In a grim discovery that has raised fresh questions about foul play, the remains of missing Los Alamos nuclear lab worker Melissa Casias were found “skeletonized” in a remote area of New Mexico’s Carson National Forest — nearly a year after she vanished.

Casias, 54, was last seen on June 26, 2025. Her body was discovered on Monday in a rugged section of the forest, propped up against a tree with a gunshot wound to the skull and a gun found nearby, according to reports.

Thomas McNally, a former homicide detective investigating the case on behalf of Casias’ family, told the Daily Mail that the mother-of-one’s remains showed no signs of animal disturbance despite being left in the wilderness for months.

McNally strongly suspects foul play and has indicated that the family plans to file a civil lawsuit against the New Mexico State Police, accusing them of mishandling the investigation.

Casias worked as an administrative assistant at the prestigious Los Alamos National Laboratory, a key facility tied to U.S. nuclear weapons research. On the day she disappeared, she had wiped all records from her phones, left them along with her identification at home, and walked out after dropping her husband off at the lab.

She was last seen walking alone eastward on State Road 518 near her home in Ranchos de Taos. Her family reported she had been under significant stress.

The case has drawn attention amid a string of mysterious incidents involving scientists and officials. While authorities have not yet officially released the cause and manner of death, the discovery of a gunshot wound has intensified concerns.

The heartbreaking find brings some closure to Casias’ loved ones after nearly 12 months of uncertainty, but it also leaves many unsettling questions unanswered about the final moments of the missing scientist.