Nick Pope, the former UK Ministry of Defence official widely known for his work investigating UFOs, has died at the age of 60 after battling esophageal cancer that had spread to his liver. His wife, Elizabeth Weiss, confirmed that he passed away at their home in Tucson on Monday, April 7, 2026.

Pope’s death marks a significant loss for the UFO research community, where he had become one of the most recognizable and influential figures. Often described as a real-life counterpart to Fox Mulder from The X-Files, Pope spent more than two decades examining reports of unidentified aerial phenomena and their potential implications.

He served for 21 years at the UK Ministry of Defence, including a key role between 1991 and 1994, when he led the government’s classified UFO project. In that position, he was tasked with assessing whether unexplained sightings posed any threat to national security—work that later defined his public reputation.

In February 2026, Pope revealed on social media that he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer that had already spread to his liver. Acknowledging the severity of his condition, he admitted at the time that he “can’t beat it.” Despite his declining health, he continued to give interviews in the final weeks of his life, remaining engaged with the subject that had defined his career.

Following his retirement from government service in 2006, Pope transitioned into a prominent media role. He appeared in nearly 100 episodes of the TV series Ancient Aliens and worked as a consultant on major science fiction films, helping to shape public discussion around UFOs and extraterrestrial life.

His wife, Elizabeth Weiss, remembered him as a “wonderful husband” whom she “loved dearly.”

Pope’s legacy endures both in official records and in popular culture, where his work helped bring the once-shadowy field of UFO investigation into mainstream conversation.