NUCLEAR LAB WORKER: 2 SHOCK ITEMS IN GRISLY DISCOVERY

Summary

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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: NUCLEAR LAB WORKER: 2 SHOCK ITEMS IN GRISLY DISCOVERY
Date: June 24, 2026

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Overview

In this gripping episode, Nancy Grace investigates the mysterious death of nuclear lab worker Melissa Casillas, whose skeletonized body was found in a remote wooded area alongside two unexpected personal items. The case, marked by a suspiciously wiped phone, an unfamiliar gun, and a strange pattern among other missing or deceased scientists with high-level clearances, raises questions about foul play, intelligence operations, and possible cover-ups. Nancy is joined by journalists, forensic and intelligence experts, and Casillas' family as they break down discrepancies, challenge the official suicide narrative, and scrutinize overlapping cases of scientists tied to sensitive government programs.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Discovery: A Grisly Scene with Bizarre Details

• Case Background: Melissa Casillas, an administrator at Los Alamos National Lab and Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), vanished and was later found dead in a heavily wooded area she had never shown interest in visiting.

• Discovery Details:

  • Her body was completely skeletonized when found.
  • Near her body: a backpack containing her thyroid medication (Synthroid) and toothbrush—items experts agree are odd for a suicide scenario.
  • A gun, unrecognized by her family, was found at the scene, raising suspicion as they insist "That's not her gun. That's not our gun. Where did that gun come from?" (Nancy Grace, 04:52)

• Scene Discrepancies:

  • No bullet or bullet fragments were recovered in or around her body.
  • Her body was propped up against a tree, resembling a staged scene (Frank Milburn, 44:31).

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2. Timeline & Family Perspective

• Husband’s 911 Call ([05:13]):
  • Melissa disappeared after returning home from work; all her personal items, including car, keys, and phone, were left behind, except her phone, which appeared factory reset—a key detail since Melissa and her daughter routinely tracked each other’s locations (08:52).
  • "She would never have wiped all the pictures off and all the information off of her phone." (Melissa Casillas' Husband, 08:52)

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3. Connections Among Missing and Dead Scientists

• Ties to General McCasland:

  • McCasland, a retired Air Force general, oversaw nuclear research and was linked to other missing or deceased scientists (Sydney Silvani, 07:24).
  • Multiple deaths/disappearances—including Casillas, Monica Jacinto Reza, and others—share connections through Los Alamos or their oversight by McCasland (Nancy Grace, 09:13).
  • Some showed similar patterns: wiped phones, left-behind belongings, odd choice of final locations.

• Pattern of Odd “Suicides” or Disappearances in Scientific Community:

  • Nancy draws parallels to deaths of Amy Eskridge (anti-gravity researcher), “Sully” (set to testify before Congress, died of child medication overdose), and Jason Thomas (Novartis scientist found in a lake).
  • All cases exhibit suspicious, staged-like elements and the erasure of digital footprints.

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4. Forensic Analysis & Crime Scene Questions

• Cause of Death Unclear:
  • Despite having the body for over a month, the New Mexico Medical Examiner has not issued a cause of death; no bullet found, despite CT scans (Joseph Scott Morgan, 12:37, 36:09).
  • Standard crime scene procedures seem to have gaps, including lack of projectile recovery.
• Crime Scene Interpretations:
  • Experts question suicide narrative:
    • “I’ve never seen a self-inflicted gunshot wound where somebody thought to pack their toothbrush.” (Nancy Grace, 11:30)
    • Backpack and medication suggest plans to continue living, not suicide (John Nance, 15:37).

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5. Intelligence & Espionage Context

• “Spy” Misconceptions:

  • Lower-level staff like admins and assistants often have wide access to sensitive data—prime targets for intelligence recruitment and exploitation (John Nance, 18:39; Frank Milburn, 26:55).

  • Disinformation campaigns or foreign interests could be involved; administrative roles are frequently targeted due to access to schedules, programs, and people.

  • “I can tell you from my experience that administrative assistance, secretaries... are often targeted by foreign intelligence services...” (John Nance, 17:29)

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6. Patterns of Disinformation

• Narrative Manipulation:

  • Reports emerged mischaracterizing Casillas’ job as insignificant and police floated theories about suicide and marital trouble—both strongly denied by family and challenged by guests (Lauren Conlon, 49:30).

  • Casillas’ husband has faced online harassment and obtained a temporary restraining order against those spreading these rumors.

