The FBI is now assisting in the search for retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, 68, who walked away from his Albuquerque residence around 11 a.m. on February 27 and has not made contact with anyone since. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed McCasland did not take his cell phone with him.
Authorities issued a Silver Alert the following day, citing an unspecified medical condition that has intensified the urgency of the search. Deputies have canvassed more than 600 homes in the surrounding neighborhood seeking security camera footage, though no confirmed sightings have emerged.
More than 600 New Mexico residents have been asked to hand over their home security footage as part of the investigation into the disappearance of retired Major General William Neil McCasland…🧐🤔
Investigators contacted the Albuquerque homeowners to gather the home camera… pic.twitter.com/opfYM9KC6f
— UFO mania (@maniaUFO) March 11, 2026
McCasland spent his career in highly classified military roles. He led the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, a facility that has long been the subject of rumors regarding recovered extraterrestrial material from Roswell. His other assignments included director of special programs at the Pentagon and chief engineer on the Defense Department’s Global Positioning System program, according to his official Air Force biography. After retiring, he worked as a consultant for To The Stars, Inc., a research organization co-founded by musician Tom DeLonge focused on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).
The retired general vanished just days after President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to begin releasing government files on UFOs and extraterrestrial life.
Investigative journalist Ross Coulthart characterized the situation as “a grave national security crisis” on his podcast. “This is a man with some of the most sensitive secrets of the United States in his head,” Coulthart said.
McCasland’s wife, Susan McCasland Wilkerson, disputed speculation about her husband’s potential intelligence value in a Facebook post. She wrote that he “does not have any special knowledge about the ET bodies and debris from the Roswell crash stored at Wright-Patt” and confirmed he does not suffer from dementia.
The sheriff’s office stated investigators have “uncovered no evidence of foul play” but remain open to “all possible scenarios.” McCasland is 5-foot-11 with white hair and blue eyes. Tips can be submitted to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Missing Persons Unit at 505-468-7070.
