Melissa Casias, aged 53 or 54, was found dead in a remote area of Carson National Forest near Taos, New Mexico, nearly one year after she disappeared on June 26, 2025 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Casias, an administrative assistant at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, was last seen walking alone eastbound on State Road 518 about 4.8 to 6 miles from her home [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
Her skeletonized remains were discovered between May 28 and June 1, 2026, roughly six miles from her residence, with a skull injury consistent with a gunshot wound. Authorities also found a handgun near her body [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Despite prolonged exposure outdoors, forensic experts noted the remains showed no significant signs of animal disturbance [1, 2, 3, 6].
Casias disappeared after dropping her husband at work and saying she forgot her ID badge. Before leaving, she deleted all call records from her phone and left her phone and ID at home [1, 2, 5, 6]. According to her daughter, Casias appeared normal that day and planned to work from home, even dropping off a sandwich before she left [1, 2, 6]. Her husband reported to police that Casias was "hanging out with a boyfriend," though this remains unconfirmed [1, 2]. The couple had an argument about vaping the morning she vanished [1, 2, 6].
Local police have not publicly announced the official cause or manner of death, and the investigation is ongoing [3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The White House and FBI have joined the inquiry amid concerns over multiple disappearances and deaths of US military and scientific personnel linked to sensitive fields between 2022 and 2026 [4, 5, 6].
Casias’ family and private investigator Thomas McNally dispute the suicide theory. McNally said, "You don’t need to be a hunter, a scientist or a cop to know that a human body is not going to be left out in the elements and be undisturbed a year later" and noted she "looked completely normal, everything was fine, no abnormalities at all" shortly before her disappearance [1, 7].
Authorities continue forensic tests and interviews to determine the circumstances of Casias’ death. New Mexico State Police confirmed publicly on June 1, 2026, that the remains found in Carson National Forest belonged to Casias and shared the discovery location near McGaffey Ridge [3, 7].
