The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has joined the search for missing retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William McCasland, 68, who disappeared last week in Bernalillo County, New Mexico.
"The FBI Albuquerque Field Office is involved in this investigation, as it is standard practice for the FBI to assist our local law enforcement partners if we have a tool, tactic, or technique that could benefit their investigations," a spokesperson told the New York Post in a statement.
"The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office is leading this investigation."
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Prior to retiring, McCasland was the commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, where he managed the Air Force's "$2.2 billion science and technology program as well as additional customer funded research and development of $2.2 billion."
The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) issued a Silver Alert for McCasland, of Albuquerque, a former commander at Kirtland Air Force Base, which is located in Albuquerque.
"Due to his background and established partnerships, BCSO is coordinating closely with multiple agencies, including the FBI Albuquerque Field Office," BCSO spokesperson Jayme Gonzales said.
James Tegnalia, a board member of the Kirtland Partnership Committee, a nonprofit that works to preserve and expand the Air Force base, told the Albuquerque Journal that McCasland is "not the kind of person that you would expect to disappear.
"And so, we're all concerned about him, and we're hoping that everything's alright and that he resurfaces."
The Air Force in a statement said it was "coordinating closely with local authorities and defer[s] all updates regarding the search efforts to the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office."
"Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time," said Col. Justin Secrest, base commander of the 377th Air Base Wing at Kirtland.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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