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.

The sudden disappearance of retired U.S. Air Force Major General William “Neil” McCasland has sparked concern among investigators and national security observers. McCasland, 68, vanished on February 27 around 11 a.m. after leaving his home on Quail Run Court in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Despite a large search effort involving the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI, authorities have not determined where he went or what happened.