India, April 24 -- A nuclear physicist and MIT professor shot dead outside his Massachusetts home. A retired Air Force general missing from his residence in New Mexico. An aerospace engineer vanished during a hike in Los Angeles.

They are among at least 10 individuals tied to sensitive US nuclear and aerospace research who have died or disappeared in recent years, according to a CNN report.

The cases are now under federal scanner, raising questions about possible links, and fueling online speculation about foul play.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says it "is spearheading the effort to look for connections into the missing and deceased scientists," adding that it "is working with the Department of Energy, Department of War, ...