Missing General’s Wife Refutes Claims About His UFO Connections

The wife of a retired Air Force major general who went missing in late February is pushing back against what she calls “misinformation” surrounding her husband’s disappearance, particularly regarding his alleged connections to UFO research.

Neil McCasland, who retired in 2013 as commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, was last seen at his Albuquerque home on February 27. As search efforts continue, his wife, Susan McCasland Wilkerson, addressed speculation about her husband’s background in a recent Facebook post.

“It is true that Neil had a brief association with the UFO community through Tom DeLonge, former frontman for Blink-182 and founder of the organization To The Stars,” Wilkerson wrote. She clarified that following his retirement, McCasland served as an unpaid consultant to DeLonge, providing military and technical expertise to “lend verisimilitude to Tom’s fiction book and media activities.”

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, where McCasland was stationed, has historically been linked to UFO phenomena. During his tenure there from 2011 to 2013, McCasland oversaw a substantial $2.2 billion science and technology program, plus an additional $2.2 billion in customer-funded research and development.

Despite these connections, Wilkerson emphasized that her husband “does not have any special knowledge” related to his time at the base. With a touch of dark humor, she added, “Though at this point with absolutely no sign of him, maybe the best hypothesis is that aliens beamed him up to the mothership. However, no sightings of a mothership hovering above the Sandia Mountains have been reported.”

Wilkerson also addressed other misconceptions surrounding her husband’s case. Although a silver alert mentioned unspecified “medical issues,” she stated firmly that McCasland does not suffer from dementia. Law enforcement officials later clarified that the silver alert was “based on information available early in the investigation” and that they would not release “medical details” or “speculate about his state of mind.”

She further disputed reports that her husband received a “concerning Friday-morning telephone call to a close relative” before his disappearance.

The investigation into McCasland’s whereabouts has been extensive. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office reported canvassing more than 700 homes, collecting security footage, and conducting drone operations along with ground and K9 searches. The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office has also joined the effort, which authorities describe as “standard practice when it has a tool, tactic, or technique that may benefit the investigation.”

Several items from McCasland’s home remain unaccounted for, including his hiking boots, wallet, and a .38 caliber revolver with a leather holster. His phone and prescription glasses were left behind. Investigators noted that a U.S. Air Force sweatshirt was found just over a mile from his residence, though they have not confirmed whether it belonged to McCasland.

Authorities also addressed speculation about foul play. “While there is currently no evidence indicating foul play, investigators are examining all available information as the case remains active,” the Sheriff’s Office stated in its most recent update.

Wilkerson also dismissed theories suggesting McCasland might have been targeted for classified information he accessed during his military career. “Since he retired 13 years ago, it seems quite unlikely that he was taken” to extract what would now be “very dated secrets,” she wrote.

As the search continues, officials are urging residents in the surrounding area to check security camera footage and submit any information that might help locate the missing retired general. Wilkerson concluded her post by expressing appreciation for “all the thoughts and prayers from around the country” and promising updates when “real information comes in.”