READ: First Missing Lab Worker Found Dead After Vanishing in String of Scientist Disappearances

Authorities in New Mexico have identified human remains found in Carson National Forest as those of Melissa Casias, a 54-year-old Los Alamos National Laboratory employee who disappeared in June 2025. New Mexico State Police said Casias was found in the McGaffey Ridge area, roughly six miles from where she was last seen walking alone near State Road 518. A hiker discovered the remains, and investigators reported that a handgun was located nearby. Officials have not yet determined Casias’s cause or time of death, which remains under review by the state Office of the Medical Investigator.