June 1, 2026

A heartbreaking mystery in the New Mexico wilderness has taken a grim turn: human remains found last week by a hiker in Carson National Forest’s McGaffey Ridge area have been identified as those of missing Los Alamos National Laboratory employee Melissa Casias, who had been gone for nearly a year, authorities said. Police also revealed a handgun was found beside the remains, and the state Medical Investigator’s Office is now working to determine the cause and manner of death. Casias’ family is keeping silent for now, saying they’ll wait until after a meeting with investigators.

Leave a Reply