NM - Retired Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, 68, who led Air Force Research Laboratory, Bernalillo County, 27 February 2026

[RedHaus]

So I made a comment yesterday regarding a possible link between this case and Monica reza but it was deleted - so are we allowed to sleuth or not, can someone please explain it to me like I’m 5!

Your post was likely removed (along with my response to you) because it was deemed off topic to this thread.

Per the TOS its important to avoid confusion about the facts between cases and to keep the discussion on track by not introducing separate cases.

I found Monica's case here in WS on a separate thread. Just use the search function within WS to find it. BTW, she disappeared 9 months ago in AZ, not recently in NM like Neil.

 

[Snoopster]

...


In my opinion we overestimate the likelihood of someone being seen on camera in the average neighborhood. People might have their cameras covering only their immediate property. Perhaps it's quite easy to leave his house and be in nature away from cameras pretty quickly?

Agree.

He could easily walk into the 'wash' area at the end of his small street and walk all the way to Elena Gallegos Park, where trails begin that take you into the Sandia Mountain Reserve. It's well under a mile walk to get to the trailhead.

First photo is looking west, toward where his street ends (in the distance on the lefthand side of the image). Street View · Google Maps
Second image is from the same spot looking east toward the park and trail access.
Street View · Google Maps

 

[waldojabba]

I don't have much to add, but just wanted to agree with other thoughts posted here about the challenges both retirement from a highly successful career combined with losing your mental edge if you are a highly intelligent person. Pulling back from some groups, which were likely giving his some fulfillment in retirement, could be devastating to him.

Where are you Mr. McCasland? People are so, so worried about you.

McCasland was not recently retired - he had been for about 13 years. He did some pro bono stuff in his field with Tom DeLonge from Blink for a while as has been sited and mentioned.
He has a Facebook page. Calling him an avid outdoorsman is an understatement. Judging from pics posted he was in excellent shape. He biked hiked skied downhill and cross country among other things. It can be tough to miss the structure and routine of a high powered job , but imo 13 yrs gave him plenty of time to realign.
I am not sure I can give a link for Facebook per tos but he is easily searchable with the first name Neil.
I think a bad diagnosis though could easily perhaps send him and a quite a few of us off with a gun into the unknown.

JMO.

 

[RedHaus]

think a bad diagnosis though could easily perhaps send him and a quite a few of us off with a gun into the unknown.

He could easily walk into the 'wash' area at the end of his small street and walk all the way to Elena Gallegos Park, where trails begin that take you into the Sandia Mountain Reserve. It's well under a mile walk to get to the trailhead.

Like others here, I presume, I have been to NM several times, especially up in the higher elevations. NM is a majestic and vast land. IMO it would be very easy to disappear oneself, especially if one's home had easy access to the great outdoors. I suspect Neil could have walked and walked until he could no longer. Or perhaps he knew of a place only special to him, somewhere deep in the mountains. I hope Neil is at peace wherever he chose to rest. IMO.

p.s. unless there is breaking news about Neil, I will end my sleuthing remarks here.

 

[SteveS]

I found Monica's case here in WS on a separate thread. Just use the search function within WS to find it. BTW, she disappeared 9 months ago in AZ, not recently in NM like Neil.

"she disappeared 9 months ago in AZ" --- This ("in AZ") has been said multiple times, but not accurate. It was actually in CA, in the mountains of the Angeles National Forest area. Far away. Not in a city. Incredibly likely it was just a tragic outdoors accident and nothing spooky. Nature can be lethal. Outdoor mountain hiker, on a hike, rugged terrain, at altitude (hike starting at over a mile high and going up), others were hiking with her and she is behind them, they see her at one stop, then they go further and look back and she's not behind them any more. These are the types of things that happen at times in the mountains.

 

[Sillybilly]

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• tricia
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• Forum: Announcements

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[whitelilac]

with some video of the search.

A retired general vanished from his home. An unseasonably warm spring is making him harder to find

An experienced hiker and avid outdoorsman, William Neil McCasland isn't the typical missing person

abc7.com

 

[Snoopster]

Agree.

He could easily walk into the 'wash' area at the end of his small street and walk all the way to Elena Gallegos Park, where trails begin that take you into the Sandia Mountain Reserve. It's well under a mile walk to get to the trailhead.

First photo is looking west, toward where his street ends (in the distance on the lefthand side of the image). Street View · Google Maps
Second image is from the same spot looking east toward the park and trail access.
Street View · Google Maps

View attachment 653324

View attachment 653325

Too late to edit my post and I just wanted to correct a comment I made. The dead end of his street is on the RIGHT side of the photo. Clearly I don't my left from my right!

 

[diggndeeperstill]

So I made a comment yesterday regarding a possible link between this case and Monica reza but it was deleted - so are we allowed to sleuth or not, can someone please explain it to me like I’m 5!