  • “Who’s putting out there that they had all these marital problems...? The daughter has blasted that narrative...” (Nancy Grace, 47:22)

• Weapon Misinformation:

  • False reports claimed Casillas carried and owned a Glock subcompact 9mm pistol; her daughter and family adamantly deny this (Nancy Grace, 45:22).

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7. Ongoing Investigation & Open Questions

• Incomplete Police Work?:

  • Family and experts question the thoroughness of the scene search (Joseph Scott Morgan, 36:09).

• Use of P.O. Boxes:

  • Casillas held multiple P.O. boxes, most unexplained, which Law & Crime finds curious but not necessarily criminal (Lauren Conlon, 43:16).

• Unresolved Forensic Evidence:

  • Lack of bullet, mystery gun, absence of tissue/bone fragments, and staged body placement all raise serious questions.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the Odd “Suicide” Scene:

  • “I’ve never seen a self-inflicted gunshot wound where somebody thought to pack their toothbrush.”
    — Nancy Grace ([11:30])

• On Potential Cover-Up and Foreign Involvement:

  • “I wouldn’t discount the possibility of a foreign adversary action in this particular case.”
    — John Nance ([17:29])

• On Spies & Admin Access:

  • “Anybody who’s worked in an office will know... That’s absolute gold to a foreign adversary intelligence officer.”
    — Frank Milburn ([26:55])

• On Disinformation Campaigns:

  • “Who’s putting out all this false information?”
    — Nancy Grace ([45:22])

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Notable Segment Timestamps

• [04:05] – Introduction of Melissa Casillas' case; body discovered with gun & odd items.
• [05:13] – Husband’s 911 call: timeline and details of her disappearance.
• [07:24] – Description of General McCasland's role and links to other missing personnel.
• [11:07] – Lauren Conlon reveals Casillas’ two “shock items”: thyroid meds and toothbrush.
• [12:37] – Joseph Scott Morgan questions missing bullet and self-inflicted gunshot narrative.
• [14:04] – Surveillance footage places Casillas near State Road 518 before disappearance.
• [15:37] – John Nance on suspicious details that contradict suicide.
• [17:29] – Analysis on admin roles as intelligence targets; foreign adversary concern.
• [26:55] – Frank Milburn explains why admin staff make ideal “spies.”
• [30:34] – Casillas’ unusual behavior returning home to retrieve badge.
• [32:28] – Similar cases (Sully, Jason Thomas) discussed; ties to congressional testimony.
• [43:16] – Lauren Conlon discusses vastness of search area and P.O. box investigation.
• [44:31] – Frank Milburn on staging and contradictions at the death scene.
• [47:22] – Focus on disinformation targeting Casillas’ husband and family.
• [49:30] – Harassment of Casillas’ husband; restraining order issued.

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Conclusion

Nancy Grace and her expert guests cast heavy doubt on the official narrative surrounding Melissa Casillas’ death, unraveling a web of suspicious patterns, missing evidence, and possible intelligence implications. The episode highlights the vulnerability of those with access to sensitive information and the need to question simplistic closure in high-profile cases. Nancy calls for continued public vigilance and tips regarding the deaths and disappearances of scientists tied to classified government projects.

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If you have information relevant to these cases, call: 800-225-5324

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Transcript

[Nancy Grace]

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[Nancy Grace]

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Bombshell tonight in the case of dead and missing US scientists with top clearances across the board. Tonight, a nuclear lab worker dead. We find out about two shock items near her dead body in a grisly forest. Discovery this as the body count seven. Good evening, I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us. Melissa Castillas gun found near her body. She was completely skeletonized by the time her body has been found. The family says that's not her gun. That's not our gun. Where did that gun come from?

[John Nance]

Yeah, none of this makes any sense. There are a lot of unanswered questions, especially in Cassius's case.

[Melissa Casillas' Husband]

We cannot locate my wife. We haven't heard from her all day from work with this morning was the last time I saw her work. She. My daughter saw her around 1 o'. Clock. All her stuff is here in the house but she's not here. And it's just not like her to not call work to check in and, and take her purse and her phone. And it looks like her phone is. Then my daughter said it looks like it's been reset but there, you know. So we looked all around the house, everywhere on our property. We cannot find her or nothing. And I don't know what to do. The car license was in the spark chair at the house. The keys are here. The house was locked. Everything, everything was, was. Is here. You know what I mean? So she, she went from the Father. She came home, the car was here, parked in the yard. The keys are on the kitchen table. What's her name? Melissa Casillas. And we called the hospital because, I mean, you know, there's no one in there, you know, at all like that. Because we thought, well, maybe if something happened to her, her person, everything's here. So no one would be able to identify her.

