A New Mexico family is living through a nightmare as the search for 53-year-old Melissa Casias enters its second week with no sign of where she could be. What started as a routine day has turned into a growing mystery that’s left her loved ones desperate for answers.
Melissa was last seen on June 26, around 2:15 p.m., walking along State Road 518, just south of Talpa. The New Mexico State Police have labeled her as a “missing endangered” person, and her family says her disappearance is completely out of character.
Earlier that day, Melissa headed to her job at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she works as an administrative assistant. But after realizing she had forgotten her entry badge, she decided to work from home instead. Before heading back, she stopped to bring lunch to her daughter, who was at the John Dunn Shops mall in Taos. She left the area shortly before 1 p.m.
Her daughter started to worry when she got home and found Melissa’s phone—both her personal and work ones—along with her purse, wallet, and keys all left behind. It was obvious she hadn’t planned on being gone long. And that’s what makes everything even more confusing.
Later that day, the family got word that someone had seen a woman matching Melissa’s description walking alone on the roadside. That sighting was backed up by footage from doorbell cameras along State Road 518.
But since then, there have been no solid leads. Just heartbreak and unanswered questions.
Melissa’s niece, Jazmin McMillen, told KRQE, “No positive news right now. We’re really just trying to kind of keep it top of mind for people in the area.”
And that’s exactly what the family and the community are doing. Hundreds of people—including volunteers, law enforcement, and loved ones—have been combing the area day after day, hoping for any sign that could help bring Melissa home.
To help with the search, a Facebook page was set up to keep the public updated and spread awareness. It describes Melissa as “a beloved mother, daughter, sister and friend,” and the posts there reflect just how deeply she is loved and missed.
A GoFundMe campaign was also launched to raise $5,000 for a reward in hopes of encouraging anyone with information to come forward. “We want to keep Melissa’s disappearance in the public eye, and encourage people to share what they know,” the organizers wrote, thanking the community for all the help so far.
“The focus needs to be on finding Melissa, and we all need to come together,” they added.
With each passing day, the urgency only grows. Melissa didn’t leave with anything she would need for an extended trip, and no one believes she would have walked away from her life voluntarily. Now, her family is asking anyone who might have seen something—anything-to—to speak up. Time matters, and they’re holding onto hope that someone out there knows something that could bring Melissa home.