Your post was likely removed (along with my response to you) because it was deemed off topic to this thread.

Per the TOS its important to avoid confusion about the facts between cases and to keep the discussion on track by not introducing separate cases.

I found Monica's case here in WS on a separate thread. Just use the search function within WS to find it. BTW, she disappeared 9 months ago in AZ, not recently in NM like Neil.

I just think it needed a source possibly, now msm is picking up the commonalities.

Monica Reza case gains attention after disappearance of US general

There is ongoing speculation that the disappearances of Monica Reza and William Neil McCasland may be connected.

www.newsweek.com

The disappearance of retired Air Force Major General William Neil McCasland has renewed attention on the unsolved case of aerospace engineer Monica Reza, who vanished while hiking months earlier.

Reza once worked on a government-funded rocket materials project overseen by McCasland, and her unresolved disappearance has resurfaced in national media reports and online forums amid a widening, multiagency search for McCasland and rising public speculation about his past involvement with research into unidentified flying objects (UFOs).

It remains unclear whether the cases are connected. Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department told Newsweek, "Detectives are looking into this to see if there is any connection at all."

 

[charminglane]

I think about this case multiple times a day.

 

[diggndeeperstill]

I think we need to be clear. McCasland was retired from the Air Force, but not public ventures.

Neil McCasland - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201029005284/en/Arlington-Capital-Partners-Announces-the-Formation-of-BlueHalo-through-the-Combination-of-AEgis-Technologies-Applied-Technology-Associates-and-Brilligent-Solutions

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arlington Capital Partners (“Arlington”) today announced the formation of BlueHalo (the “Company”), a leading provider of advanced engineering solutions and technology to the national security community
…
BlueHalo is purpose-built to provide industry leading capabilities in the domains of Space Superiority and Directed Energy, Missile Defense and C4ISR, and Cyber and Intelligence.
..

Applied Technology Associates (ATA) Names Dr. Neil McCasland as New Director of Technology

/PRNewswire/ -- Applied Technology Associates (ATA) announced today the appointment of Dr. Neil McCasland as Director of Technology. Dr. McCasland will be a...

www.prnewswire.com

---

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Jan. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Applied Technology Associates (ATA) announced today the appointment of Dr. Neil McCasland as Director of Technology. Dr. McCasland will be a member of the executive leadership team and report directly to ATA's President, Dan Gillings.

Neil McCasland, PhD - Kirtland Partnership Committee

Board Member Founder, Owner, and President, DBE Consulting LLC Dr. Neil McCasland is the Director of Technology at Applied Technology Associates (ATA), a small business providing high performance customer solutions, technical services, and assembly, integration, and test capabilities for ground...

kpcnm.org

Board Member​

---

Founder, Owner, and President, DBE Consulting LLC​

Dr. Neil McCasland is the Director of Technology at Applied Technology Associates (ATA), a small business providing high performance customer solutions, technical services, and assembly, integration, and test capabilities for ground, air, and space applications. Dr. McCasland leads technology development and independent research and development programs across the organization.

“Innovation” – Word of the Day for Air Force | Air Force Research Laboratory

afresearchlab.com

(From 2019)

Riverside Research Welcomes Dr. Neil McCasland to their Board of Trustees - Riverside Research

Riverside Research is a not-for-profit chartered to advance research for the benefit of the US government. Through our open innovation concept, we invest in multi-disciplinary research and development and encourage collaboration to accelerate innovation and advance science in machine learning...

www.riversideresearch.org

Washington, DC—May 8, 2023. Universities Space Research Association (USRA), a nonprofit association of 117 universities chartered to advance space science and technology, today announced the election of three new members to its Board of Trustees, along with the election of its Board Chair and Vice Chair.

Maj Gen Neil McCasland, USAF, Ret.
Consultant and Former Commander
Air Force Research Laboratory
Maj Gen Neil McCasland, USAF, Ret.
Consultant and Former Commander
Air Force Research Laboratory

Dr. Neil McCasland is currently an independent consultant advising a range of industry and government clients on military and national security technology issues. Most recently, he served as the Chief Technology Officer for Applied Technology Associates, Albuquerque, NM, from 2013-2021 leading their technical strategy and engineering staff. Prior to that, Dr. McCasland served as an Air Force Major General and has over 30 years of applied technology leadership in the Air Force and Intelligence Community, ranging from science and technology investment planning to on-orbit space operations.
(More at link above)

I don't have much to add, but just wanted to agree with other thoughts posted here about the challenges both retirement from a highly successful career combined with losing your mental edge if you are a highly intelligent person. Pulling back from some groups, which were likely giving his some fulfillment in retirement, could be devastating to him.

Where are you Mr. McCasland? People are so, so worried about you.