[Nancy Grace]

That is Melissa Casillas, husband's 911 call that we have just obtained. She is a nuclear lab worker that worked very closely with General McCasland, who also missing. You know, just for context, I want you to understand who these people are, why it's so significant. Straight out to Crime Stories, investigative reporter Sydney Silvani. Sydney, Melissa's body was found with two shock items, which completely torpedoes the sanitized version of how she ended up skeletonized in a densely wooded forest where she had never hiked or been before, with an unknown and unidentified weapon lying beside her. But before I get into that, I want you to explain exactly who is McCasland.

[Sydney Silvani]

Well, Nancy McCasland is a air Force general, retired at this point, who worked now that he's retired with UAP research groups. And General McCaslin disappeared in a very similar way to Melissa Cassius. His wife leaves to go run some errands. She says, I'll see you later. They make plans to go to the gym. And when she returns home, he's gone. Change of clothes is missing, a backpack with a few items. And she has no idea where her husband is going to, what he is planning on doing.

[Nancy Grace]

General McCasmon, senior Pentagon roles. He actually oversaw nuclear research at Los Alamos National Lab. He oversaw multiple of the missing people. Jacinto, Reza and Chavez. Many people believe that Several of the 17 missing or dead are connected to McCaslin or also missing. Now, tonight we're talking about Melissa Casillas, nuclear lab worker found dead in a densely wooded area, leaving behind her daughter and taking with her two very odd items. I want you to hear more of the 911 call.

[Melissa Casillas' Husband]

And all you said she took was her phone. She didn't take nothing. That's the thing, is her phone and everything's here. And she always takes her stuff with her. My daughter was trying to track her location and they always tracked each other, but her phone's wiped. The thing is, when we can't get it, she would never have wiped all the pictures off and all the information off of her phone.

[Nancy Grace]

Let me understand, Lauren Conlon, the connection between Melissa Casillas, an administrator at lanl Los Alamos Nuclear Lab and afrl. That's the Air Force Research Lab. That's Melissa, okay, who took with her two very odd items. That torpedoes the working theory as to how she died. Now, both Cassias and Chavez were at AFRL Air Force Research Lab. Okay, now wait for it. McCaslin General Will William Neil McCaslin oversaw the funding, all the funding at AFRL. He also oversaw Monica Jacinto Riza, who also disappeared. Also Steven Garcia built parts for nuclear weapons connected to AFRL Air Force Research Lab. That's how they're all connected. And the connections, they're like tentacles that go to all of these missing and dead scientists. Now they want me to believe that Melissa Casillas shot herself. What, like Amy Eskridge? Like the other scientists that we find in the bottom of a lake like Sully we find OD'd on bedwetting medications for children? No. Tell me Lauren Collins, guys, investigative reporter, L.A. magazine, star of Pop Crime TV. Also she has been dropping investigative journalistic pieces on this story in LA magazine. Lauren, tell me the two items Melissa Casillas took to her self inflicted gunshot wound. What were they, Nancy?

[Lauren Conlon]

Reportedly, and this was first reported by the Crime Junkie podcast months ago. Sierra Casillas said that her mother took her thyroid medication and her toothbrush. And I am actually on Synthroid thyroid medication. And if I wanted to live my life, Nancy, and I wanted to live it comfortably and I wanted to be healthy, I would take that with me.

[Nancy Grace]

Straight out to Joseph Scott Morgan. Joining us, professor Forensics, Jacksonville State University. He is the author of Blood Beneath My Feet on Amazon. He's the star of hit podcast series Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan. But for my purposes he is a death investigator with over 10,000 death scenes of all sorts under his belt. Just Scott, have you ever, ever seen a case deemed self inflicted gunshot wound? A we can't find the bullet. The bullets gone. It was allegedly a gunshot wound to the head. New Mexico's had the body for over a month now. No cod cause of death, no bullet. The family says. What is that gun? We've never seen it. That's not hers. That doesn't belong to anyone in our family. So you've got a stranger weapon. No bullet, not in her head, not around her. And now she took her thyroid medicine and a toothbrush. I've never seen a self inflicted gunshot wound where somebody thought to pack their toothbrush.

