The skeletal stays of a lacking Los Alamos lab employee, lately found in New Mexico, have solely deepened the thriller surrounding her disappearance.
Melissa Casias, 53, walked out of her dwelling close to Taos on June 26, 2025, and remained lacking till the grim discovery of her physique by a hiker on Might 28. Her case has been related to the curious spate of 11 lacking scientists throughout the US.
Casias’ physique was found skeletonized, along with her sunbaked stays propped towards a tree alongside a handgun in Package Carson Nationwide Forest.
New Mexico State Police advised The Publish her cranium had been fractured, however a CT scan didn’t reveal any projectiles within the cranium.
Investigators are awaiting additional post-mortem outcomes to find out the style of loss of life, in response to spokesperson Sgt. Ricardo Breceda.
The 2 more than likely choices at the moment are suicide or homicide.
“If that gun isn’t rusted shut, then I name bulls—t,” mentioned firebrand personal investigator Thomas McNally, implying that if foul play was concerned the scene might have been staged to resemble a suicide.
In line with native information experiences, Casias’ garments have been sun-bleached however her corpse appeared undisturbed by predation by forest creatures, however this has not been confirmed by police.
McNally, a former murder detective and Phoenix-based personal investigator employed by members of Casias’ delivery household claims the investigation into her disappearance was bungled from the beginning.
“The State Police didn’t launch any kind of search and rescue effort in any respect. Melissa’s niece, Jazmin, needed to supply a neighborhood search and rescue group. After which, to ensure that them to deploy, they needed to have the approval and blessing of the State Police,” McNally advised The Publish.
Jazmin McMilen
NMSP described the world Casias’ physique was found because the McGaffey Ridge part of the park, roughly 6 to fifteen miles from Casias’ dwelling in Ranchos de Taos, which Breceda mentioned is a well-traveled, common mountain climbing vacation spot. But nonetheless it took nearly a yr to find the physique. Her household have mentioned in an announcement the world the place she was found had beforehand been searched.
Whereas she has been related to the lacking scientists, either side of Casias’ sharply divided household agree on one factor — her job as an administrative assistant as Los Alamos Nationwide Laboratory had nothing to do along with her disappearance, as has been speculated on-line.
Her husband Mark Casias, 61, and their daughter Sierra, 19, imagine Melissa left on her personal and will have took her personal life, however Melissa’s delivery household, together with mother and father, sister and niece, suspect foul play in some type is concerned.
In line with unidentified sources McNally says he spoke to, Mark — who additionally works at Los Alamos as a Superintendent within the upkeep division — is alleged to have requested neighbors if that they had cameras put in on their properties shortly earlier than his spouse disappeared.
Two days after she went lacking, Mark reportedly made a remark that his spouse could have faked her personal loss of life in a life insurance coverage scheme, in response to one in every of McNally’s sources.
Mark couldn’t be reached for remark by The Publish. Employees at Los Alamos beforehand confirmed he was at work when Casias disappeared.
Police have but to announce any suspects or individuals of curiosity in relation to Casias’ loss of life.
“We’re completely investigating this case. It originated as a lacking individuals investigation. Now that we’ve situated her stays we’re inspecting all of our findings and seeing the place the proof leads the investigation,” Breceda mentioned.
Casias was final seen round 2:18 p.m. in surveillance footage, sporting a backpack and strolling briskly eastbound alone on State Street 518 within the route the place her physique was ultimately discovered.
Her mom, Joann Mondragon, beforehand advised The Publish Casias favored to take early morning walks, however was not recognized to take action on such a sizzling summer season afternoon.
McNally claims the lady in that video shouldn’t be Casias and questioned whether or not time stamps on the video might have been doctored. Breceda flatly rejected that hypothesis and said NMSP have established the lady in that video is Casias.
Casias’ automotive was left parked outdoors her dwelling and he or she additionally left behind her keys, work cellphone, private cellphone, pockets and purse. Each telephones had been manufacturing unit reset, however at totally different instances, digital forensics revealed — one the night time earlier than and the opposite that morning.
