Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
A retired two-star Air Force general walks out of his Albuquerque home without his phone or glasses. He leaves behind plans for an upcoming ski trip. Then he disappears for more than seven months.
Cue the flashlights, desert sky and low X-Files synth.
Unfortunately, this is not television. William “Neil” McCasland remains the subject of an active missing-person investigation, and the known facts leave far more questions than answers.
Table of contents
A One-Hour Window
McCasland, 68, disappeared from his home near Quail Run Court in northeast Albuquerque on February 27.
Investigators say a repairman interacted with him around 10 a.m. McCasland’s wife left for an appointment at approximately 11:10 a.m. When she returned at 12:04 p.m., he was gone.
That leaves a remarkably small window.
His phone, prescription glasses and wearable devices remained inside the house. Investigators later said his wallet, red backpack, .38-caliber revolver and leather holster remained unaccounted for.
Newly released body-camera footage obtained by KRQE adds another layer.
McCasland’s wife told deputies he had taken a prescribed medication the previous night. That morning, he reportedly described feeling foggy, almost like the aftermath of a bad hangover.
She also showed deputies food, drinks and supplies he had assembled for an upcoming backcountry ski trip with 17 friends. In other words, his home looked like the home of someone planning to return.
So why leave?
Why switch off the phone? Why leave the glasses? And, why walk away during a one-hour window? And what, if anything, should investigators make of the missing revolver?
An Experienced Outdoorsman Leaves No Trail
McCasland was not someone unfamiliar with the New Mexico backcountry. Friends and relatives described him as active, physically capable and comfortable outdoors.
That should have helped searchers. Instead, it made the mystery stranger.
Authorities canvassed more than 700 homes. Search teams used dogs, drones, helicopters and infrared equipment across the foothills and surrounding canyons. The FBI also assisted with interviews, surveillance review and analysis.
The terrain did not cooperate. Warm rocks complicated infrared searches, while cliffs, ravines and hidden pockets created countless places that could conceal an injured person.
Searchers found a gray Air Force sweatshirt about 1.25 miles east of McCasland’s home. Testing reportedly found no blood, and his family could not confirm that it belonged to him. Investigators searched the surrounding area anyway.
No confirmed sighting followed. No obvious trail appeared. Authorities said they had found no evidence pointing to foul play, although they had not ruled anything out.
As of October 1, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office still lists McCasland as missing.
Then There Is the UAP Connection
This is where the spooky music gets louder.
McCasland was no ordinary retiree. He earned a doctorate in astronautical engineering from MIT and held senior positions involving space systems, classified programs and advanced military research.
From 2011 until his 2013 retirement, he commanded the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He oversaw thousands of employees and billions of dollars in research and development. Before that, he served as the Pentagon’s director of special programs and held leadership roles involving space acquisition and the National Reconnaissance Office.
Wright-Patterson also occupies prime real estate in American UFO lore. For decades, believers have claimed the government moved material recovered near Roswell to the Ohio installation.
That history alone would attract speculation. McCasland’s connection to Tom DeLonge poured rocket fuel on it.
In a 2016 email to Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, DeLonge claimed he had worked with McCasland for four months. DeLonge also claimed McCasland helped assemble an advisory team for his UFO-related project.
That email proves DeLonge made the claims. It does not prove McCasland possessed alien hardware, extraterrestrial secrets or a reserved parking spot aboard the mothership.
SEE ALSO: SIG Sauer P211 Full Size and Carry: Lighter 2011-Style Pistols for 2026
McCasland’s wife later said he briefly served as an unpaid consultant for DeLonge’s organization. According to her, he offered military and technical guidance to make DeLonge’s fiction and media projects more realistic.
She also said her husband had no special knowledge about UFO bodies or Roswell debris. He had been retired for nearly 13 years, she noted, making his old classified knowledge increasingly dated.
She even joked that aliens might be the best remaining explanation, while noting that nobody reported a mothership over the Sandia Mountains.
That is probably the healthiest way to handle the UFO angle: acknowledge it, smile at it and demand evidence before believing it.
