 The Paracast Company. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!
April 26, 2026
www.theparacast.com
UFO scientist Chris Rutkowski reveals the state of reseach into the UFO saga this week on The Paracast.
The Paracast is released every Sunday and available from our site, https://www.theparacast.com, your favorite podcast app, and the IRN Internet Radio Network. All episodes from 2022 and later now feature better audio and fewer ads. We are also re-releasing some of our most popular classic episodes.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP FOR THE PARACAST+ YET? PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE PARACAST+ SO YOU CAN SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY THE ULTIMATE PARACAST EXPERIENCE AT A SPECIAL LOW PRICE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to an exclusive bonus podcast, After The Paracast, plus a special version of The Paracast with all the ads removed, when you join The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes on your device. Episodes for subscribers to The Paracast+ are now released 24 hours earlier. Flash! Now includes over 100 classic episodes, so take advantage of our lowest rates ever! Act now! It's easier than ever to susbcribe! For the easiest signup ever, please visit: https://www.theparacast.plus
This Week's Episode (April 26, 2026: Gene and Geneva catch up on the ongoing UFO saga with Canada’s premier investigator Chris Rutkowski, who has been investigating UFO phenomena since the 1970s. The discussion covered Rutkowski’s research findings, including his work with the Canadian UFO Survey and his personal experiences meeting Dr. J. Allen Hynek. The conversation explored various UFO cases, including physical evidence like the Falcon Lake case from 1967, as well as more mysterious encounters involving entities and cattle mutilations. The discussion also touched on the challenges of distinguishing between physical phenomena and psychological experiences in UFO reports, and considered the possibility of extraterrestrial life while acknowledging the lack of definitive proof. He has ten published books on UFOs and related issues, including Unnatural History (1993), Abductions and Aliens (1999), A World of UFOs (2008), the children’s book I Saw It Too! (2009), The Big Book of UFOs (2010), When They Appeared(2017) (co-authored with Stan Michalak), and Canada’s UFOs: Declassified (2021) details remarkable UFO cases investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the National Research Council of Canada. His book Canada’s UFO Secrets (2026) examines how the Canadian government has viewed UAP over the decades. Rutkowski blogs about UFOs and related issues at: Ufology Research and he oversees an annual study of UFO reports in Canada at: Canadian UFO Report
After The Paracast — Available exclusively to Paracast+ subscribers: Canadian UFO scientist Chris Rutkowski holds forth on a variety of topics on the worlds of the strange and unknown. Speaking with Gene and Geneva he focuses on such subjects as ancient astronauts, the possibility that advanced extraterrestrials visited Earth thousands of years ago and had major influences on human society. Rutkowski also covers strange artifacts around the world with possibly unknown origins, such as Stonehenge, which may or may not be related of space beings. The discussion also includes a smattering of ghosts here and there. He has ten published books on UFOs and related issues, including Unnatural History (1993), Abductions and Aliens (1999), A World of UFOs (2008), the children’s book I Saw It Too! (2009), The Big Book of UFOs (2010), When They Appeared (2017) (co-authored with Stan Michalak), and Canada’s UFOs: Declassified (2021) details remarkable UFO cases investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the National Research Council of Canada. His book Canada’s UFO Secrets (2026) examines how the Canadian government has viewed UAP over the decades. Rutkowski blogs about UFOs and related issues at: Ufology Research and he oversees an annual study of UFO reports in Canada at: Canadian UFO Report
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums. And look for @theparacast on Bluesky Social, Facebook, Threads and X.
Who is Targeting Scientists?
By Tim R. Swartz
It’s a story that has been picked up by news services all over the world. The headlines have been sensational to say the least.
"SILENCED SECRETS: 11 Space-Age Geniuses Vanish, FBI Fears Shadow Ops Execution Squad!"
"THEY KNEW TOO MUCH: 4 Years of Mystery Deaths Spark Panic Over Stolen Starship Technology!"
"‘SOMETHING SINISTER’: Congress Warns of Alien/Foreign Plot Behind Missing Nuclear Brain Trust!"
That’s not to say the story itself isn’t strange…it is. In the past three years, 11 people, possibly more, with access to sensitive scientific information, and possible connections to UFO research, have disappeared or died mysteriously. The 11 are described as “scientists and other personnel connected to U.S. nuclear secrets or rocket technology who have died or vanished in recent years.”
Included in this list are Monica Jacinto Reza, 60, was last seen June 22, 2025, around 9:10AM. She set out for a hike in Angeles National Forest with a friend
Police report Reza was about 30 feet behind her friend, smiling and waving. When the person turned back around, she was gone. Rescue teams searched for days, but her body was never recovered.
In February 2026, retired Air Force General William Neil McCasland walked out of his Albuquerque, New Mexico home on February 27, leaving behind his phone, prescription glasses and wearable devices. He completely vanished in an area he often frequented. Now the FBI is involved in his search.
