NewsNation correspondent Ross Coulhart called the retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland missing person’s case in New Mexico a “grave national security crisis,” on Coulhart’s Reality Check podcast.
McCasland, 68, disappeared around 11 a.m. after leaving his Albuquerque, New Mexico home near a running trail on Feb. 27, 2026, without his phone or watch. Authorities issued a Silver Alert at about 7:00 p.m. that evening because of concerns related to medical issues that could place him in danger.
Search efforts quickly expanded, with deputies canvassing the neighborhood and nearby foothills while asking residents to review security footage.
By March 3, 2026, federal authorities had joined the investigation, with the FBI Albuquerque Field Office assisting local law enforcement alongside New Mexico Search and Rescue and military partners.
Who is William Neil McCasland?
McCasland served as commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base from 2011 until his 2013 retirement, overseeing roughly $2.2 billion in annual science and technology programs and thousands of researchers working on advanced aerospace, space, and defense technologies; earlier in his career he also led the AFRL’s Phillips Research Site at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico.
Because Wright-Patterson historically hosted the U.S. military’s Project Blue Book UFO/UAP investigations, some researchers have speculated—without official confirmation—that debris from the 1947 Roswell incident was stored or analyzed at laboratories there.
A 2016 email from Blink 182 singer and UAP investigator Tom DeLonge suggested McCasland once oversaw the same facility; however, no evidence has verified that claim and McCasland has never confirmed involvement with such theories.
“This is a man with some of the most sensitive secrets of the United States in his head,” Coulhart, a former 60 Minutes Australia, correspondent said on his show.
What happened to William Neil McCasland?
Rules vary stat-by-state by Silver Alerts are typically issued when individuals aged at least 60 go missing with a documented medical condition that could put them in danger, such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or other cognitive or physical impairments. According to Coulhart, though, McCasland was physically and mentally well when he vanished.
In statements to the media, a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said the alert was issued because “due to his medical issues, law enforcement is concerned for his safety,” but did not elaborate on what those medical issues are.
In public comments and updates circulating online, his wife has also pushed back on speculation about his health, saying he does not have dementia and was not “confused and disoriented.”
Coulhart also noted the timing of McCasland’s disappearance, not long after President Trump pledged to declassify federal UFO/UAP and extraterrestrial life information.
“The timing is screechingly relevant. The fact that Gen. Neil McCasland has disappeared off the face of the earth is a grave national security crisis for the United States of America,” Coulhart said.
As of March 10, 2026, the search for McCasland remains ongoing in the Albuquerque area with authorities saying there are still few concrete clues about his whereabouts.
According to local news outlet KOAT, during searches of nearby foothills and open space areas, authorities found items of clothing north of McCasland’s home, prompting renewed search activity in the Elena Gallegos Open Space area, but officials say there is still no confirmed evidence of foul play and they continue asking the public for information.
Published: Mar 10, 2026 03:30 pm