The body of a nuclear researcher who vanished nearly a year ago has been discovered in New Mexico's Carson National Forest.
New Mexico State Police confirmed over the weekend a hiker stumbled upon the body of 54-year-old Melissa Casias in the McGaffey Ridge area, with a handgun found at the scene.
Ms Casias, who was employed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, disappeared on June 26 last year and has not been seen alive since.
She is believed to be the first scientist whose remains have been recovered as part of a wider FBI investigation into mysterious disappearances and deaths.
The investigation centres on at least ten missing researchers with connections to sensitive American nuclear and aerospace programmes.
Ms Casias was reported missing after she failed to arrive at work, with investigators subsequently discovering her keys, mobile phone and purse inside her home.
On the morning she disappeared, the scientist had driven her husband to the Los Alamos facility, where they both worked, before stating she needed to return home because she had forgotten her identification badge to access the lab.
A family acquaintance provided the final confirmed sighting of Ms Casias, observing her walking eastbound along a state highway close to Talpa in New Mexico.
Melissa Casias, who was employed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, disappeared on June 26 last year
|GOOGLE STREET VIEW
Her family noted in a statement to local news outlet KRQE that her body was located in an area that had previously been searched.
They said: "This is a lot to process, our hearts are heavy and we fully intend to continue to pursue answers for justice."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched its probe in April, with director Kash Patel stating: "We're going to look for connections on whether there are connections to classified access, access to classified information, and or foreign actors.
"If there's any connections that lead to nefarious conduct or conspiracy, this FBI will make the appropriate arrest."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Police confirmed they are conducting further enquiries regarding the firearm found beside the body.
President Donald Trump described the situation as "pretty serious stuff" in April, remarking how some of those who had died or gone missing were "very important people".
The House Oversight Committee also took action that month, dispatching letters to the departments of energy and defence, NASA and the FBI, seeking details about what it termed "a possible sinister connection between a string of mysterious deaths and disappearances".
Among the other cases under FBI scrutiny is Anthony Chavez, a retired foreman from Los Alamos National Laboratory who was last seen departing his New Mexico home on May 4 last year.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation launched its probe into the disappearances in April
| GETTYInvestigators are also examining the deaths of two NASA scientists and a researcher at the space agency, alongside a former senior air force engineer who had pursued UFO research following his retirement.
The varied nature of the scientists' work, encompassing nuclear science, astrophysics, aeronautics and extraterrestrial research, has sparked widespread speculation about potential links between the cases.
Online conspiracy theories have emerged, with some suggesting foreign interference, while others propose extraterrestrial involvement.
Ms Casias's family indicated they would continue seeking answers, with further information expected to release as investigations progress.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter