Perplexity: A Mystery Podcast

53 year old Melissa Casias from Taos, New Mexico, disappeared under very mysterious circumstances on June 26, 2025. The case seemed to generate no promising leads and quickly go cold. Her remains were recently found in a remote heavily wooded area on May 28, 2026. Melissa’s case has gotten a lot of attention… but arguably for all the wrong reasons. There has been an unbelievable amount of speculation, misinformation, and just straight up conspiracies and lies about Melissa. These have even come from major news sources.

It seems before we can know what happened to Melissa on June 26, 2025, people will have to start getting loud with the facts. So today, Kaydra is bringing on Gina and Amber from Weird True Crime. They have been working with Melissa’s family and combing through the police reports from day one. Verifiable information only. Kaydra talks through all of the rumors point by point including the missing scientists conspiracy to get clarification for her listeners. You will also hear a lot of information I guarantee you aren’t hearing anywhere else.

This is the perplexing story of Melissa Casias.

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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 2:18pm, a witness spotted someone who looked like Melissa walking alone along Highway 518 Eastbound in Talpa. She has not been seen since. 

In this episode, Gina and Amber will 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 26, 2025 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. 

Other episodes are available on Weird True Crime's feed. 

If you have information:
Contact the New Mexico State Police at 505-425-6771
or anonymously at Crime Stoppers at 505-843-STOP

Listen to Weird True Crime’s 3 part series wherever you get your podcasts. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcAPlqQ1t9nzA9B6kAKifmA
https://open.spotify.com/show/3BHNffWPPzW79m0s5phIWM?si=1d2cf98423004b75
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weird-true-crime/id1803173020

Episode keywords:
Melissa Casias, unsolved, true crime, true crime podcast, disappearance, missing scientists

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He wore a badge, pledging to protect and serve. A Martin County, Florida sheriff's deputy, who used his power to abduct, torture, and kill young women in the early 1970s. He was convicted of two murders but he’s widely suspected in the deaths of over 30 victims. Today we will discuss the victims, the killer’s upbringing, his crimes, the investigation, and the strange aftermath. This is the story of one of the most heinous serial killers in modern history.

Today’s perplexing episode is all about Gerard John Schaefer.

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SOURCES: https://pastebin.com/JnzsA43u

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Kaydra brings back friend of the podcast, Adam from Weekly Creep and Houston Strange. Adam shares some personal hauntings then he and Kaydra get into several spine tingling listener stories submitted to him from Texas. You will hear tales of ghostly and cryptid encounters!

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While Kaydra recovers from Crime Con, enjoy this remastered version of Texas Urban Legends where Kaydra tells the haunting stories from San Marcos, Texas State University, and St. Mary's Orphanage.

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We lived in these dwellings for millions of years… sleeping, creating life, preparing food, and performing rituals. Our ancestors have worshipped their limestone and crystal, believing them to possess mystical properties. Today, some still believe these burrows harness energy and amplify paranormal activity. Others believe creatures lurk in the shadows, crawling along the walls and stealing the souls of any who dare to enter. Some curious explorers have gotten lost and met their demise, dying alone in the dark.

From history, to folklore, to creatures, to disappearances, and deaths, there are endless stories from these dark caverns.

Today’s episode is all about caves!

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SOURCES:

https://www.grunge.com/1153709/the-frightening-conspiracy-theory-that-links-missing-persons-cases-to-u-s-cave-systems/

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While Kaydra catches up from a weekend with family, enjoy this re-mastered playback of the story that first got Kaydra into the paranormal! The terrifying story of Heol Fanog, AKA Hellfire Farm.

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Today, we venture inside mysterious gateways. We step through the glass, and gaze beyond our own reflection. Around the world for thousands of years, these objects have been feared, covered, shattered, and whispered to. Some say they’re capable of trapping souls. Others claim they reveal hidden truths, and bring good luck, or bad. It depends on who you ask.

From ancient superstitions to ghostly reflections – today we are discussing one of the most ordinary, yet powerful objects in our homes. Today’s episode is all about mirrors!

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Today we’re looking up to the skies, rolling up our sleeves—and maybe grabbing an umbrella..because things are getting weird overhead. Imagine glancing up one afternoon only to find… meat. Falling. From. The. Sky. Or wandering through your neighborhood as gelatinous blobs drift down like strange raindrops an alternate dimension.

History is filled with bizarre meteorological moments that challenge both science and sanity. But today’s stories will have you thinking the movie Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is actually possible. So let’s get into it. Today’s perplexing episode is all about strange things that have fallen from the sky, The Kentucky Meat Shower and the Oakville Blobs.

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SOURCES:

https://vinepair.com/cocktail-chatter/kentucky-meat-shower-mystery/

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Kaydra's friend, Jules, co-founder of Fire Eyes Media, returns to the podcast to shed light on 2 cases she has been researching for the past 2 years. Jules works closely with the families and believes these cases are solvable. These are the stories of 11 year old Bethany Markowski and 40 year old Jeff Anderson.

https://bethanymarkowski.com

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