A body pulled from the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta has been identified as Timothy Cunningham, a researcher from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who mysteriously disappeared in February, Atlanta police confirmed Thursday.
Police and the medical examiner identified drowning as the preliminary cause of death during a press conference Thursday. Though they reported that they did not see any evidence of foul play, they added they were waiting for additional evaluations to make a final determination, including whether the death might have been a suicide or homicide.
“We do have some other issues we need to take up, but at this point we have no indication of foul play … We believe it’s drowning,” said Major Michael O’Connor from the Atlanta Police Department.
Sgt. Cortez Stafford, public information officer for the Atlanta Fire Department, said department officials had searched the river Feb. 23 but had not found anything then.
The body was found after people who had been fishing nearby saw it and called 911.
“This past Tuesday we were called out to that same area … for the recovery of a body and did in fact recover a body from that scene,” Stafford said.
UPDATE: The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the body recovered in the Chattahoochee River in NW Atlanta late Tuesday to be missing CDC employee Timothy Cunningham. A press conference will be held at 2 p.m. ET at APD Headquarters on the investigation. pic.twitter.com/PlAGiqHO5P
— Atlanta Police Dept (@Atlanta_Police) April 5, 2018
Dr. Jan Gorniak, Fulton County chief medical examiner, said the body’s decomposition appeared consistent with the timing of Cunningham’s disappearance Feb. 12.
Stafford said getting to the body had not been easy and that officials had to take boats to arrive there. The body was along the bank of the river and covered in mud.
“Basically the area was inaccessible through walking,” Fire department Sgt. Alex Hofstadter said. “There was no easy access to the area.”
The area was not far from Cunningham’s home, and he was wearing his jogging shoes when he was found. O’Connor said it was possible that he was jogging and that officers had also uncovered three crystals that he used to collect in his pocket.
“Barring some new information coming forward, we may never be able to tell you how he got into the river,” O’Connor said.
Police had been able to locate his wallet, identification, and cellphone, and had been puzzled for weeks over what had occurred.
O’Connor speculated that perhaps he didn’t bring his wallet because he hadn’t intended on buying anything.
Cunningham vanished more than two months ago after telling co-workers he wasn’t feeling well. He called two family members that morning but had not reached out to anyone since. The Atlanta Police Department said he had been upset because he had recently been passed over for a promotion, a claim that was disputed by CDC officials.
The CDC said in a statement that Cunningham’s colleagues were “deeply saddened to learn of his death.”
“Tim was a treasured member of the CDC family and his work as an epidemiologist was invaluable to CDC’s efforts to protect the health, safety, and security of Americans,” CDC spokesman Benjamin Haynes said. “Tim’s impact will be felt not only through his significant contributions to CDC’s mission, but also through his influence on the lives of his colleagues and friends. We extend our condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Cunningham was an epidemiologist in the CDC’s U.S. Public Health Service and was based out of the agency’s headquarters in Atlanta. The CDC said his research focused on understanding health differences related to race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, and geography. The agency also noted he had been deployed on public health emergencies including those associated with Superstorm Sandy, Ebola and Zika.
Officials expect to close the case during the next month.