Her studying glasses and a 90-day provide of thyroid remedy have been lacking from the house.
The Publish has discovered two drops of human blood have been discovered on the master suite tile flooring of the Casias’ dwelling, in response to a supply. These samples are at present present process DNA evaluation.
In later interviews he denied talking ailing of Melissa that night time, calling the declare “downright improper” and dismissed the vape combat as a minor marital spat. Melissa Casias/Fb
However it could be too late to get well extra proof, if any exists.
“They didn’t check the remainder of the master suite with luminol, that might have allowed them to see any excessive velocity [blood] spatter, particularly now since a firearm has been recovered on the scene the place the physique was,” McNally claimed.
NMSP didn’t affirm or deny the blood spots.
On the night of his spouse’s disappearance, Mark wasted no time bad-mouthing his lacking spouse, in response to interviews with Melissa’s delivery household, the Mondragons, within the podcast “Crime Junkie.”
Mark mentioned Melissa had been on a “roll with f—okay ups recently,” had “destroyed their funds,” gathered important debt and gotten behind on tax funds, they claimed on the podcast.
The household additionally mentioned Mark had admitted to them he and his spouse had an argument that morning over Melissa’s vaping.
In later interviews Mark denied talking ailing of Melissa the night time earlier than she disappeared, calling the declare “downright improper” and dismissing the vape combat as a minor marital spat.
In line with McNally, his sources mentioned claimed the couple fought usually.
“Within the days previous to Melissa going lacking, Mark was asking neighbors if that they had cameras. On the day Melissa went lacking, the following door neighbor heard a scream from contained in the Casillas residence between 1:45 and a pair of p.m.
“In addition they reported they routinely heard screaming, yelling and arguing coming from contained in the residence as a result of they fought fairly regularly,” McNally says his sources advised him.
In line with information reviewed by The Publish, the Casiases have been in large monetary bother. Each had garnishes on their wages for unpaid taxes.
Mark claimed he didn’t know the extent of their monetary troubles till after Melissa went lacking, saying she dealt with the household’s books.
The investigation into Melissa’s loss of life is ongoing and has not been dominated a murder. It must be famous a lot of the suspicions directed at Mark come from one facet of a divided household and their associates.
Two days after Casias’ disappearance, Mark theorized to household she could have “bolted” to permit him to gather life insurance coverage cash, in response to McNally.
“They have been on the point of set up a search at Melissa’s mother and pop’s home in Taos and Mark was there and in entrance of not less than 5 different folks, he mentioned, ‘I do know that Melissa ran off and doesn’t wish to be discovered as a result of she is aware of that I might file a life insurance coverage declare for work,’” McNally claimed.
Police have said Casias had no energetic life insurance coverage coverage, however it’s unknown if Mark knew that. Courtroom information reviewed by The Publish present Mark filed a restraining order towards McNally on Might 18, which continues to be pending with the court docket.
Mark mentioned in interviews given later that he final noticed his spouse at round 6:15 a.m. when she dropped him off at work. After 11 a.m. he received a name from Melissa’s supervisor, which was the primary indication for him she was lacking.
Casias’ disappearance captured headlines as a result of it occurred across the identical time as a number of others disappearances linked to aeronautics and nuclear analysis.
Former Los Alamos worker Anthony Chavez, 79, vanished and not using a hint after leaving his dwelling on foot on Might 4, 2025, simply seven weeks earlier than Casias.
Monica Reza, 60, an aerospace engineer who served because the director of the NASA Lab’s Supplies Processing Group, disappeared whereas mountain climbing in a Los Angeles forest simply steps behind two associates, additionally in June 2025
Steven Garcia, a authorities contractor working for a significant facility in Albuquerque, additionally disappeared after strolling out of his dwelling on Aug. 28, 2025, carrying solely a handgun and no identification.
Retired Air Drive Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, 68, hasn’t been seen since leaving his dwelling in Albuquerque on Feb. 27. The FBI is now concerned in the seek for McCasland, who had deep information on UFOs and was concerned in a number of the Pentagon’s most superior aerospace analysis, The Publish beforehand reported.
