Key takeaways:
- Melissa Casias’s remains were found in the McGaffey Ridge area of Carson National Forest in May 2026.
- A handgun was discovered near her remains; cause and manner of death remain undetermined.
- Casias was last confirmed seen at about 2:18 p.m. on June 26, 2025, walking eastbound near Talpa, New Mexico.
- Casias is among about a dozen scientists and staff linked to sensitive U.S. research labs who have recently gone missing or died.
- The FBI is reportedly investigating possible connections among these cases.
Human remains found in New Mexico’s Carson National Forest have been identified as those of Melissa Casias, a 53-year-old administrative assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) who disappeared in June 2025. Authorities announced the identification over the weekend, confirming the remains were discovered by a hiker on May 28, 2026, in the McGaffey Ridge area of the forest.
New Mexico State Police reported that a handgun was found near the remains. The medical investigator’s office is continuing tests to determine the cause and manner of death, which have not yet been established. The investigation into Casias’s disappearance remains active.
Casias was reported missing on June 26, 2025, after failing to show up for work or return home following a visit to her daughter. According to an interview with her husband Mark Casias on NBC’s Dateline, she dropped him off at LANL around 6:15 a.m. and said she planned to travel to another location within the laboratory’s 40-square-mile campus for work. Mark asked her to return the family car by 11 a.m., but she did not.
Later that morning, Casias unexpectedly returned home, telling her daughter Sierra she had forgotten her badge. Mark noted in the interview that she had shown her badge to enter the facility. Sierra recalled that Casias appeared normal and said she might work from home or call out for the day.
Between 12:50 p.m. and 12:57 p.m., Casias briefly visited her daughter at work, delivering a sandwich and speaking with her. Sierra described her mother’s behavior as normal but somewhat quieter than usual.
Investigators identified Casias’s last confirmed sighting at approximately 2:18 p.m. that day, when a family acquaintance saw her walking eastbound along New Mexico State Highway 518 near Talpa, a small community in Taos County. Surveillance footage reviewed by family members also showed her walking alone with a backpack.
All of Casias’s personal belongings, including her purse and factory-reset cell phones, were found inside her home, raising concerns about her wellbeing. The remains were found in an area previously searched by authorities.
Casias is among a group of about a dozen scientists and staff linked to sensitive nuclear or space technology laboratories who have gone missing or died in recent months. Some of these cases have been ruled suicides or otherwise explained. The FBI is reportedly leading investigations into possible connections among these cases.
Former President Donald Trump has directed the U.S. government to investigate the cluster of cases, describing the situation as “pretty serious stuff,” according to news reports.
In a family statement released via the social media page Find Melissa Mondragon Casias, relatives expressed their grief and determination to seek justice: “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.”
State police extended their condolences to Casias’s family and confirmed that the investigation into her disappearance and death is ongoing.
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