[Joseph Scott Morgan]

Yeah, it is kind of bizarre, wouldn't you think? So toothbrush, thyroid medication and by the way, if she's off of this med. This is not a. It's not a good position to be in. If you're dependent upon the Synthroid, it will increase your heart rate. If you're absent, you can have excessive sweating. It really makes you feel miserable if you're not taking it, as Lauren had mentioned just a moment ago. But let's get back to the gunshot wound. They're saying that they conducted that the New Mexico State Medical Examiner's Office actually did a CT of the skull and they did not find a projectile contained therein. I think my biggest question relative to a self inflicted gunshot wound is is it a through and through wound which means you have an entrance and an exit. To this point I haven't seen information about that. However, CTs are very, very sensitive. So most of the time you will get some type of shearing off of the projectile itself and we call it a lead storm. There would be fragmented bits that probably couldn't be seen with the unaided human eye, but they, you could pick up on them on ct. So is this a through and through wound or is it a single defect in the skull? That's one of the big questions. And if so, why are there no metal fragments in the skull?

[Nancy Grace]

The last, the final image of her alive is from a surveillance camera near State Road 518 in New Mexico.

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[Nancy Grace]

That's something to ponder as well. Typically in self inflicted mortal wounds, the person doesn't go for a hike first. They are within the vicinity of their work, their home or their hotel room. Also look at this. John Nance joining us, former supervisory special agent with the FBI. He was assigned to Miami and D.C. as I recall, over 20 years. You can find him at townhall.com Columnist Johnnance N A N T Z But what I want to emphasize is Supervisory Special Agent FBI. And he managed to survive in Miami, which is crawling with crime. It's like roaches and dc, which I think I take Miami over DC with the politicians. That said you survived, Nance. Everything about this is wrong. What does she have in the backpack? Look at the picture, John.

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Why is she going to her own self inflicted gunshot wound with a backpack full of stuff including thyroid medicine and her toothbrush? It's B.S.

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[John Nance]

Yeah, none of this makes sense. It just doesn't add up. I mean, why would you bring equipment you know, as presumably a backpack full of items that you would need maybe to stay out in the, out in the open over an extended period of time. The thyroid medication, the toothbrush none of that points to self inflicted gunshot wounds. In fact, your previous guest was talking about CT scan, the bullet fragments that would most likely be present in the skull. What would be really interesting to know is the caliber of the pistol that was found near her. A small caliber weapon like a.22 would not be indicative of a self inflicted gunshot wound. That would be highly unusual and that would point actually more toward a homicide. If it were a larger caliber pistol, like maybe a 9 millimeter, something of that nature, then you would expect a through and through gunshot wound with a larger caliber weapon like that. And the reporting regarding the state of her body is also very confusing. I saw some reporting discussing skull fragments and reconstructing her skull. But then we have evidence of a CT scan which would indicate maybe a more complete skull or perhaps tissue still remaining inside the skull. So there are a lot of unanswered questions. What does seem to me to be very, very likely is number one, she erased or factory reset her phones, which would indicate that she intended to leave her life behind for whatever reason. And her bringing a toothbrush or thyroid medications indicate that she intended to continue to live. So I think that the likelihood of some sort of foul play outside of a quote unquote self inflicted gunshot wound is very, very high. And I've also seen reporting that is discounting her position as an administrative assistant at Los Alamos, which I think is erroneous, because I spent the first part of my career in Miami as a counterintelligence agent. And I can tell you from my experience that administrative assistance secretaries, people in those kinds of positions are often targeted by foreign intelligence services because they do have access to classified information. And you have to also remember that people in these positions can be developed to obtain higher positions and higher accesses. So I wouldn't discount the possibility of a foreign adversary action in this particular case.

[Nancy Grace]

Interesting you bring that up, John Nance, former Supervisory Special Agent, FBI because I noticed the last time we talked on air, many people were minimizing her position. That's entirely untrue. She had access to everything that was passing through her computer, passing through her hands, every document, you name it. And you stated that very often people are, quote, developed to go higher and higher and higher within an organization. What did you mean by that?

