Search on for retired Air Force general who went missing 2 weeks ago in New Mexico
A search is underway for a retired Air Force major general who went missing in New Mexico nearly two weeks ago, local law enforcement said Thursday.
A Silver Alert was issued last week for Maj. Gen. Neil McCasland, who was last seen at his Albuquerque home at 11 a.m. Feb. 27, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. McCasland’s wife left their home just after 11 a.m. for a medical appointment, and McCasland was already gone when she returned about an hour later.
“His phone, prescription glasses and portable devices were found at the residence,” the sheriff’s office said Thursday. His hiking boots, wallet and a .38 caliber revolver with a leather holster were missing from the home.
Susan McCasland Wilkerson began contacting family and friends to try to find her husband, but ultimately reported him missing at 3:07 that afternoon, the sheriff’s office said.
McCasland was described as 5 feet 11 inches tall with white hair and blue eyes. He may have been wearing a light green, long-sleeved button-down shirt.
Authorities are searching for McCasland using search and rescue teams, dogs, drones and helicopters, the sheriff’s office said. The FBI confirmed it was assisting in the investigation.
“To date, BCSO has not received any confirmed sightings or confirmed video showing Mr. McCasland leaving the area or indicating a direction of travel,” the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office urged the public to come forward with any information they can on McCasland’s whereabouts.
Officials said last week that there was no evidence of foul play, but that it was not like McCasland to be out of contact with his family for so long. McCasland has medical issues, which the sheriff’s office has not disclosed, which is an additional cause for concern.
The sheriff’s office believes he left his home on foot.
“He is an avid outdoorsman and is known to often hike, run and bike in the Northeast Heights and Sandia foothills,” he said.
The office urged anyone with video taken Feb. 27-28 in the Sandia Mountains or the McCasland neighborhood to view it and submit anything that might be helpful.
The sheriff’s office said information other than what it released was “neither verified nor confirmed.”
“There are people trying to develop their own theories based on the limited information available to the public, which makes the search for Neil more difficult,” he said.
Wilkerson, McCasland’s wife, attempted to correct some of the misinformation that was circulating. She wrote on Facebook last Friday that although her husband has health problems, they are not related to dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
She then dissuaded those who might believe that McCasland was kidnapped because he had classified information.
“He retired from [Air Force] “Almost 13 years ago and has only had very routine clearances since,” she wrote. “It seems quite unlikely that he was taken to extract very ancient secrets.”
McCasland graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in astronautical engineering. He also holds a doctorate on the subject from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, according to the Air Force.
He served in numerous positions within the Air Force, including commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
He was also responsible for $2.2 billion in funds for the Air Force science and technology program and an additional $2.2 billion in research and development, according to the Air Force.
Wilkerson addressed McCasland’s connection “to the UFO community.” McCasland has already volunteered to work with Blink-182 singer and guitarist Tom DeLonge. DeLonge’s organization, “To The Stars,” has published fiction books, music and a documentary series about aliens and unidentified flying objects.
McCasland had “less contact” with DeLonge and the UFO community after emails from political strategist John Podesta were publicly posted on WikiLeaks, Wilkerson said. Podesta, who worked in the Clinton and Obama administrations, had shared emails with DeLonge about his interest in UFOs.
Some of the emails included discussions about a documentary Podesta participated in, and at least one email mentioned McCasland.
Wilkerson said McCasland had no special knowledge of earth bodies or UFO crash debris stored by the government.
“This connection is no reason for anyone to kidnap Neil,” she wrote.
Wilkerson did not respond Thursday to a voicemail asking to talk about her husband’s disappearance.
