Nearly a year after she vanished without a trace, Melissa Casias who worked at one of the country’s most prominent federal research facilities in New Mexico has been found — her remains discovered deep in a national forest not far from her own home.
Human remains found last Thursday in the McGaffrey Ridge area of Carson National Forest have been confirmed as those of Melissa Casias, 53, a Los Alamos National Laboratory employee who had been missing since last June. The New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office made the official identification, and New Mexico State Police announced it publicly on Saturday.
“Investigators also learned that a handgun was located alongside the remains,” State Police said in a statement, according to WHO13.
The Medical Investigator’s Office is now working to determine the official cause and manner of death. State Police extended their “deepest condolences” to Casias’s family.
Melissa Casias’ disappearance
On the morning of June 26, 2025, Melissa Casias’ husband Mark, who also works at Los Alamos National Laboratory, dropped her off at the facility. She told him she needed to head to a different part of the lab for a work task, but never came back.
Her supervisor reported her missing that same day after she failed to show up for work, according to NBC News. That afternoon, Casias was spotted walking eastbound along State Road 518, according to Police Sgt. Ricardo Breceda.
Her remains were found roughly six miles from the family’s home in Ranchos de Taos. It is reachable via state highway, where investigators said she was seen walking on day of her disappearance.
Back at the family home, her daughter Sierra discovered her mother’s keys and phones had been left behind. One of those phones had been wiped clean.
Mark Casias reportedly said he had found documents suggesting that his wife had been experiencing considerable stress before her disappearance, but he declined to specify what may have contributed to it.
Investigators have not ruled out foul play. The case remains open as investigators work to piece together exactly what happened. A family representative said they were not ready to speak publicly and would wait until after meeting with investigators before making any statement.
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