Feds get involved in hunt for missing former Kirtland commander

The FBI is now assisting with the search for a retired U.S. Air Force major general who mysteriously disappeared last weekend.

On Friday, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office issued a Silver Alert for William Neil McCasland, 68, of Albuquerque, a former Kirtland Air Force Base commander, who was last seen at about 11 a.m. the same day in the area of Quail Run Court NE.

BCSO spokesperson Jayme Gonzales said "due to privacy laws, BCSO will not release specific details regarding (McCasland's) medical information."

"He's not the kind of person that you would expect to disappear," said James Tegnalia, a board member of the Kirtland Partnership Committee, a nonprofit that works to preserve and expand the Air Force base. "And so, we're all concerned about him, and we're hoping that everything's alright and that he resurfaces."

McCasland is the former commander of Kirtland's Phillips Research Site and Air Force Research Laboratory as well as a Kirtland Partnership Committee board member.

"Due to his background and established partnerships, BCSO is coordinating closely with multiple agencies, including the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, which is assisting as standard practice when it has a tool, tactic, or technique that may benefit the investigation," Gonzales said. "BCSO remains the lead agency."

Gonzales said BCSO is also coordinating with KAFB "to expand outreach and speed information-sharing that may assist in locating Mr. McCasland."

Since Friday, Gonzales said, BCSO has used "significant resources and has conducted extensive efforts that include neighborhood canvassing, follow-up interviews, and coordinated search operations."

McCasland's friend and Kirtland Partnership Committee co-founder Sherman McCorkle said nothing seemed out of the ordinary when they spoke a few days prior to McCasland's disappearance. 

"I was stunned then and I'm still stunned at this moment," McCorkle said.

Sheriff John Allen, an honorary base commander at Kirtland, said in a statement that "investigators and search teams are working continuously, and we're coordinating closely with our local, state, and federal partners."

The Kirtland Partnership Committee said in a statement it was "deeply grateful to local authorities for their ongoing search efforts."

Gonzales said BCSO is requesting the public's help. This includes people checking and preserving any security camera footage from the area between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday and reporting any information immediately, she said.

"At this time, the case is being handled as a missing person/Silver Alert investigation, and BCSO is pursuing all credible leads," Gonzales said.

She said people can call the BCSO Missing Persons Unit at 505-468-7070 or submit an anonymous tip via Tip411 by texting BCSO and the tip to 847411. They can also share any footage or information with the Sheriff's Office.

"Preserve original files if possible and do not edit or trim video before sharing," Gonzales said.

Allen said BCSO will provide updates "as soon as we can while protecting the integrity of the investigation."

"Well, this is day four," McCorkle said on Tuesday, "so my hopes have dwindled, but obviously you pray and hope for the best."

Gregory R.C. Hasman is a general assignment reporter and the Road Warrior. He can be reached at ghasman@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3820.