In June, 2025, Melissa Casias, who worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, vanished while walking on a highway near Talpa, New Mexico. According to New Mexico State Police she left her belongings at home, including a phone that had been factory-reset.
A Federal Investigation
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee has announced it will investigate reports of the deaths and disappearances of the individuals, whom it said had access to sensitive scientific information.
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), who sits on the House Oversight Committee, said recently the individuals were all read in at the highest security levels one could possibly imagine, working on sensitive national security projects related to aerospace, including advanced propulsion and plasma research.
“That’s fascinating, but what’s really fascinating is the four individuals that stepped out of their home, left their phones behind, left their wallet, left everything behind and just completely disappeared and never came back,” he said.
“That’s not something that a normal person does, and the fact that it happened within one year, you know, four people walked out of their home never to be seen again, all of which were working together on these projects for the Department of Defense, that’s very mysterious,” Burlison added.
Mysterious Deaths
These current cases are oddly similar to a spate of unusual deaths that also involved scientists working on top-secret government projects.
In the 198o’s, scientists involved in research and development of weapons, biology, and other disciplines have died mysteriously.
In 1983, President Reagan proposed a "Strategic Defense Initiative" to protect America and her allies with a high-tech shield against enemy nuclear missiles. Thanks to the allure of millions of dollars of top-secret, black budget money, dozens of defense contractors signed on to try and make Reagan’s dream a reality.
Unfortunately, for some scientists, Reagan’s dream soon became their worst nightmare. Between the years 1985 and 1988, over thirty scientists working for Marconi and Plessey Defence Systems in Great Britain died violent and highly unusual deaths.
The deaths were first brought to the American public’s attention from an article written by Larry Wichman in the June, 1989 issue of Hustler magazine, (Who's Killing the Star Wars Scientists? — Volume 15, number 12). Wichman writes that each scientist was a skilled expert in computers, and each was working on a highly classified project for the Star Wars program. None had any apparent motive for suicide.
Wichman offered a list of just a few of the unusual deaths surrounding scientists.
AUTO ACCIDENT—Professor Keith Bowden, 45, computer scientist, Essex University. In March 1982 Bowden's car plunged off a bridge, into an abandoned rail yard. His death was listed as an accident.
MISSING PERSON—Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Godley, 49, defense expert, head of work-study unit at the Royal Military College of Science. Godley disappeared in April 1983. His father bequeathed him more than 60,000 [pounds], with the proviso that he claims it by 1987. He never showed up and is presumed dead.
SHOTGUN BLAST—Roger Hill, 49, radar designer and draftsman, Marconi. In March 1985 Hill allegedly killed himself with a shotgun at the family home.
DEATH LEAP—Jonathan Walsh, 29, digital-communications expert assigned to British Telecom's secret Martlesham Heath research facility (and to GEC, Marconi's parent firm). In November 1985 Walsh allegedly fell from his hotel room while working on a British Telecom project in Abidjan, Ivory Coast (Africa). He had expressed a fear for his life. Verdict: Still in question.
DEATH LEAP—Vimal Dajibhai, 24, computer-software engineer (worked on guidance system for Tigerfish torpedo), Marconi Underwater Systems. In August 1986 Dajibhai's crumpled remains were found 240 feet below the Clifton suspension bridge in Bristol. The death has not been listed as a suicide.
DECAPITATION—Ashaad Sharif, 26, computer analyst, Marconi Defense Systems. In October 1986, in Bristol, Sharif allegedly tied one end of a rope around a tree and the other end around his neck, and then drove off in his car at a high speed. Verdict: Suicide.
SUFFOCATION—Richard Pugh, computer consultant for the Ministry of Defense. In January 1987 Pugh was found dead, wrapped head-to-toe in rope that was tied four times around his neck. The coroner listed his death as an accident due to a sexual experiment gone awry.
ELECTROCUTION—John Ferry, 60, assistant marketing director for Marconi. In August 1988 Ferry was found dead in a company-owned apartment, the stripped leads of an electrical cord in his mouth. Foul play has not been ruled out.
Just like the cases from the 1980s, with the most recent mysterious deaths and disappearances, some authorities are speculating that a hostile country could be involved. The pattern that is emerging would be disturbing to any statistician. The list of dead and missing scientists is factual, and it appears strange that this is happening to people who are in a certain profession. The questions remain; for what reason did they die, and who killed them?
• • •
Tim R. Swartz is an Indiana native and Emmy-Award winning television producer/videographer, and is the author of a number of popular books including The Lost Journals of Nikola Tesla, and Gef the Talking Mongoose. His most recent books, along with author Sean Casteel, are The Persistence of Ghosts, Weird Time – Exploring the Mysteries of Time and Space, Mimics - The Others Among Us.
Copyright 1999-2026 The Paracast Company. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!
