The final words of Steven Garcia, a 49-year-old government contractor working at a key nuclear weapons facility, have been revealed as police detail his disappearance on August 28, 2025. Garcia, a property custodian at the Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, vanished after an argument with his wife, Valerie.
According to a police report obtained by the Daily Mail, Garcia's wife informed him of her intention to leave him due to ongoing marital problems. In response, Garcia stated, "well if I can't have you I will go somewhere else." He then took a handgun registered in his wife's name and a bottle of water, leaving the residence on foot without his car, keys, wallet, or phones. Security cameras captured him leaving his home on Cattail Court SW around 9 a.m. local time, wearing a green camouflage shirt and shorts.
A source told the Daily Mail that Garcia held a top security clearance and had broad access to classified information at the KCNSC facility, which plays a crucial role in national defense. The source described his position as "very high-level, overseeing position for all the assets. Tens, maybe hundreds of millions of dollars in equipment and assets, some of which are not classified, others would be classified."
Garcia's disappearance shares similarities with other cases involving individuals connected to U.S. nuclear facilities. Retired Air Force General William Neil McCasland, 68, vanished from his Albuquerque home on February 27, 2026, carrying only a .38-caliber revolver and no personal electronic devices or glasses.
In 2025, two other individuals with ties to the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), a significant nuclear research site, disappeared. Anthony Chavez, 79, who retired from the lab in 2017, vanished from his home on May 4, 2025.
Melissa Casias, 53, an active administrative assistant at LANL, disappeared from her Taos residence on June 26, 2025, leaving behind her phones, keys, and identification. Her body was found on May 28 in New Mexico's Carson National Forest next to a handgun that her daughter stated did not belong to her. The cause of death has not yet been released by New Mexico State Police.
Garcia's wife reported that he had no history of mental health issues or prior disappearances. Police were informed that Garcia had never left home in such a manner before and had not expressed any suicidal intent or plans.
The FBI is reportedly investigating these incidents under the direction of the White House. Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker suggested there is sufficient evidence to suspect foul play in several of these cases, stating that a pattern warrants investigation by the FBI, particularly in counter-espionage and counterintelligence.
