Following his reported disappearance in New Mexico, the FBI has now joined in the hunt for retired U.S. Air Force Major General William Neil McCasland. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) issued a Silver Alert for McCasland, 68. He was last seen at about 11 a.m. on Friday.
On Sunday afternoon, Aragon said New Mexico Search and Rescue was assisting with the investigation. Now, the FBI has confirmed that it has also joined the search.
“The FBI Albuquerque Field Office is involved in this investigation, as it is standard practice for the FBI to assist our local law enforcement partners if we have a tool, tactic, or technique that could benefit their investigations,” a FBI spokesperson told the New York Post in a statement. “The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office is leading this investigation.”
The Sheriff’s Office has thus far searched for the missing Air Force veteran using a drone, a K9 team, and a helicopter. According to the BCSO, it is unknown what McCasland was wearing or where he was going when he disappeared.
“There are no signs of any criminal activity such as a kidnapping or anything else,” a spokesperson told the Post. “His disappearance is only being investigated as a missing person/Silver Alert at this time.”
McCasland’s service history and alleged links to UFO research
McCasland was in charge of research at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, where the military’s infamous Project Blue Book focused on UFO investigations. He managed a $2.2 billion science and technology portfolio and also oversaw $2.2 billion in customer-funded research and development while stationed at Wright-Patterson.
The 2016 WikiLeaks release also mentioned McCasland. Documents described him as a key adviser on several UFO-related projects. Supposedly, Wright-Patterson housed a lab where officials sent certain UFO-related materials. However, there are no official records of his involvement in UFO research.
He also served at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico and commanded the Phillips Research Site and Air Force Research Laboratory at the base.
Kirtland Air Force Base is also participating in the search. “We are coordinating closely with local authorities and defer all updates regarding the search efforts to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office,” said Col. Justin Secrest, base commander of the 377th Air Base Wing at Kirtland, in a statement. “Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.”