[John Nance]

Well, there's a recruiting process as part of an intelligence operation, spotting, assessment, those are components of the recruiting process. And once you have an individual

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[Nancy Grace]

You know, an issue that springs to mind, John Nance, is very often people think of spies and you know what, let me go to Frank Milburn on this and I'll follow up with you. John Frank Milburn is joining us. Former British intelligence officer who knew Amy Eskridge very very well. He does not believe her injury was self inflicted. So now you've got Melissa Xias. You have Amy Eskridge, you have Sully, who was this close to testifying in front of Congress on sensitive matters. And he dies of an OD on bedwetting meds for children in a hotel room far from home. Sidney and Lauren, we also have another related scientist dead at the bottom of a lake. Ostensibly self inflicted. I need to dig up his name. But Frank Milburn, in your capacity as a British intelligence officer, very often spies. I'm not saying Melissa Cassias was a spy. Was she approached to pass off information? I don't know. But very often so called spies are clerks, secretaries, delivery people that have access to information. It's not every spy is not James Bond. They're an attache, they work in an embassy, they work in an office, they work in a lab. Explain who spies really are.

[Frank Milburn]

Well, yeah, I mean in this case if you had like an administrative assistant, you've got to think anybody who's worked in office will know. If you have the secretary administrative assistant, they've got all the partners diaries, the principal's diaries. They know who's going to meet who, when, who's having lunch with who. All of this is absolute goal to a foreign adversary intelligence officer. If you're trying to do that. Because these people literally have their fingers on where people are, where they work, where they're going, who they're meeting with and also potentially what programs they're working on as well. So as John said, that can be also, they can be developed further. But I mean as an administrative assistant you can have your finger literally in everybody's business who's working in that particular location.

[Nancy Grace]

Frank, as I said, very often as many as general public, including myself, call them spies are lower level administrators. They can even be delivery people. But they have access to knowledge. Like Melissa Casillas. What did she have? What did she have access to? What did she know? Now self inflicted. There's no bullet. Her body is propped up against a tree like a Halloween prop. She's gone somewhere as if she's going on a trip with a heavy backpack. You can see it. Let's see it again. It's hanging down on her back like it's full. Full of what? I know her thyroid medicine and toothbrush. Where is she going? Why is her backpack full? This must be reminiscent to you especially Frank, of your friend Amy Eskridge.

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Threat. It's awful.

[Nancy Grace]

Amy Eskridge, you heard her, she is not crazy. And shortly before her death she insisted to Milburn, if I'm found dead, I did not commit suicide. Now fast forward to Melissa Casillas and I thought of who the individual was. I was trying. It was on the tip of my tongue. Is Jason Thomas to Lauren Conlon? Isn't it Jason Thomas who was found at the bottom of a lake?

[Lauren Conlon]

Yes, Jason Thomas was found at the bottom of a lake in Massachusetts. But he also worked for Novartis. Nancy. He didn't exactly have government ties, but. Nancy, if I could add just a few things about Melissa Casillas that don't really add up with the day that she went missing. I spoke to someone who actually worked at Los Alamos and they told me that if you quote, forget your badge, which Melissa said she did, and keep in mind, she lived over an hour away from Los Alamos National Lab. So when she drove herself and her husband Mark to work that day and she forgot her badge, this employee told me, all you have to do is go to security, show your ID and get a temporary badge for the day. But Melissa here chose to drive all the way back to Taos County. That doesn't add up.

[Nancy Grace]

And she say that she couldn't get in because she didn't have her badge. But she did get in. She badged herself in because the driver of the car, I've been told, has to show their badge. She was driving her husband. She comes all the way back to get her badge after she just badged in, then decided to work from home. None of it adds up. The Middlesex District Attorney's office says the body of who they believe to be Jason Thomas now has been identified, was pulled from Lake quannaPowit. He was ID based on his clothing. He, like so many others, like McCasland, like Cassias, walked away from his home and ends up dead. And isn't it true, John Nance, we keep referring to Sully Sullivan, he died within hours of speaking to authorities. About what?

[John Nance]

Well, about testifying before Congress on the UAP subject matter. So, and, and that relates directly to McCaslin because he was responsible for, I think, 80% of the Defense Department's SAP programs, which are special access programs in which a lot of this UAP technology and discussion is held within these programs. So it's very, very interesting. And also McCaslin was on the short list for congressional testimony with regard to the same subject to the UAP subject matter. So there is this, this strange nexus between this topic, which, which directly, you know, despite what you may think or believe about uap, whether they're, you know, you know, from, from another dimension or another planet, this does. This does directly impact government transparency issue. So it's a very serious topic, regardless of what your position is on what exactly UA are. But this, this nexus with McCaslin and others is very, very disturbing, and it also implicates national security.

