Person · Ranchos de Taos, NM
Melissa Casias
- Who: long-time LANL administrative assistant from Ranchos de Taos. The list calls her Michele; she is Melissa. Her niece says she did not have high-level clearance.
- What happened: she vanished on 26 Jun 2025, last seen walking on NM 518, and both her phones had been factory-reset. A hiker found her remains with a handgun in Carson National Forest on 28 May 2026.
- Status: gunshot wound to the head, manner undetermined. State police have an open investigation with no suspects.
- Open questions: her biological family believes "Melissa was murdered", and a death investigator calls the wound "an outlier". Suicide and homicide are both proposed, not demonstrated.
LANL administrative assistant. Long-time LANL administrative assistant from Ranchos de Taos. The list calls her Michele; every police and news source says Melissa. She vanished on 26 Jun 2025 after being seen walking on NM 518 with a backpack, and both her phones had been factory-reset. A hiker found her remains with a handgun in Carson National Forest on 28 May 2026; the medical investigator ruled the manner of death undetermined.
On the record
- Vanished 26 Jun 2025, found May 2026.
- List check (Igor's list and the press lists): partly right. List says "Michele"; she is Melissa. June 2025 is when she vanished, not a death date. Niece denies high clearance.
- As the list had it: "Michele Casias, Administrative Staff, LANL. Deceased (June 2025). Held high-level security clearance managing administrative assets at LANL."
- Cause or status, as sourced: NM Office of the Medical Investigator: gunshot wound to the head; manner undetermined (Aug 2026). NMSP: open, active investigation, no suspects. Suicide: proposed, not demonstrated. Homicide: family belief, not demonstrated.
- LANL admin assistant; disappeared 26 Jun 2025; NMSP did not suspect foul play through Apr 2026.
- Niece Jazmin McMillen: she "did not have high-level clearance".
- Both phones factory-reset; last seen walking on NM 518; a family friend reported a blue Dodge truck following her.
- Remains and a handgun found 28 May 2026 at McGaffey Ridge, Carson National Forest.
- OMI: gunshot wound to the head, manner undetermined. NMSP: the gun was bought by her husband around 2020.
- A judge granted Mark Casias a restraining order against a PI hired by her biological family. Its allegations are not proven in court.
Claims (7)
"Melissa was murdered." The scene may have been staged or the body moved.firsthandSourced, unconfirmed
The wound is "an atypical self-inflicted gunshot wound, an outlier".analysisSourced, unconfirmed
She was right-handed but shot on the left side.secondhandSourced, unconfirmed
Her husband's account has discrepancies (gas-station stop, muddy boots).secondhandSourced, unconfirmed
She was paying down debts and talking about future plans.secondhandSourced, unconfirmed
She left voluntarily because of personal and financial stress.firsthandSourced, unconfirmed
She is part of a pattern of targeted nuclear-lab personnel.speculationSourced, unconfirmed
Connected
Energetic materials (explosives and propellants) fieldNuclear weapons and nuclear propulsion fieldLos Alamos National Laboratory orgAnthony "Tony" Chavez personMonica Jacinto Reza personMaj. Gen. William "Neil" McCasland personDr. Nuno F. G. Loureiro personSteven Garcia person