McCasland was not recently retired - he had been for about 13 years. He did some pro bono stuff in his field with Tom DeLonge from Blink for a while as has been sited and mentioned.
He has a Facebook page. Calling him an avid outdoorsman is an understatement. Judging from pics posted he was in excellent shape. He biked hiked skied downhill and cross country among other things. It can be tough to miss the structure and routine of a high powered job , but imo 13 yrs gave him plenty of time to realign.
I am not sure I can give a link for Facebook per tos but he is easily searchable with the first name Neil.
I think a bad diagnosis though could easily perhaps send him and a quite a few of us off with a gun into the unknown.

JMO.

 

[Snoopster]

I think we need to be clear. McCasland was retired from the Air Force, but not public ventures.

Neil McCasland - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201029005284/en/Arlington-Capital-Partners-Announces-the-Formation-of-BlueHalo-through-the-Combination-of-AEgis-Technologies-Applied-Technology-Associates-and-Brilligent-Solutions

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arlington Capital Partners (“Arlington”) today announced the formation of BlueHalo (the “Company”), a leading provider of advanced engineering solutions and technology to the national security community
…
BlueHalo is purpose-built to provide industry leading capabilities in the domains of Space Superiority and Directed Energy, Missile Defense and C4ISR, and Cyber and Intelligence.
..

Applied Technology Associates (ATA) Names Dr. Neil McCasland as New Director of Technology

/PRNewswire/ -- Applied Technology Associates (ATA) announced today the appointment of Dr. Neil McCasland as Director of Technology. Dr. McCasland will be a...

www.prnewswire.com

---

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Jan. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Applied Technology Associates (ATA) announced today the appointment of Dr. Neil McCasland as Director of Technology. Dr. McCasland will be a member of the executive leadership team and report directly to ATA's President, Dan Gillings.

Neil McCasland, PhD - Kirtland Partnership Committee

Board Member Founder, Owner, and President, DBE Consulting LLC Dr. Neil McCasland is the Director of Technology at Applied Technology Associates (ATA), a small business providing high performance customer solutions, technical services, and assembly, integration, and test capabilities for ground...

kpcnm.org

Board Member​

---

Founder, Owner, and President, DBE Consulting LLC​

Dr. Neil McCasland is the Director of Technology at Applied Technology Associates (ATA), a small business providing high performance customer solutions, technical services, and assembly, integration, and test capabilities for ground, air, and space applications. Dr. McCasland leads technology development and independent research and development programs across the organization.

“Innovation” – Word of the Day for Air Force | Air Force Research Laboratory

afresearchlab.com

(From 2019)

Riverside Research Welcomes Dr. Neil McCasland to their Board of Trustees - Riverside Research

Riverside Research is a not-for-profit chartered to advance research for the benefit of the US government. Through our open innovation concept, we invest in multi-disciplinary research and development and encourage collaboration to accelerate innovation and advance science in machine learning...

www.riversideresearch.org

Washington, DC—May 8, 2023. Universities Space Research Association (USRA), a nonprofit association of 117 universities chartered to advance space science and technology, today announced the election of three new members to its Board of Trustees, along with the election of its Board Chair and Vice Chair.

Maj Gen Neil McCasland, USAF, Ret.
Consultant and Former Commander
Air Force Research Laboratory
Maj Gen Neil McCasland, USAF, Ret.
Consultant and Former Commander
Air Force Research Laboratory

Dr. Neil McCasland is currently an independent consultant advising a range of industry and government clients on military and national security technology issues. Most recently, he served as the Chief Technology Officer for Applied Technology Associates, Albuquerque, NM, from 2013-2021 leading their technical strategy and engineering staff. Prior to that, Dr. McCasland served as an Air Force Major General and has over 30 years of applied technology leadership in the Air Force and Intelligence Community, ranging from science and technology investment planning to on-orbit space operations.
(More at link above)

Thanks for pulling this together.

This makes me wonder how he has felt recently after pulling back from various groups. It seems that after retirement he filled his life with other appointments. These, no doubt, fed his need for mental involvement and a sense of belonging. This is just my opinion as someone who has spent their career around brilliant people. But I might be off-base in this particular case as each person is different.

 

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[diggndeeperstill]

Agreed … I’d like to know what “groups” they were referring to.

Thanks for pulling this together.

This makes me wonder how he has felt recently after pulling back from various groups. It seems that after retirement he filled his life with other appointments. These, no doubt, fed his need for mental involvement and a sense of belonging. This is just my opinion as someone who has spent their career around brilliant people. But I might be off-base in this particular case as each person is different.

 

[3llecia]

Dr. Neil McCasland is currently an independent consultant advising a range of industry and government clients on military and national security technology issues. Most recently, he served as the Chief Technology Officer for Applied Technology Associates, Albuquerque, NM, from 2013-2021 leading their technical strategy and engineering staff.

