Relatives of missing nuclear lab worker Melissa Casias found bones and clothing at the New Mexico forest site where she was discovered dead.
The discovery came nearly a month after New Mexico State Police declared the crime scene clear and removed the skeletal remains of the 53-year-old administrative assistant for medical examination.
David Adams, an attorney from Parnall and Adams Law representing the family, revealed that an independent search of Carson National Forest in late June uncovered bones, torn and bloody clothing, orange peels and strands of hair that were not collected by police when her body was found on May 28.
Adams, a former federal prosecutor, said the family strongly believes Casias did not take her own life and had no reason to disappear from her Ranchos de Taos home.
Adams explained: "There seemed to be a separate narrative taking place that somehow she wanted to be missing and that she had other places that she would be."
Although the origins of the hair found at the scene have not been determined yet, the attorney noted that it appeared to be horse hair and theorized that the body of Casias may have been taken to the location by an unknown suspect.
"In my mind, when you see that, you kind of go, okay, well, I could see that you would need a horse to get her up there if you were moving a body, for instance, because how you would otherwise do that," Adams said.
Casias worked as an administrative assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory, a major government nuclear research facility operating since World War II, before vanishing on June 26 last year. Los Alamos, situated in northern New Mexico, is historically known as the birthplace of the atomic bomb.
During the late June search in Carson National Forest, relatives and volunteers from the group 4Corners K-9 Search and Rescue also unearthed shredded paper containing what family members believe is Casias's handwriting, as well as what appears to be a tobacco pouch. Casias reportedly did not use tobacco.
Adams said: "The family really wasn't expecting to find any additional information, other than to just kind of finally have an idea of where her last resting grounds were, so they could kind of go pay their own respects, and it certainly turned out to be something much, much more."
The attorney claimed the findings have turned the case on its head and severely damaged the credibility of New Mexico investigators if foul play is established and a suspect is brought to trial.
"There becomes a question of a chain of custody... Could law enforcement have spat a tobacco pouch in the crime scene? I mean, certainly possible. I mean, that would be an example of just poor training," Adams explained.
"If somebody actually did do that, I mean, it defeats every best practice regarding the crime scene and protecting the integrity of a crime scene."
A spokesman for the New Mexico State Police told reporters that the matter was being brought to investigators for further response after being reached for comment.
Independent Search Uncovers New Evidence
Adams revealed that his Albuquerque law firm, which specializes in helping families in missing person and homicide cases, particularly those involving women, was hired by the parents and siblings of Casias after multiple red flags were raised by legal observers looking at the case who suspected foul play.
"There [were] enough phone calls coming in, where people were providing information that they thought was relevant based upon how they knew Melissa, and observations that they have made regarding it, and a lot of it has come to be information that I would undoubtedly dive deep into investigating," he revealed.
"Some of it even stretches into government entities, not for their potential involvement in this, but more so from the perspective that people that should be interviewed have some very difficult relationships within government agencies that raised enough red flags for me," Adams added.
Casias vanished without a trace on June 26 last year after strangely walking out of her Ranchos de Taos home without her purse, keys or wallet around 2:20 pm local time. She was seen traveling alone eastward on State Road 518, roughly three miles from her home.
The final image of Casias alive came from a surveillance camera near State Road 518. She also left both of her mobile phones inside her home, which her family later discovered had been reset to factory settings, wiping all call data and messages. A drop of blood was also reported inside the home.
Casias was married to her husband, Mark Casias. Her skeletal remains were discovered on May 28 in the McGaffey Ridge area of Carson National Forest, a protected woodland area covering northern New Mexico. A handgun was found alongside her remains, but police have released no information regarding its ownership, whether it was fired, or if any fingerprints were recovered from the weapon.
An anonymous law enforcement source stated that the circumstances surrounding the case were highly irregular, noting that key details should have been established by investigators weeks ago.
"They should have known who the gun belonged to that week if the serial number wasn't filed off," the source declared.
The source added that local police departments typically send handguns in potential criminal cases to Washington, DC for detailed analysis, a process that produces results in far less than seven weeks.
The last update provided by New Mexico State Police came on June 16, when authorities revealed that initial CT scans of Casias's skull did not show signs of a gunshot wound or traces of a bullet. Adams confirmed that no bullet casing was found at the scene.
Adams noted that the area where Casias was discovered was in a part of the New Mexico forest that would have been extremely difficult to reach on foot, requiring several stops for rest and water.
Pattern of Missing Nuclear Researchers
Casias is one of four individuals who vanished under nearly identical circumstances over the last year in New Mexico, with each person having deep ties to national nuclear weapons facilities located in the state.
Anthony Chavez, 79, a fellow employee at Los Alamos National Laboratory, worked at the facility until his retirement in 2017, though his specific role there has not been made clear. Chavez vanished without a trace after walking out of his home on May 4 last year, just seven weeks before Casias disappeared.
Steven Garcia, 48, vanished without a trace on August 28 last year. He was last seen leaving his Albuquerque home on foot, carrying only a handgun and a bottle of water, without identification or a phone. An anonymous source revealed that Garcia was a government contractor working for the Kansas City National Security Campus, a major facility in Albuquerque that plays a key role in US national defense.
The series of missing person cases came to light after retired Air Force General William Neil McCasland vanished from his New Mexico home on February 27. General McCasland previously commanded the Air Force Research Laboratory, which worked closely on national security projects and nuclear capabilities research with both Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Kansas City National Security Campus.
These disappearances, along with a string of deaths among NASA scientists tied to advanced rocket and propulsion research, have sparked a national conversation about the so-called missing scientists case.
Public calls for answers prompted Donald Trump to order the FBI to investigate potential connections between the cases. However, intelligence officials have provided no updates on their investigation since the President's announcement in April.
In a statement on Wednesday, the FBI said: "The FBI continues to look for connections into the missing and deceased scientists. We are working with the Department of Energy, Department of War, and with our state and local law enforcement partners to find answers."
Adams disputed the FBI's claims, stating that there has been no contact with the bureau and no signs of any federal presence in the Casias case to this point.
The attorney, whose firm has previously taken legal action against law enforcement agencies over alleged failures in properly investigating crimes, could not say if the handling of this case would eventually lead to legal action on behalf of the Casias family. However, he noted that the new evidence recovered from Carson National Forest has been turned over to authorities to assist with the investigation.
Nearly two months after the discovery, the Office of the Medical Investigator has not revealed an official cause of death or indicated whether the case is being viewed as a suicide or murder.
