Remains found in Carson National Forest identified as missing LANL employee

Human remains found by a hiker in Carson National Forest have been identified as Melissa Casias, the 53-year-old Los Alamos National Laboratory employee whose disappearance unsettled family, coworkers and the broader Los Alamos community for nearly a year. New Mexico State Police said the remains were found with a handgun in the McGaffey Ridge area on May 28 and later identified through coordination with the Office of the Medical Investigator.

Casias was reported missing on June 26, 2025, after she did not arrive at work and did not return home after visiting her daughter at work. Police said she was last seen walking eastbound on NM 518 in Talpa, a few miles from her home in Ranchos de Taos. Her car, purse and phones were found inside her home, and family members later found her purse, identification and cell phones left behind, deepening concern that something had gone wrong that day.

Investigators have not determined the cause or manner of death, and state police said the case remains active and ongoing. The remains will undergo further anthropological examination by the Office of the Medical Investigator. The forest location, roughly 6 miles from Casias’ home, adds another unsettling detail to a case that has been followed closely in Los Alamos, where LANL is one of the region’s defining institutions.

After the identification, the Casias family issued a public statement saying, “We confirm that the remains found in Rio Chiquito are Melissa. ... We fully intend to continue to pursue answers and justice.” During the search, the family offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to her safe return, and Crime Stoppers added a $2,500 reward. The family also organized public efforts to find her, including online fundraising and outreach to the community.

Casias was identified in reporting as an administrative assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Some accounts also identified her husband as Mark Casias and said she lived in Ranchos de Taos. For Los Alamos, the identification closes one painful period of uncertainty, but it does not answer the central questions that remain about her final movements, the handgun found beside the remains, or how a missing-person case that began on the way to work ended in the forest above northern New Mexico.