Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland was attempting to resign from multiple government-connected research positions before he disappeared earlier this year, according to newly released police records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The records, first reported by the Daily Mail, summarize a March 3 interview between McCasland’s wife, Susan Wilkerson, and investigators with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. The documents provide new details about McCasland’s activities in the days leading up to his disappearance on Feb. 27.
According to the report, Wilkerson told investigators that her husband had recently become concerned about his own cognitive abilities and was trying to step down from several advisory and consulting roles tied to national security research.
The records state that McCasland traveled to Washington shortly before his disappearance to resign from the board of Riverside Research, a nonprofit organization that performs scientific research, engineering and advisory work for the Pentagon, the U.S. intelligence community and the Air Force.
After returning to New Mexico, McCasland reportedly told his wife he resigned because he “could not keep up, mentally, with the conversation,” according to investigators.
Police records also indicate McCasland remained a paid consultant for Sandia National Laboratories and held positions with the Kirtland Partnership and a University Affiliated Research Center connected to the Department of Defense.
Investigators said Wilkerson told them McCasland was also attempting to resign from the university-affiliated research program because of similar concerns, but leadership there allegedly encouraged him to remain in the position.
The documents suggest McCasland’s efforts to leave the organizations stemmed from fears about declining mental sharpness rather than disagreements with the institutions themselves.
McCasland, 68, disappeared after leaving his Albuquerque home without his cellphone, wearable electronic devices or eyeglasses, according to authorities. Police said he was carrying a handgun when he left and had changed into clothing unfamiliar to his wife.
The newly released records also reference an anonymous witness who contacted investigators after attending a meeting with McCasland and members of the U.S. Space Force on Feb. 26, the evening before he vanished.
According to the witness, McCasland appeared unusually quiet, distracted and unlike himself during the gathering. The witness told investigators that the retired general seemed “spacey” throughout the meeting, per the Daily Mail.
McCasland previously commanded the Air Force Research Laboratory and served in senior leadership roles involving advanced military research programs during his military career.
His name has also surfaced in public discussions related to congressional interest in historical unidentified aerial phenomena programs after former Air Force intelligence officer David Grusch identified him as a potential witness with knowledge of classified projects. No official findings have linked McCasland’s disappearance to those allegations.
Authorities have not announced whether they suspect foul play in the case, and no evidence released publicly has established a connection between McCasland’s former government work and his disappearance.
The FBI is assisting with the investigation alongside local authorities. As of Wednesday, McCasland had not been located, and officials said the investigation remains active while detectives continue pursuing leads surrounding the retired general’s unexplained disappearance.
