First missing scientist is found dead a year after disappearing

Human remains discovered in a New Mexico national forest have been identified as Melissa Casias, a Los Alamos National Laboratory employee who had been missing for nearly a year, authorities have confirmed.

The remains were found on Thursday in the McGaffrey Ridge area of Carson National Forest. Following the discovery, the New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office confirmed the remains belonged to the 53-year-old.

“Investigators also learned that a handgun was located alongside the remains,” New Mexico State Police said in a statement Saturday, per WHO13.

Authorities said the Medical Investigator’s Office is expected to determine the cause and manner of death. A representative for Casias’s family said they would not comment until after meeting with investigators. State Police also offered their “deepest condolences” to her loved ones and confirmed the investigation remains ongoing.

Discovery comes nearly a year after disappearance

Casias was reported missing on June 26 after her supervisor alerted authorities when she failed to report for work, according to her husband, Mark Casias.

The couple both worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory at the time of her disappearance. Mark Casias said he dropped his wife off at the federal energy research institution that morning before she told him she was heading to another area of the lab for a work-related task.

When she did not return as planned, concern quickly grew.

McGaffrey Ridge, where the remains were eventually found, is located approximately six miles from Casias’s home and can be accessed by state highway. Investigators previously noted that she had been seen walking along that route on the day she disappeared.

Family searched for answers

Their daughter, Sierra, later said she found her mother’s keys and phones at the family home in Ranchos de Taos following the disappearance.

She also discovered a phone that had been reset to factory settings.

That same afternoon, a family acquaintance reported seeing Casias walking eastbound on State Road 518, Police Sgt. Ricardo Breceda said per NBC News.

Investigation remains open

Mark Casias previously said he later found documents indicating his wife had been under immense stress at the time of her disappearance, although he declined to provide specific details.

Investigators have not ruled out foul play, including the possibility that Casias may have entered another vehicle on the day she vanished. However, Breceda said last year that it was also possible she disappeared by choice.

Los Alamos National Laboratory did not immediately respond to a request for comment following the identification of the remains.

Authorities said the investigation will continue as officials work to determine exactly what happened to Casias.

Featured image credit: Family handout