Newly released police body camera footage has added another detail to the disappearance of retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William “Neil” McCasland, a former military research leader whose case has drawn national attention since he vanished from his Albuquerque, New Mexico, home in February.
According to footage obtained and reported by Law&Crime and later discussed by NewsNation, an unidentified woman told investigators that McCasland attended a dinner with members of the U.S. Space Force the evening before he disappeared. During the recorded interview, the woman said McCasland appeared noticeably different from his normal demeanor.
“I was shocked this morning when I saw the alert because what I noticed Thursday evening is he wasn’t his usual self,” the witness told officers. “He was kind of spacey and quiet,” she said.
McCasland’s wife: He “must have planned not to be found”
As the witness went on to say in the footage, the dinner took place at a restaurant in Albuquerque and included Space Force personnel. She also told investigators that she worked with McCasland through the Kirtland Partnership, a nonprofit organization connected to economic development and military-community initiatives in New Mexico. Authorities have not suggested that the dinner or the Space Force attendees played any role in McCasland’s disappearance.
McCasland, 68, disappeared on Feb. 27, 2026. The retired general previously led the Air Force Research Laboratory and held senior positions involving military space and reconnaissance programs. His background has generated public interest because his name has appeared in discussions surrounding unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, formerly known as UFOs. However, investigators have not linked his disappearance to those topics, and his family has repeatedly pushed back on online speculation.
Earlier recordings released by Law&Crime included a 911 call from McCasland’s wife, Susan McCasland Wilkerson, shortly after she realized he was missing. In that call, she told dispatchers she believed her husband may have intentionally left. “It’s been about three hours, and I have some indication that he must have planned not to be found,” Wilkerson said. She noted that he had left behind his cellphone and had changed clothes before leaving the house.
According to reports based on the 911 audio, Wilkerson also told dispatchers that her husband had expressed concerns about physical and cognitive decline. She said his actions appeared deliberate because he normally kept his phone with him. Investigators later said McCasland left behind several personal items, including his phone, prescription glasses and wearable devices. Authorities believe he may have taken hiking boots, a wallet and a .38-caliber revolver before leaving. Search teams, local authorities and the FBI have participated in efforts to locate him.
Officials have not announced evidence of foul play and have not publicly identified a cause for his disappearance. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office continues to lead the investigation with assistance from federal partners. Authorities and family members have urged the public to focus on verified facts rather than speculation surrounding his former work.
Published: May 29, 2026 05:00 pm