Missing Scientists Update: The Discovery Of Melissa Casias

The federal investigation into missing or dead scientists like Monica Reza becomes very complex. The first person that got a lot of coverage was General McCasland who disappeared in February.

Well, the numbers keep increasing and new updates reveal that another missing person, Melissa Casias who worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory has been found. And it only raises more questions. Read on for more details.

The Media Were Slow To The Party

Initially, mainstream media didn’t seem to pick up on the sheer number of people affiliated with nuclear research, AUPs and more, who disappeared. But on social media, plenty of people floated around ideas that there must be a tie-in.

Then, outlets like NewsNation started reporting it. And eventually, the news arrived that President Trump authorized an investigation.

The uncanny part of it was that the missing people all seemed to follow a similar pattern. Like General McCasland, others left behind phones and trackable wearables.

Questionable Deaths

When Monica disappeared, she was on a hike one moment, and just seemingly evaporated the next.

Then there were the deaths of people like Amy Eskridge who leaked harassment issues before taking her own life. There were many more red flags.

A Complex Situation

It’s been a difficult subject to cover actually. That’s because it’s not clear whether they should go under mysterious and supernatural, or under the true crime category.

Suffice to say that most people lean towards crime of some sort. So this week, Jesse Weber from Sidebar on the Law&Crime Network tried separating “fact from fiction.”

During the podcast on Wednesday this week, he brought in private investigator Ashton Packe. They focused on national security, and on Melissa Casias. In his intro, Weber briefly recapped about Melissa.

The Recap

In summary, he explained that after going to work, Melissa never came home. Her husband Mark, a fellow lab employee told investigators they’d been together that morning.

According to him, “she was heading to another spot at the lab for a work assignment. However, she never returned. Later, a family acquaintance spots Melissa walking eastbound on State Road 518, 518”  Nobody saw her after that.

Then, on May 28th of this year, a hiker came across human remains near McGaffy Ridge in Carson National Forest. Jesse noted that it was only about “six miles” away from Melissa’s house. Plus, a handgun was also found next to the remains.

Identifying The Remains

Next, Ashton and Jesse discussed how the medical folks were able to identify her so fast, and they discussed the cause of death. One possible aspect arose. The duo discussed how her remains were found in an area already extensively searched.

The fast identification of Melissa Casias puzzled Jesse, but Ashton suggested they used “dental records” or even “DNA” to establish it was her.

Although she might have left some things back at home, she was probably found in clothing. And there were no reports of a naked person on the road. So, the investigators could have found something on that.

The Cause Of Death

The cause of death hasn’t yet been established. But the mention of a handgun of course, leads to speculation that perhaps she took her own life.

The gun next to body was mentioned by investigators but they stopped short of saying it was hers or that it inflicted a wound. But the fact that they did mention it leads to the idea investigators may lean that way.

The Search

But what raised red flags for Weber, was that the missing scientist was looked for. They talked about a GoFundMe, and “hundreds of volunteers.”

Even family participated in the search. And yet they all missed finding Melissa. That seems to raise many questions. Is it possible everyone missed finding her?

Animal Dispersal

Ashton acknowledged that it was “a massive search,” but he also explained that it might be hard to say you covered that exact piece of ground.

Then he talked about wild animals who might have moved her. But still, Jesse believed that it couldn’t just be quickly written off as a suicide.

He asked if perhaps someone else could have staged the scene. But he did clarify he’s not suggesting that happened. So, he asked on behalf of his viewers.

Conspiracy Theories

Packe pushed back, saying there are “conspiracies.” No doubt investigators will be able to check and see if there are signs of being moved. He felt they would be able to “tell pretty quickly.”

For now, there are still plenty of questions. But in time, hopefully, more answers will arrive. Given the number of missing scientists, no doubt the information will arrive. But first, authorities need to be sure of the facts before they say too much.

Viewers React

In the comments section, many people wonder about the case of Melissa. One of them wrote, “Placing a body in an already search area is what an experienced killer would do,”

Here are few more reactions:

• walking 6 miles to end it all is a bit too extreme for me.
• I agree something very dark is going on with these people.
• She was not having a ‘very bad day’. I find it very difficult to believe she did this to herself. Very suspicious,

One commenter made an interesting point. They wrote, “Not trying to be disrespectful but it’s silly to think animals moved the body if the gun is with her.”

And others agreed, with a reply that said, “Coyotes don’t go back to grab the gun.”

What are your thoughts? let us know in the comments below, and come back here often for all your true crime news and updates. Plus, remember we have a crime channel on TikTok that you can follow.