Melissa Casias, 53, vanished from her Taos home June 2025, leaving her phone, keys, and purse behind and was last seen alive walking east on the 518 Highway.

The body of Melissa Casias, an administrative assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory, was found in the McGaffey Ridge area of the Carson National Forest.

Casias, 53, had been missing for nearly a year after she didn’t show up for work at Los Alamos National Laboratory. A gun was found near the remains, authorities said.