What Melissa Left: The Disappearance of Melissa Casias | Episode 1: June 26th

What Melissa Left: The Disappearance of Melissa Casias | Episode 1: June 26th

From Weird True Crime by Gina Nichols and Amber Paul

May 20, 2026 · 38 min

About this episode

This episode covers the mysterious disappearance of Melissa Shirley Casias and the events surrounding it.

On Thursday, June 26, 2025, Melissa Shirley Casias — a 53-year-old mother, avid hunter, devoted reader, thyroid cancer survivor, and administrative assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory — vanished from Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. She dropped lunch off to her daughter Sierra at 12:57 p.m. By 1:38 p.m., her phone had been wiped. By 2:18 p.m., a witness spotted someone who looked like her walking alone along Highway 518 Eastbound in Talpa. She has not been seen since. In this episode, Gina and Amber introduce you to Melissa — who she was, what her life looked like, and why the people who love her are certain she did not choose to disappear. They then walk through the events of June 26th in chronological order, covering her last confirmed movements, the first hours of the investigation, and the early signs that something about her husband Mark Casias's behavior wasn't adding up. 🚨 If You Have Information New Mexico State Police: (505) 425-6771 Crime Stoppers (anonymous): (505) 843-STOP | Text ABQCS to 738477 Find Melissa Mondragon Casias on Facebook GoFundMe Reward Fund Sources New Mexico State Police Report — on file FBI: No-Body Homicide Cases — A Practical Approach…

People in this episode

Hosts: Gina Nichols, Amber Paul

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Los Alamos National Laboratory

Places: Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico

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