The remains of a New Mexico national laboratory staffer have been found nearly a year after she went missing. It was one of a number of deaths and disappearances of U.S. scientists and government employees which attracted public attention earlier this year.
Melissa Casias, an administrative assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory, was 53 at the time she went missing on June 26, 2025, roughly 70 miles away from the town of Taos where she lived. That same day, she failed to report for work, and her family said they found her belongings, including keys and a cellphone that had been reset to factory settings, at home—but she was gone.
A hiker found a body in the McGaffey Ridge area of Carson National Forest on Thursday, May 28. The remains were identified as that of Casias. The cause and manner of her death is still to be determined.
The New Mexico State Police said in a statement on Sunday that a handgun was found alongside Casias’ remains.
“We confirm that the remains found in Rio Chiquito are Melissa. There will be more information to come but what we can tell you now is she was located in an area previously searched. This is a lot to process, our hearts are heavy and we fully intend to continue to pursue answers for justice,” the family of Casias said in a statement shared on social media.
The discovery of the woman comes after President Donald Trump was briefed on a growing list of recent disappearances of U.S. experts in advanced space, defense, and nuclear fields in recent years, which he described as “pretty serious stuff.”
While there are no established links within the cases, their disappearances triggered much online speculation.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Read the full article here
