FBI assisting in search for retired Air Force major general missing for two weeks

(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.) -- The FBI is assisting a local sheriff's office in the search for a missing retired Air Force general who disappeared from his home in late February.  

Retired Maj. Gen. William N. "Neil" McCasland held a number of "space research, acquisition and operations roles within the Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office" while enlisted, according to the Air Force. The roles included director-level positions at the Pentagon, as well as commanding the Phillips Research Site of Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, and the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, according to the Air Force.

McCasland, 68, left his Albuquerque, New Mexico, home on February 27 and hasn't been seen since, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office.

"Due to his background and established partnerships, BCSO is coordinating closely with multiple agencies, including the FBI Albuquerque Field Office," the sheriff's office said, adding in a subsequent update that they "have so far uncovered no evidence of foul play."

McCasland is described as 5 feet, 11 inches tall and 160 pounds, with white hair and blue eyes. He's believed to have left his home on foot, the BCSO said.

"[D]espite the collective efforts of law enforcement and the community, we still do not know what happened to Neil after he left home on February 27," the BCSO added.

“Our priority is finding Mr. McCasland safely,” Sheriff John Allen said. "We’re asking the public to help by checking and preserving any security camera footage from the area and reporting any information immediately."

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