GEC-Marconi scientist deaths conspiracy theory

The GEC-Marconi scientist deaths theory claims that between 1982 and 1990 a number of British-based GEC-Marconi scientists and engineers who worked on the Sting Ray torpedo project and United States Strategic Defense Initiative-related projects died under mysterious circumstances.

History

The first deaths to gain widespread attention and be linked to the theory came in 1986–1987. In just about a year, six scientists died, three of whom had worked for the Marconi company, a subsidiary of the defence group General Electric Company. Most deaths were ruled suicides or accidents. One died after driving his car, which had been packed full of petrol containers, into a building. Another tied a rope to his neck and a tree and then drove off in a car. A third died of carbon monoxide poisoning in his garage. No links were found between them. At the time, some opposition lawmakers in the British parliament called for an investigation into the deaths.

Proponents of the conspiracy theory link the deaths like a James Bond-esque set of assassinations, variably blaming the Soviet spy agency KGB, American spies, or even British spies. Proponents of the theory claim that the deaths were linked because of the scientists working on the same few classified projects, although most of the scientists had not been working closely together and were working on separate, mostly unclassified, projects.

References

Newspapers

• "Demand government explanation of deaths, disappearance". The Associated Press. 19 March 1987.
• Marsh, Peter (3 April 1987). "Bizarre deaths start speculation". Financial Times. p. 6.
• "Open verdict on satellite scientist's car crash". The Guardian. 23 April 1987.
• Collins, Tony (30 April 1987). "Defence deaths: the facts behind the story". Computer News.
• "Mystery of the dead scientists: Coincidence or conspiracy?". AP. 6 February 1988.
• Shepherd, Leslie (13 April 1988). "Computer magazine says scientists' deaths don't add up". AP.
• "Deaths which must be investigated". The Independent. 26 August 1988.
• "Scientists' deaths 'not a plot'". The Daily Telegraph. 13 February 1989.

Books

• Collins, Tony (1990). Open verdict: an account of 25 mysterious deaths in the defence industry. Sphere Books. ISBN 0-7474-0146-2.

Media

• "Grave Secrets," a 20/20 segment which aired on ABC; May 5, 1989. Reported by Stone Phillips and available on the "20C History Project" YouTube channel.