Initially, it was his role with ATA that made me wonder about potential connections to the war with Iran which happened soon after he disappeared.

I found military contracts for ATA regarding directed energy weapons and projects to shoot down drones (off the top of my head).

But I don’t think the stated facts (so far) support the sort of outcome where he’s been secretly called up by the Air Force. Investigating agencies wouldn’t be publicly treating this as a missing person, imo.

He was withdrawing from groups, not leaning into roles.

I can only assume he had better than average insight into what the defence force could have been planning after Iran was bombed last year.

He would likely be aware of recent promises by the President about UAP disclosures, alongside announcements to recommence nuclear weapons testing and plutonium pit production.

He may also have been affected by the loss of his former colleague in August.

Maybe these things impacted him, or maybe they are irrelevant.

All we know is there was a history of withdrawing from consulting with Tom DeLonge’s business in 2016, after Russians hacked John Podesta’s emails. And he’s most recently withdrawn from other groups due to brain fog, before completely disappearing.

 

[waldojabba]

Thanks for pulling this together.

This makes me wonder how he has felt recently after pulling back from various groups. It seems that after retirement he filled his life with other appointments. These, no doubt, fed his need for mental involvement and a sense of belonging. This is just my opinion as someone who has spent their career around brilliant people. But I might be off-base in this particular case as each person is different.

Some of these groups/ boards must be the ones he recently pulled back from bc Brain/mental fog altho he had no confusion or disorientation.
That’s the conundrum …what actually was his “fog” and was there a diagnosed cause. Did the fog appear to be permanent and perhaps progressive or not etc.
We just don’t know.

Either it felt like a loss to have to walk away from a few of his commitments or he was ready to move on and the brain fog gave him a way out. Regimented and committed to having purpose it appears, I sense giving up these positions felt very much like a loss. A bit of a second retirement if you will.
He is only 68 - many people are still out there working full time living full lives.
It can be hard to age. Depending upon his state of mind I guess he was either taking it in stride or not.
JMO

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I think about this case multiple times a day.

ohhhh... me as well.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I have been reading the replies with great interest. Regarding the Silver Alert and "Brain Fog", if I am being honest, if my husband was missing and I thought a Silver Alert would be helpful, I might "overestimate" some of the way he was acting in order to have him fit the criteria. Just a thought. It seems that when pressed on the reason for the Silver Alert, it was downplayed and then explained with something seeming minor. My husband often forgets his wallet, keys, phone, somewhere at least once a week. I am positive if I was urgently wanting to get resources to help find him, I could manipulate that forgetfulness into something else.

MOO

Your thoughts are mine as well....
I thnk his revered presence and his apparent appreciation for fitness, could give LE and Neil's wife the go-ahead with the Silver Alert.

A simple question from the wife could be "is there anything else we can do". I believe LE would defend the Silver Alert.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I've been following and keep checking here.

McCasland is a brilliant individual, and had an illustrious career in science and technology, space research and was in charge of some $2 billion worth of research and development, plus his involvement in UFO programs.

I think an individual who displays exceptional talent and intelligence would also have the capacity for deep reflection, for contemplating the bigger questions about humanity, existence, creation, the cosmos etc. And world affairs, especially the present turmoil and future consequences.

I fear that he has had enough, and IF indeed his health was suffering (though not physically as he is fit) particularly with the brain fog issues which would incapacitate his thinking capabilities, he may have wanted to leave the world.

That he took his gun and ID only, no phone or way to communicate, I think this is what happened.
It's so sad, ...hope I am wrong...hence I still regard him in the present tense

I do agree with so much of what you are saying...

I will attempt to play "devil's advocate" though--just 'because'.

At the press conference, they indicated that "neil would still be the smartest one in the room". I really do believe that the "brain fog" was primarily stated to be able to justify the Silver Alert. I even think the connection of the brain fog and leaving some groups is a stretch. But it does connect your comments regarding "deep reflection and the bigger questions about humanity".

Being part of some groups whose members have such vehemence in their opinions...maybe he just did not want to have to keep up with their inquiries and interrogations anymore.

I know i am just trying to defend this guys extraordinary intellegence.... I guess I just feel that the brain fog discussions are bloated.

However, I have no explanation for leaving with a gun and ID.
If self harm was his choice................. WHY would he want to disappear rather than be found so his wife could get closure.



So, I am just challenging his desire "to leave the world"

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Whether this is suicide or foul play or even an accident, he would have had to exit the house at some point. And apparently there is no footage of him leaving his house or neighborhood.
So that's the part I just can't wrap my head around.
There are cameras. The footage has been recovered by LE.
No matter what may have happened to him he had to leave/be taken from the house at some point. There are cameras in his street. He's not seen on any of the footage.

Are we sure they have fully declared that there is "no footage of him leaving his house"

Didn't we also hear that it is mountainous right behind his house... no roads at all?