Overview
- New Mexico State Police said human remains found on May 28, 2026, in the McGaffey Ridge area of Carson National Forest were identified as Melissa Casias and that a handgun was located alongside the remains.
- The Office of the Medical Investigator has not yet determined Casias’s cause or manner of death, and investigators are tracing the firearm to establish whether it belonged to her.
- Casias vanished on June 26, 2025, after dropping her husband at work; her personal items and phones were left at home and her phones had been reset to factory settings, according to police and family statements.
- The FBI opened a broader probe in April 2026 into at least ten unexplained deaths or disappearances of people tied to sensitive nuclear and aerospace work, and agency leaders say they are looking for links such as access to classified information or foreign involvement.
- Casias’s family said the remains were found in an area that had been searched previously and vowed to keep seeking answers, a development that is likely to increase congressional oversight and public scrutiny as forensic and tracing results are completed.