Authorities in New Mexico are searching for a retired U.S. Air Force major general who has been missing for two weeks after disappearing from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
According to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, William “Neil” McCasland, 68, was last seen at his residence on the morning of Feb. 27.
Sheriff John Allen said investigators are working with several agencies as the search continues, including federal agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s FBI Albuquerque Field Office.
“Our priority is finding Mr. McCasland safely,” Allen said, noting that search teams and investigators are coordinating with local, state and federal partners.
Authorities have issued a silver alert for McCasland, a notification used in New Mexico to help locate missing individuals aged 50 or older who may have cognitive or medical issues. Officials said the alert referenced unspecified medical concerns that may put McCasland’s safety at risk.
Investigators are asking residents and businesses in the area to review security camera footage from around the time he disappeared and report anything that could help the investigation.
So far, interviews and neighborhood searches have not uncovered evidence suggesting foul play.
Officials said it is unusual for McCasland to lose contact with family and friends for such an extended period.
The sheriff’s office believes he may have left his home on foot and could have been in the nearby Sandia Mountains or the Sandia foothills around Feb. 27 or Feb. 28. McCasland is described as an avid outdoorsman who frequently hikes, runs and cycles in those areas.
McCasland retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2013 after a lengthy military career. He previously served as commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and also led the Phillips Research Site at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque.
A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in astronautical engineering, McCasland was commissioned into the Air Force in 1979. He later earned a doctorate in astronautical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Authorities say the search for him remains ongoing