Missing lab worker found dead in New Mexico nearly a year after disappearing

Human remains found in a New Mexico forest last month were identified as those of a lab worker who disappeared nearly a year ago.

Melissa Casias, an administrative assistant at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, was reported missing last June. Her case was part of wild speculation about a series of deaths and disappearances in the US scientific community.

A hiker alerted authorities on 28 May to the remains in Carson National Forest. A handgun also was found nearby.

New Mexico's Office of the Medical Investigator positively identified the body as Casias', state police said in a statement. The cause and manner of death have not been established as the investigation continues.

"This is a lot to process, our hearts are heavy and we fully intend to continue to pursue answers for justice," her family said in a statement on Facebook.

She was found in an area that was previously searched, it said.

Casias' disappearance featured prominently in a growing online conspiracy theory earlier this year about the deaths and disappearances of at least 10 people with ties to US scientific research. The theory suggested their deaths and disappearances were linked to their work.

Before her disappearance, Casias, 53, worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where leading defensive nuclear research is conducted and where the world's first atomic weapons were developed during World War II.

She was reported missing on 26 June after she didn't arrive at work or return home after a visiting her daughter, police said.

"Family later discovered that her personal belongings, including her purse, identification, and cell phones had been left behind, prompting concern for her welfare and a missing person investigation," police said.

The conspiracy theory grouped together several so-called "missing scientists" including a retired Air Force general, an engineer, and a custodian. They worked in a range of fields, from pharmaceutical to space research, and included an MIT physics professor whose murder by a former classmate was widely reported by national and international media.

Interest in the "missing scientists" reached such a fever pitch that the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee and the FBI announced investigations into the cases. US President Donald Trump also weighed in, calling the disappearances and deaths "pretty serious stuff".

Family members have unsuccessfully tried to dispel the rumours with details about the deaths. One researcher died of heart disease, while another died in an apparent suicide after his wife said he was distraught when both of his parents died suddenly within hours of each other.