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By Joshua Rhett Miller
Senior Reporter
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A retired U.S. Air Force general who disappeared last month may have died by suicide, a former FBI agent suspects.
Jennifer Coffindaffer, a retired FBI agent, presented the grim theory as authorities in New Mexico continue searching for William Neil McCasland, 68, who was last seen in Albuquerque on February 27.
"Not that I believe the premise, but what I do believe is that likely, General McCasland took his life," Coffindaffer posted Saturday on X. "He left without his cell phone so he could not be tracked. He took his gun — unnecessary for a hike. He took his wallet so he could be [identified] when found. He is an avid hiker and knows the mountain he fled to well, so he knew how to find a private place."
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Coffindaffer said that "conspiracy theorists have been all over" McCasland's disappearance due to his military expertise and knowledge of highly classified information, possibly related to nuclear secrets or UFOs.
"He retired over a decade ago," Coffindaffer wrote. "I don't believe his military background has anything to do with his disappearance. His health may have. We don't know his medical condition, but was it grievous?"
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Coffindaffer also cited a report about online sleuths who believe they found McCasland's anonymous social media account, which claimed Army Major John Rossi, who allegedly died by suicide in 2016, had been killed due to his refusal to hand over nuclear material to private contractors.
But McCasland's wife has publicly dispelled reports regarding his health and purported knowledge of the nation's secrets.
"It is true that when Neil was in the Air Force, he had access to some highly classified programs and information," Susan McCasland Wilkerson wrote on Facebook earlier this month. "He retired from the AF almost 13 years ago and has had only very commonly held clearances since. It seems quite unlikely that he was taken to extract very dated secrets from him."
McCasland Wilkerson also noted that the initial alert provided by authorities cited medical conditions, which some mistook as Alzheimer's disease, she said.
"Neil is at some risk, but not from dementia," she wrote. "He was not confused and disoriented."
McCasland Wilkerson acknowledged that her husband had a "brief association with the UFO community" through Tom DeLonge, a member of the rock band Blink-182 and founder of the UFO-centric company To The Stars.
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"Neil worked with Tom for a bit shortly after his Air Force retirement as an unpaid (Neil's choice) consultant on military and technical/scientific matters to lend verisimilitude to Tom's fiction book and media activities," McCasland Wilkerson wrote. "After the Russians hacked John Podesta's emails (see Neil's Wikipedia page), there was less contact with Tom and the community pushing for release of UFO information. This connection is not a reason for someone to abduct Neil. Neil does not have any special knowledge about the ET bodies and debris from the Roswell crash stored at Wright-Patt."
McCasland Wilkerson has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
McCasland's Disappearance: What We Know
The retired Air Force general interacted with a repairman at his residence at about 10 a.m. on February 27, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.
McCasland Wilkerson then left the home for a medical appointment at about 11:10 a.m. When she returned about an hour later, her husband wasn't there, but his phone, prescription glasses and wearable devices were left behind, deputies said.
McCasland Wilkerson reported her husband missing at about 3 p.m. on February 27 after failed attempts to locate him through other relatives and friends.
Investigators have subsequently identified items believed to be unaccounted for from McCasland's home, including a light green shirt, hiking boots, a wallet and a .38-caliber revolver with a leather holster, deputies said.
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Authorities also found a gray U.S. Air Force sweatshirt about a mile east of McCasland's home on March 7. No blood was discovered during initial processing, but additional analysis is pending. It's unclear whether the piece of clothing belongs to McCasland, but the find prompted additional search efforts in the area, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office.
"BCSO continues to pursue all credible leads and follow up on every tip received," deputies said in a statement Thursday. "While there is currently no evidence indicating foul play, investigators are examining all available information as the case remains active."
Investigators have canvassed more than 700 homes near McCasland's residence, requesting security video and additional information from homeowners. Search efforts have included drones and K-9 teams, but deputies have not received any confirmed sightings or video depicting McCasland leaving the area or indicating his direction of travel, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office said.
What Happens Next
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen and FBI officials are scheduled to update reporters on the search for McCasland during a press conference Monday afternoon.
"While no new information is expected to be released, BCSO will summarize what is known to date, investigative and search efforts conducted so far, and how the public can continue to assist. Mr. McCasland remains missing," a media advisory reads.
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