Modern Mysteries

Missing scientist's body found in New Mexico, 11 months after she vanished

By T.K. Randall
June 2, 2026

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) The mystery surrounding the disappearance of 54-year-old Melissa Casias - an administrative assistant at the Los Alamos National Laboratory - ended in tragedy this week when police in New Mexico confirmed that they had discovered her remains.

Her body was found, alongside a handgun, by a member of the public in the McGaffey Ridge area of Carson National Forest approximately six miles from where she had been last seen alive.

As things stand, police have yet to determine the cause of death.

Many questions still remain, including how long her body had been there and what exactly had happened the day she disappeared. Casias' role at Los Alamos likely afforded her access to some secretive files; it's possible that she may have become the target of someone who had hoped to acquire sensitive information.

The case has been linked to a string of disappearances and deaths concerning prominent scientists and military officials such as US Air Force General William Neil McCasland who vanished without a trace back in February of this year.

Even the FBI is understood to be conducting its own investigation into the phenomenon.

Whether there actually is a connection between these cases, however, remains unclear.

Source: Mail Online

Tags: Disappearances