[Nancy Grace]

I want to give you another fact, John, regarding Jason Thomas. He, like others, leaves behind his phone and his wallet on the bathroom counter. His wife heard him go to the mailbox that night.

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[Nancy Grace]

Guess what he put in there? His Apple watch. Just like McCasland, just like Cassias. He was later caught on camera walking near a set of train tracks on north and Chestnut, just like the others. But I want to get us back on track regarding the death of Melissa Casillas. I want you to hear something significant that the husband says in his 911 call.

[Melissa Casillas' Husband]

And all you said what she took was her phone. She didn't take nothing. That's the thing is her phone and everything's here. And she always takes her stuff with her. My daughter was trying to track her location, and they always tracked each other. But her. But her phone's wiped. The thing is what we can't get. And she would never have wiped all the pictures off and all the information off of her phone.

[Nancy Grace]

That's one of my biggest treasures, the thousands of pictures I have on my phone. And she wiped them all, visited her daughter at work and took her lunch, then takes off with a backpack, including toothbrush and thyroid medicine. But the phone was Wiped, just like Thomas, just like McCaslin and the others. Leaves her phone and everything behind. Back to Jo Scott Morgan joining us, professor, forensics, Jacksonville State University and star of Body bags with Jo Scott Morgan. I want to talk to you about how long Melissa's body has been at the medical examiner's office. It's a month. A month. We know they did a CAT scan. We know there is a, quote, fracture to the skull. Why don't we have a cod Cause of death?

[Joseph Scott Morgan]

Well, you know, given the fact that she's in an advanced state of decomposition, sometimes they wait. And just because the medical examiner is not saying anything doesn't necessarily mean that they don't want to, because many times, particularly in a case like this, it's so high profile, Nancy, the authorities, the investigative authorities, as far as law enforcement goes, are still working the case and they're doing things behind the scene that we can't fully be aware of. And so they're waiting for that data. The ME is potentially waiting for that data to come in so that they can formulate what they want to list as the COD and also the classification of the manor. All that stuff feeds into one another and then they'll retain those remains as long as they need to. I've seen cases like this go on for a protracted period of time and they might be bringing other people in to do consults as well, which is something that you have to keep in mind. The medical examiner for the state, which they have a state medical examiner, they don't have Coroners in New Mexico is very highly regarded. They have huge staff relative to forensic pathologists, but not just forensic pathologists. They have at their disposal forensic anthropologists that would have played a key in here. One of my real problems with this, Nancy, is a lack of recovery of this alleged round. And I want to know how well that scene was processed because it's very standard practice nowadays. It used to be one of these things that you didn't think about. It's very standard practice now for crime scene units to all have metal detectors. How well did they process that area? Looking. Looking for this round that's missing and working the area very, very thoroughly. And I don't, you know, look, it's one thing to bring crime scene investigators out there, God bless them, you know, whole nine yards. However, I would prefer to have a forensic anthropologist out on the scene working the same grid by grid, square meter by square meter, and covering this area to recover any kind of valuable evidence that might be out there.

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[Nancy Grace]

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[Nancy Grace]

Lauren Conlon joining us, investigative reporter with LA Magazine and star of Pop Crime tv. Lauren, I want to talk to you about the area, the search of the area where Melissa's body's found. And I also want to talk to you about P.O. boxes. When I was prosecuting felonies and I found out somebody had a P.O. box or multiple P.O. boxes, as well as a home address and a work address, I'm like, why? Why do they need a PO Box? Many times it's completely innocent, but many times it's not. So take it on.

[Lauren Conlon]

Yes, well, I'll start with the, the area Melissa was found in, Carson National Forest. Nancy, I just want to put it in perspective for people. This area is 1.5 million acres. I mean, I think that's like three times the state of Rhode Island. So this is not, this is not a small area. And the family had previously put out on Facebook that they had already searched it and I'm sure they did. They, you know, they, they were searching for her extensively. However, I spoke to the New Mexico State Police and they confirmed that their official search and rescue agency had not searched this area. Additionally, I've seen comments of people saying, you know, it's not Melissa, it can't be her. Well, the police confirmed that they did identify her body through dental records, so it is most definitely her. And additionally, what you had said about the P.O. boxes, I was investigating this the other day and I noticed that Melissa had several attached to her name and I couldn't figure out why. I did match One to a potential business. But it's odd, it's generally if you don't want mail sent to your home. So I don't have answers for that just yet.

