William Neil McCasland

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office (NM)

Missing From:

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Summary:

William Neil McCasland is an astronautical engineer and retired United States Air Force major general who was the former commander of Air Force Research Laboratory. The retired Air Force major general has not been seen since he walked out of his Albuquerque home on the morning of February 27, leaving behind his phone, prescription glasses and wearable devices. Officials still cannot say where the 68-year-old went, why he left or whether someone else was involved, a mystery deepened by public fascination with the retired general's ties to UFO lore.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

At 10 a.m. on February 27, 2026, a repairman was at McCasland's home and interacted with him. At 11:10 a.m., McCasland's wife left the house for a medical appointment, and when she returned home at 12:04 p.m., he wasn't there. She reported him missing at 3:07 p.m. It was uncommon for McCasland to leave without his phone or wearable devices, both of which were found at his home. Still unaccounted for are McCasland's wallet, a .38-caliber revolver, a leather holster and a red backpack. McCasland left his Albuquerque home on foot at approximately 11 a.m. February 27 and has not been in contact with family or friends since. A repairman last interacted with McCasland at his home around 10 a.m. that day, and his wife returned shortly after noon to find him gone, according to a timeline previously released by investigators.

Additional Details:

Following his disappearance in February 2026, a silver alert was issued by the Bernalillo County. The New Mexico Search and Rescue was reportedly assisting with the investigation. As part of the search, authorities flew a helicopter equipped with infrared cameras over the cliffs and canyons near his home at night, hoping to spot him by his heat signature. But the unseasonably warm spring turned the landscape against them. 'The mountain was just lit up like a candle,' Lt. Kyle Woods of the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office said at a news conference Monday. A gray US Air Force sweatshirt was found about 1.25 miles east of McCasland's home on March 7 — eight days after he disappeared. McCasland's family hasn't confirmed it was his, but no blood was detected on the shirt in initial testing and the discovery led investigators to target the area for additional searches. He had reported experiencing 'mental fog' before his disappearance, a condition he cited as the reason for stepping down from various groups he worked with, officials said Monday. McCasland's wife described him as 'very responsible' but said he was encountering 'medical issues' and was seeing a doctor for 'anxiety, short-term memory loss, and lack of sleep.' The FBI has been assisting local law enforcement in the search for McCasland, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office. Seventeen days after his disappearance, officials still can't say where the 68-year-old went, why he left or whether someone else was involved. Investigators have canvassed more than 700 homes and searched a vast stretch of terrain using dogs, drones and helicopters. McCasland has a second home in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, about 35 miles north of the New Mexico border and roughly 200 miles from his Albuquerque home. There, investigators recovered a light green long-sleeve button-up shirt and hiking boots, according to the sheriff's office.

Case Last Updated:

Apr 23, 2026