Body of missing CDC researcher found
ATLANTA — It seemed as though Timothy Cunningham had vanished.
The 35-year-old reported to work Feb. 12 at Atlanta’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but left a short time later, telling colleagues he didn’t feel well. It was the last time Cunningham was seen alive.
For more than seven weeks, Cunningham’s family and friends held out hope that he would be found safe.
But instead, the search came to a heartbreaking end late Tuesday when a body was pulled from the Chattahoochee River.
An autopsy determined the body belonged to Cunningham, Atlanta police said Thursday A cause of death was not immediately released. In the days after Cunningham’s disappearance, Atlanta police admittedly had few clues.
“The most unusual factor in this case is that every single belonging that we are aware of was located in the residence,” Major Michael O’Connor said at a Feb. 27 news conference. “So his keys, his cellphone, debit card, credit cards, wallet, all of his identification, passports. Anything you can think of, we’ve been able to locate. None of those items are missing.”
Police said Cunningham, an epidemiologist, had been upset in the days before his disappearance because he had been passed over for a promotion. Detectives interviewed several CDC employees, O’Connor said. But the CDC later said information released by police was incorrect.
The CDC said initial reports that Cunningham had failed to get a promotion shortly before his disappearance were incorrect, and that he had received a promotion in July. Atlanta police reiterated that details about Cunningham’s job were provided by the CDC.