Remains found of national lab worker last seen taking lunch to her daughter a year ago
A handgun was found near the remains, and investigators have not determined the cause or manner of death, police said.
- On Thursday, May 28, a hiker discovered human remains in Carson National Forest, which authorities identified as Melissa Casias, a Los Alamos National Laboratory employee missing for nearly a year.
- Casias vanished on June 26, 2025, after bringing lunch to her daughter, Sierra, in Taos; her family later found her keys and a cellphone reset to factory settings at home.
- Investigators discovered a handgun alongside the remains in McGaffey Ridge, an area authorities had previously searched. Cause of death remains undetermined pending Medical Investigator findings.
- Casias's family stated, "Our hearts are heavy," and they "fully intend to continue to pursue answers for justice." State Police confirmed their investigation remains active and ongoing.
- President Donald Trump was recently briefed on disappearances of U.S. experts in advanced space, defense, and nuclear fields, which he described as "pretty serious stuff.
128 Articles
128 Articles
Missing Scientist Melissa Casias' Remains Found in Chilling Display Months After Disappearance
Photo Credit: Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images The year-long search for Melissa Casias reportedly ended with a grim discovery in a remote New Mexico forest. Authorities confirmed that human remains believed to be those of the missing Los Alamos National Laboratory employee were found nearly a year after she vanished without a trace. The case has attracted renewed attention not only because of the disturbing circumstances of t…
Developing: Red Flags Emerge After Missing Lab Worker Found Where Searches Came Up Empty
The relatives of a federal laboratory employee whose remains were discovered in a New Mexico national forest are refusing to accept that she took her own life, with some pointing directly to foul play. Melissa Casias, 54, was reported missing on June 26, 2025, after she disappeared from Taos, New Mexico. She had skipped work...
Missing nuclear lab worker found dead in New Mexico forest amid string of missing scientists
New Mexico authorities identified human remains discovered by a hiker as those of a missing Los Alamos National Laboratory employee whose case gained attention due to the publicity surrounding a string of deaths and disappearances of U.S. scientists linked to space, defense and nuclear research.
In the U.S., several people with connections to U.S. defense and nuclear programs disappear or die in recent years. Among them is Melissa Casias, who has been missing since 2025. Now her body is found.
And the body of a missing nuclear laboratory worker last year was found “skeletized” with a bullet in the skull in a national forest in New Mexico, according to reports.
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