What Actually Happened?
The ordinary possibilities remain troubling enough.
- Did McCasland suffer an unexpected reaction to medication and become disoriented?
- Did something happen in the rugged terrain beyond his neighborhood?
- Did he deliberately leave and take steps to avoid being tracked?
- Does the missing revolver point toward a personal crisis, or is it simply another item investigators cannot locate?
- Did someone pick him up beyond the view of nearby cameras?
- Or does another person know what happened during that narrow window?
Then comes the question guaranteed to divide readers: Does McCasland’s history with classified aerospace programs and the UAP community deserve serious consideration? Or does it merely make a heartbreaking missing-person case irresistible to the internet?
Seven months later, the public still has no satisfying answer. An accomplished general, scientist and outdoorsman apparently walked away from a life filled with plans. Despite aircraft, dogs, surveillance footage, federal assistance and hundreds of tips, he seemingly left no confirmed trail.
That is strange enough without adding aliens.
Still, this case practically invites questions. What detail stands out to you? The phone and glasses? The medication? The prepared ski supplies? The missing gun? His classified background? Or the complete absence of a confirmed sighting?
What say you?
Anyone with information can contact the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Missing Persons Unit at 505-468-7070. Anonymous tips may be submitted by texting BCSO and the information to 847411.
*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! ***
Available on GunsAmerica Now
is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
Experience:
– Licensed Bowhunter, Hunter, and Trapper – Experienced in ethical hunting and wildlife conservation.
– Concealed Carry Permit Holder (NYS & AZ) – Trained and licensed to carry in multiple states.
– 2A Journalist – Covering firearms legislation, Second Amendment issues, and gun rights for over a decade.
– Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) – Certified to provide emergency medical care in the field.
– Field-Tested Gear Reviewer – Hands-on experience with firearms, optics, and hunting tech.
“I got a wife and kids in Baltimore, Jack. I went out for a ride and never came back.”
Reminds me of the 12 missing, lost or found dead scientists from Los Alamos laboratories in New Mexico.
Latest one was the woman found in a wilderness area. Some claims said her wrists were zip tied behind her back and was shot 6 times in the back of her head. Police ruled it a ,” suicide ” !
All these scientist’s were working on space programs and on top secret programs for the Air Force.
Some sites say Chinese or Russian agents kidnapped them to get top secret information, and then to get rid of them ,make it look like a “suicide “.
Government officials say the scientists were stressed out and were on medication, walked away from home and disappeared. What kind of stupid answer is that?
Missing Virginia High School Coach Accused of Child Sex Offenses
Former Union High School football coach Travis Turner, 46, has been missing since November 20, 2025, when he vanished into the woods near his home in Wise County, Virginia, just days after police moved to question him about serious child sex offense charges.
Charges and Allegations
Turner faces 10 criminal charges:
Five counts of possession of child pornography/Five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor
The alleged victim is a 15-year-old student at Union High School, and the accusations stem from sexually explicit texts sent over a three-month period. The charges are serious and carry significant penalties if convicted
Disappearance and Search Efforts
According to Virginia State Police, Turner was last seen walking into the Appalachian Mountains with a firearm.Extensive searches — including cadaver dogs, K-9 units, drones, and rescue teams — have been conducted, but no credible sightings or evidence have been found. Authorities have exhausted 178 national and international leads without success. A reward of up to $5,000 is offered for information leading to his capture.
.
The number of people who “disappear” each year in Alaska, sometimes reaches into the thousands. About 99.9% of those people, wanted to disappear.
Occam’s Razor.
It ain’t aliens.
ain’t no such thing as aliens so thats out. the revolver was part of back packing gear. the phone being off is for quiet while hiking. so most probably he was off when he left and died somewhere away from home.
His phone was left in the house, Paul. He did not have it with him. If he “died somewhere away from home”, and there was no crime involved, his body would have been found. Almost without exception, in situations like this, and if there is no crime involved. the bodies are found.
Genisis 6:4
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.