Eric Burlison

Additional questions surrounding the 2022 death of Amy Eskridge are being raised after footage and text messages resurfaced of the scientist claiming she was being targeted by a “direct energy weapon.”

The 34-year-old reportedly died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in June 2022 in Huntsville, Alabama, and had been working on developing antigravity technology, a method of manipulating or offsetting the effects of gravity. She had expressed concerns about her safety. However, her father, a former NASA employee told NewsNation he did not believe her death was suspicious. “Scientists die also, just like other people,” he said.

Eskridge is one of several cases of missing or deceased individuals with ties to advanced research that have been referenced publicly in recent weeks, despite no confirmation of any connection from authorities.

What Amy Eskridge Texts, Video Reveal

In the footage, shared Wednesday on X by Right Angle News Network, Eskridge can be heard saying her hands “have been burned to hell and back,” while typing “because you can beam me… and you can get a 3D image of what I’m typing.”

Franc Milburn, a former British intelligence officer who had been in contact with Eskridge, told NewsNation Eskridge feared for her life and claimed she’d be targeted by a “directed energy weapon.”

She reportedly said she was experiencing both physical and psychological attacks and sent him photos showing discoloration on her hands. The researcher also warned him not to accept any claims that she had taken her own life if she were later found dead, according to the outlet.

“If you see any report that I killed myself, I most definitely did not. If you see any report that I overdosed myself, I most definitely did not. If you see any report that I killed anyone else, I most definitely did not,” a text shared by Milburn read.

What Is Havana Syndrome?

Republican Representative Eric Burlison of Missouri told media personality Benny Johnson that Eskridge “was clearly distraught, and suggested she was suffering from a mysterious condition known as Havana Syndrome.

“She was telegraphing to friends and family that she was being harassed. She engaged the services of a former British intelligence officer who was investigating the harassment or the strange things that were happening to her,” said Burlison.

“They were able to determine that she was the victim of what others call the Havana Syndrome, which we now know is the result of a directed energy type weapon using microwave energy. This is well-documented,” he said, adding that multiple people in the intelligence community have had similar experiences.

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Havana Syndrome refers to a set of unexplained symptoms first reported about a decade ago among U.S. officials and their families stationed at the American embassy in Havana, Cuba.

Reported symptoms include severe headaches, dizziness, vertigo, blurred vision, tinnitus, and cognitive or balance problems, often appearing after a loud sound and intense ear or head pain. Although named after Havana, similar cases have been reported worldwide, including in the U.S., the GAO said.

In a 2024 post it noted that the exact cause was unknown, and the condition is also known as “Anomalous Health Incidents.”

Who Are the Missing, Deceased Scientists and Personnel?

The growing list of missing or dead personnel with ties to advanced research has been growing in recent weeks and has even drawn attention from President Donald Trump, who referred to the situation as “pretty serious stuff,” though he added he hoped the pattern was coincidence. Federal agencies including NASA and the FBI have confirmed they are investigating.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government reform is also probing the deaths and disappearances.

Michael David Hicks—Research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory; worked on the DART Project and Deep Space 1 mission.

Died: July 30, 2023.

Frank Maiwald—Principal researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Died: July 4, 2024.

Anthony Chavez—Former employee at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Missing since: May 8, 2025.

Monica Reza—Director of materials processing at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Missing since: June 22, 2025.

Melissa Casias—Administrative worker at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Missing since: June 26, 2025.

Steven Garcia—Government contractor at the Kansas City National Security Campus' facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Missing since: August 28, 2025.

Nuno Loureiro—Director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

Died: December 16, 2025 (after being shot on December 15, 2025).

Carl Grillmair—Caltech astrophysicist who worked on NASA’s NEOWISE and NEO Surveyor missions.

Died: February 16, 2026.

William "Neil" McCasland—Retired U.S. Air Force major general.

Missing since: February 27, 2026.