Los Alamos Lab Worker Found Dead With Gunshot Wound in National Forest

Human remains discovered in Carson National Forest on 28 May 2026 have been identified as those of a 53-year-old administrative assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory who was reported missing on 26 June 2025. A hiker alerted authorities to the remains. New Mexico State Police said a handgun was also found nearby.

The state's Office of the Medical Investigator confirmed the identity through positive identification. The cause and manner of death have not been established. Investigators continue to examine the scene. The assistant was last seen after visiting her daughter.

She did not arrive at work or return home. Family members later found her purse, identification, and cell phones left behind. The remains were located in an area that had been searched previously during the initial missing-person investigation, according to a family statement.

"This is a lot to process, our hearts are heavy and we fully intend to continue to pursue answers for justice," the family said in a Facebook statement. The case had been included in online speculation linking recent deaths and disappearances among U.S. scientific researchers.

The U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee and the FBI both announced investigations into those cases. Family members of several other individuals referenced in the speculation have provided alternative explanations. One researcher died of heart disease.

Another died by apparent suicide after both parents died suddenly within hours of each other, according to family members. In the case of Carl Grillmair, a neighbor faces murder and burglary charges.

Laboratory conducts leading defensive nuclear research and was the site where the world's first atomic weapons were developed during World War II.