Who Is Monica Reza?
Monica Jacinto Reza, 60, was an aerospace engineer of considerable distinction. At the time of her disappearance she was serving as Director of Materials Processing at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory — a position she had recently assumed overseeing JPL's Metallurgy Facility, which develops new materials and advanced manufacturing technologies for spacecraft, specialising in bulk metallic glass alloys and metal additive manufacturing.
Her career included co-creating a nickel-based alloy used in rocket engines — advanced materials work with direct applications in propulsion technology. This research was funded in part by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the same organisation that was later commanded by Major General William Neil McCasland, who also appears in this series. While no direct professional relationship between Reza and McCasland has been publicly confirmed, the institutional connection has been noted by those examining the broader pattern.
The Circumstances of Her Disappearance
On 22 June 2025, at approximately 9 a.m., Reza was hiking a well-travelled trail on Mount Waterman in the Angeles National Forest, California, with a companion. The companion was approximately 30 feet ahead on the trail. He turned back to check on her. She smiled and waved, indicating she was fine. He turned back to continue walking. When he looked back again, moments later, she was gone.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department launched a search. No trace of Reza was found. She has not been seen or heard from since. There was no indication of distress, no sound, no sign of struggle — just an absence where a person had been standing moments before.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office issued a missing person flyer expressing concern for her well-being.
Why Her Case Is Being Scrutinised
True-crime podcaster Lauren Conlin, speaking on NewsNation in April 2026, said: "The most striking thing for me is Monica Reza and Gen. McCasland. Monica Reza worked closely with Gen. McCasland, and she disappeared under extremely, extremely disturbing and mysterious circumstances. She knew a lot. Gen. McCasland knew a lot."
Reza's work on advanced propulsion materials — funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory — and her role overseeing JPL's materials processing operations placed her in a position with both technical knowledge of next-generation spacecraft materials and institutional awareness of what those materials were being developed to power.