The FBI is involved in the search for William Neil McCasland, a retired U.S. Air Force general who has been missing for several days.
McCasland, 68, disappeared on Friday, February 27, when he was last seen in Sandia Heights, which is located in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, metropolitan area, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, which is the lead agency investigating his disappearance.
“Due to his medical issues, law enforcement is concerned for his safety,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release the day he went missing.
The New Mexico Department of Public Safety has issued a Silver Alert for McCasland, who had previously been involved in space research for the military.
In a news release issued on Tuesday, March 3, the sheriff’s office said that because of McCasland’s “background and established partnerships, BCSO is coordinating closely with multiple agencies, including the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, which is assisting as standard practice when it has a tool, tactic, or technique that may benefit the investigation.”
Authorities describe McCasland as 5-foot-11, weighing 160 pounds, with blue eyes and white hair.
Prior to his retirement in 2013, McCasland had been the commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, according to his online military biography.
“As the commander of the research lab, McCasland was in charge of managing the Air Force’s “$2.2 billion science and technology program as well as additional customer funded research,” according to the Air Force.
McCasland became an Air Force officer in 1979, after graduating from the U.S. Force Academy with a bachelor’s degree in astronautical engineering, his online bio says.
He has worked in roles involving space research for the Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office.
He was also previously the commander of the Phillips Research Site at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, according to the Air Force.
The sheriff’s office said that the agency is working with partners at Kirtland Air Force Base “to expand outreach and speed information-sharing that may assist in locating Mr. McCasland.”
A base commander named Sheriff John Allen said in a statement that “Our priority is finding Mr. McCasland safely.”
“We’re asking the public to help by checking and preserving any security camera footage from the area and reporting any information immediately,” Allen said, referring to the area of Quail Run Court NE, the neighborhood where McCasland was last seen.
“We will share confirmed updates as soon as we can while protecting the integrity of the investigation,” Allen added.
