Law enforcement has addressed UFO-related conspiracy theories after the disappearance of retired Air Force Major General William Neil McCasland, emphasizing that investigators are focused on evidence‑based leads rather than speculation.
The Context
McCasland was last seen on February 27 at approximately 11 a.m. in the area of Quail Run Court NE, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO).
His disappearance has sparked interest among UFO researchers because of his senior Air Force roles in science and technology and his subsequent involvement in UFO‑related work.
 As Newsweek reported previously, McCasland held senior leadership roles in the U.S. Air Force spanning science, technology and space research. As commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright‑Patterson Air Force Base, he oversaw some $4.4 billion in research and development and a global workforce of about 10,800 personnel.
Commissioned in 1979 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy, his career included key roles in space acquisition and operations with the Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office, as well as senior Pentagon posts overseeing major defense, space and technology initiatives.
Susan McCasland Wilkerson, McCasland’s wife, has pushed back against what she called “misinformation,” saying her husband does not have dementia and dismissing rumors about a concerning phone call. She also said she does not believe he was abducted for classified knowledge from his military career or his brief ties to the UFO community.
Meanwhile, Republican Representative Eric Burlison of Missouri said McCasland “has a lot of information” during a recent discussion about UFOs.
What To Know
During a Monday press conference, BCSO Lieutenant Kyle Woods was asked how law enforcement approaches investigations like McCasland’s when more outlandish claims are involved.
“Just because it’s crazy doesn’t mean it’s not true, but we have to look into the realities,” Woods answered. “And so we look into what’s brought to us and then we have to pursue what facts we can find.
“I appreciate that there’s a community that wants to go down the rabbit hole of UFOs—I don’t have a way with which to pursue that. And so those theories have to be set aside unless we were to find something that indicated that. So we can only go off of fact at this point.”
A Silver Alert has been issued for McCasland, with officials expressing concern for his safety “due to medical issues.”
Comparable to Amber Alerts for missing children, Silver Alerts are notices issued when authorities believe an older adult is at risk—often because of health or memory concerns—to help locate them.
During the press conference law enforcement explained the reasoning behind the alert. Sheriff John Allen said: “With New Mexico state statute, a silver alert does not require a formal diagnosis of any mental deterioration. The reason being also is because Mr. McCasland is over 50 years of age. He did state that he was experiencing a mental fog and because of this information that we received, we decided to do a silver alert.
Woods later added that the “mental fog” was “cited as reasons for stepping down from some different groups that he was working with.
“I’ll clarify it with this. There’s no indication and we are not putting forward that Mr. McCasland was disoriented, confused. Arguably, he would still be the most intelligent person in the room that any of us would be in. Highly intelligent, highly capable, but that information was given to us early on and out of an abundance of caution, we escalated to a silver alert to try to garner as much public attention as possible to try to help locate him as soon as possible.”
What People Are Saying
Susan McCasland Wilkerson said in a Facebook post:Â “I am so grateful to one and all for their unflagging dedicated efforts and support. All the thoughts and prayers from around the country are much appreciated. I will update if/when any real information comes in.”
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