Missing general, scientist deaths tied to secret US work prompt White House probe
Susan Wilkerson was gone for just more than one hour when her husband, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William "Neil" McCasland — who once oversaw some of the military’s most...
By Fox News · Fox News
Susan Wilkerson was gone for just more than one hour when her husband, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William "Neil" McCasland — who once oversaw some of the military’s most advanced and highly classified research programs — reportedly vanished from their Albuquerque home. McCasland, 68, left his phone behind , but his wallet and a .38-caliber revolver were missing, according to the Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Sheriff’s Office. The general previously had said he was experiencing what he described as a "mental fog," according to investigators, but authorities stressed there was no indication he was disoriented at the time of his disappearance. "Arguably, he would still be the most intelligent person in the room," Albuquerque police Lt. Kyle Wood said March 16. McCasland’s disappearance is one of 10 recent cases involving scientists tied to U.S. military and government research that have drawn attention, including at the White House, where officials said they are looking into the matter after being asked about a potential pattern. "I hope it's random, but we're going to know in the next week and a half," Trump told reporters Thursday. "I just left a meeting on that subject." Here’s what we know about the scientists who have disappeared or died under a range of circumstances over the past three years. McCasland disappeared Feb. 27 and police have found no trace of him since. His phone, prescription glasses and wearable devices were found at home, but his hiking boots, wallet and a .38‑caliber revolver were reported missing, according to the Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Sheriff’s Office. McCasland held senior roles in space research and acquisition, including leadership positions at the Air Force Research Laboratory and the National Reconnaissance Office, according to the Air Force. He held senior roles at the Pentagon and commanded the Phillips Research Site of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, and the Air Force Research Lab…