New Mexico authorities identified human remains found in a mountainous area of ​​the Carson National Forest as those of Melissa Casias, a worker at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) who had been missing for almost a year.

According to the New Mexico State Police Bureau of Investigation, a hiker found the human remains on Thursday in the McGaffey Ridge area, a remote area of ​​the national forest, Fox News reported.

A firearm was located next to the remains.

The cause of death has not yet been determined.

Officials said the Office of the Medical Investigator confirmed Casias' identity and continues to conduct additional anthropological analysis.

At this time, the cause and manner of death remain undetermined.

Investigators have also not reported whether the weapon found belonged to the victim or if it is related to the circumstances of his death.

Police indicated that the investigation remains active.

Melissa Casias, a resident of Taos, New Mexico, was reported missing on June 25, 2025.

According to the authorities, that day he did not show up for work and did not return home after visiting his daughter at her workplace.

Relatives later found her personal belongings, including her purse, identification documents and cell phones, raising concerns for her safety and leading to the opening of a disappearance investigation.

Given the circumstances of the case, the authorities issued an alert for missing persons at risk.

His name appeared in a federal investigation

Casias's disappearance received national attention after his case was included in a review pushed by the U.S. House Oversight Committee.

In April, legislators requested information from the FBI about public reports that indicated a series of deaths and disappearances of people linked to projects related to nuclear, aerospace or advanced scientific technology.

Casias and another Los Alamos National Laboratory worker were among the cases mentioned in that review.

Despite the attention generated by public speculation, authorities have insisted that there is no evidence linking Casias' death to other cases under investigation.

The legislative documents themselves described the revised reports as unconfirmed information.

In addition to employees connected to Los Alamos, lawmakers mentioned in their request other cases involving people associated with scientific projects, research centers and government contractors.

However, to date no findings have been announced that demonstrate the existence of a connection between these events.