(NewsNation) — Several theories have been circulating about the deaths of a handful of scientists and employees linked to federal nuclear, aerospace, and defense programs — and the latest sounds right out of a sci-fi film.

The theory is that they may have been killed using a directed energy weapon. Reports say that before she died by suicide, researcher Amy Eskridge claimed she had been the victim of a directed energy attack inside her Alabama home. Such weapons have been blamed for Havana syndrome, which was first reported back in 2016.

Investigative journalist Catherine Herridge has been investigating reports of Havana syndrome, both abroad and domestically, for years. She told Katie Pavlich on Monday that the theory isn’t as far-fetched as some may think.

“It’s no longer isolated to overseas,” Herridge said. “What I have been able to document in the last year as an independent journalist is multiple cases inside the United States.”

“I think this idea that there aren’t domestic attacks and that they haven’t targeted civilians is just not correct,” she said. “The trend that I’m seeing is that the cadence of attacks inside the United States, I think, has escalated.”

What are directed energy weapons?

Directed energy weapons, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, “use focused electromagnetic energy to engage and neutralize enemy threats and assets.” They encompass high-energy lasers and high-power electromagnetic systems.

“In simple terms, [it’s] like putting your cell phone in a microwave just for a couple of seconds,” Herridge explained. “When you take it out, it looks undamaged, but in fact, the electrical networks have been completely disrupted.”

And according to Herridge’s investigations, she has found the injuries don’t stop with the initial attack — they progress over time. 

‘Government cruelty’: How victims say they’ve been treated

One retired counterintelligence officer she’s spoken with is Mike Beck. He was reportedly attacked by a DEW in 1996 overseas. Later in life, he began developing a Parkinson’s-like syndrome and had to move into assisted living.

“He was a classic case of the brain injury progressively getting worse,” said Herridge. “It was that story that prompted DNI [Tulsi] Gabbard to do a new assessment of these anomalous health incidents or Havana syndrome.”

Herridge told Pavlich that the worst part of her investigations has been seeing how these victims have been treated by the country they swore to protect.

“I have spent 25 years doing a lot of accountability reporting, especially with veterans, intelligence officers, military personnel, active duty. I have never seen such a case of government cruelty in my entire career,” she said.

“When they get attacked, and they get injured, they’re told that they’re crazy,” said Herridge. “It’s all in their heads. And they’re being gaslit on a level that I have never seen before.” 

One case she pointed to was of a Space Force veteran. He went on the record with Herridge and shared he had been targeted by DEWs in his home in Northern Virginia, which also affected his wife.

Herridge has even reported on multiple cases where the victims have been denied access to health care and treatment that would have made a difference to the progress of these injuries. Similar reports of care denial for Havana syndrome sufferers have also been reported by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

In an upcoming report, Herridge says she has evidence suggesting there is another iteration of directed energy weapons out there.

“It’s the most frightening element of this reporting so far,” she said, “because I think it will be very hard to defend against.”