[Frank Milburn]

What I find very curious about Melissa is if you take these two things together. One, she leaves her house with the toothbrush, with the medication and with a backpack. Okay. Which looks full from what I can see from the blurry photograph. So those aren't things we know that you're going to take if you want to end your existence. And then at the other end of that we find her body and it looks like a very, very sloppy kind of end of your life scene. How you would stage if you wanted to show that somebody had ended their own life, that would seem to be a very, very sloppy way to do it. So if you put those two things together, leaving home with all those things that you wouldn't take with you and then the very, very sloppy scene at the end, I find I just don't understand how that came about or who would have thought that up.

[Nancy Grace]

Another issue that has emerged is her own daughter Ciara stating contrary to many reports, her mother did not carry a weapon. Specifically in many accounts described as a Glock subcompact 9 millimeter. She did not have a weapon. She had never purchased a weapon and did not have a license for a weapon. So where is all of this false information coming from? Who's putting it out there? Back to John Nance joining us, former supervisory special agent with the FBI, who would be putting out disinformation, trying desperately to make her death look like it's self inflicted.

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Who?

[John Nance]

Well, a disinformation campaign like that, you would ordinarily think of maybe a larger entity like a corporation or maybe even a, you know, a government entity, not necessarily ours. I'm not saying it's, you know, a U.S. government entity that would be doing that. I mean you have foreign actors that, that plant misinformation in our media all the time. So that that's a potential. I'm very interested when you mentioned that it's a subcompact 9 millimeter. So to me that would indicate that if this was a self inflicted gunshot wound, then it would be, it would be a through and through wound. So I don't, I don't see how what we're hearing aligns with this, this narrative, this self inflicted gunshot wound narrative. And also to Frank's point about the position of the body, that is to me that points to maybe this occurred elsewhere and the body was placed there after Cassias's death. That's, that's what that would indicate to me.

[Nancy Grace]

Well, I'm going to circle back with Joe Scott regarding the 9 millimeter possibility and what that means as to, you know, probatively, what does it prove? If it was a nine Glock, would I find the bullet? Would I find a shell casing? For Pete's sake, that's a whole other can of worms. Where's the shell casing? Hold that thought. Joe Scott to Sydney Silvani. Joining us, investigative reporter, crime stories. There's also been a campaign of misinformation regarding her husband to the point the husband has filed a tro. People keep putting out there, someone is putting out there that they had all these marital problems and that they had a financial situation that was about to blow up. The daughter has blasted that narrative regarding marital trouble, regarding money issues before she goes missing. And I really wonder, Sidney, if that narrative is being pushed out there to support a false claim of self inflicted.

[Sydney Silvani]

Right. Well, it's very, very clear that Mark Casillas had absolutely nothing to do with this. He was at work all day. He got a ride there from his wife and he got a ride home from his co worker and Melissa was gone before any of that occurred. And he stands by the fact that their marriage was tight. It was great. They were in a good place. So all of this is just generating noise around this investigation. It's people pointing the finger at other places to distract from the discrepancies that we are seeing. It's, it's highly improbable that Melissa Cassius packed a bag of just a toothbrush and three months worth of medication to turn around and take herself out of this world. It doesn't make any sense. And that's what we need to be focused on.

[Nancy Grace]

Lauren Collins joining us. Investigate reporter, LA magazine and star of Pop Crime tv. The husband has been so harassed about this, he's had to get a TR O.

[Lauren Conlon]

Yes, he was just granted one last week. And actually the private investigator did not even show up to this virtual hearing. So. So it's temporary. It will last until September of 2026. And it doesn't bar the private investigator who by the way is working with Melissa's parents and her nieces and another part of her family. Unfortunately, they are at odds about this. But it doesn't bar him from talking about the case. It just bars him from pointing fingers and harassing Mark online.

[Nancy Grace]

If you know or think you know anything, even if you consider it to be insignificant regarding the missing and the dead nuclear scientists and researchers. Please dial toll free 800-225-5324, 225-5324. Tonight we remember an American hero, Corporal Scott wheeler, Howard County PD, MD. Just 31, leaving behind his grieving wife, now widow Tracy. American hero Corporal Scott Wheeler. Thank you to our guests, but especially to you for being with us tonight. Nancy Gray signing off for tonight, but I'll see you tomorrow night. And until then, good night.

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