Ex-FBI Agent Raises Concerns Over Search for Missing Air Force General

Authorities in New Mexico have been searching for William Neil McCasland since he was reported missing last month.

Mar. 19, 2026 at 3:34pm

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A former FBI agent has explained the difficulties as authorities continue searching for a retired Air Force general who disappeared from his home three weeks ago. Jennifer Coffindaffer, who suspects McCasland may have died by suicide, said it could take some time before authorities locate him due to the challenging terrain in the Sandia mountain foothills where he was last seen.

Why it matters

The case highlights the challenges law enforcement can face when searching for missing persons, especially in remote and rugged areas. It also raises questions about the potential national security implications given McCasland's previous high-level military clearances.

The details

Authorities in New Mexico have been searching for William Neil McCasland since he was reported missing on February 27 from his home in Albuquerque. McCasland's phone, glasses and wearable devices were found at the home, but items believed to be missing include his hiking boots, wallet and a handgun. The sheriff's office said McCasland is an 'avid outdoorsman and is known to often hike, run, and cycle in the Northeast Heights and the Sandia foothills.' Coffindaffer noted that it had taken more than a month for investigators to locate Brian Laundrie in a wildlife reserve in Florida five years ago, and said authorities have still not located another missing person, Travis Turner, a Virginia high school football coach.

  • McCasland was last seen on the morning of February 27 at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
  • McCasland's wife reported him missing that day after returning home from an appointment to find he was not there.

The players

William Neil McCasland

A retired Air Force general who went missing from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico on February 27.

Jennifer Coffindaffer

A former FBI agent who has explained the difficulties authorities face in searching for missing persons in remote and rugged areas.

Brian Laundrie

A man who went missing in Florida five years ago and whose remains were not found until over a month later.

Travis Turner

A Virginia high school football coach who is being sought on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material and using a computer to solicit a minor, and has been missing since November 2020.

Susan McCasland Wilkerson

The wife of William Neil McCasland, who has publicly dispelled reports regarding her husband's health and purported knowledge of the nation's secrets.

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What they’re saying

“It's a needle in a haystack finding an individual in the Sandia mountain foothills. It's impossible for a learned and astute outdoorsman to be found quickly because it's so difficult, the terrain, and you can't do a grid search.”

— Jennifer Coffindaffer, Former FBI Agent

“The FBI, all full forces, hundreds of people, they spent millions of dollars, they used every asset they had, they knew exactly where he went in. His car was parked right there and they couldn't find him.”

— Jennifer Coffindaffer, Former FBI Agent

“It is so difficult. I've been on huge manhunts. It's just very, very difficult.”

— Jennifer Coffindaffer, Former FBI Agent

“Neil is at some risk, but not from dementia. He was not confused and disoriented.”

— Susan McCasland Wilkerson

“It seems quite unlikely that he was taken to extract very dated secrets from him.”

— Susan McCasland Wilkerson

What’s next

The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office is the lead agency in the case, while the FBI's Albuquerque field office is assisting. Anyone with information is urged to contact the sheriff's office's Missing Persons Unit.

The takeaway

This case highlights the immense challenges law enforcement can face when searching for missing persons, especially in remote and rugged terrain. It also raises questions about the potential national security implications given the missing person's previous high-level military clearances, though his wife has sought to dispel such concerns.