Back in February, we shared with you that CDC doctor, Timothy Cunningham, who was working as an epidemiologist in the CDC’s chronic disease unit, had disappeared “without a trace.”All of his belongings, including his car and beloved dog, Bo, were found at his residence. While this seemed odd to his family and friends, they held out hope that he would turn up.
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Sadly, he was found two months later in the Chattahoochee River, near where he normally went for runs.
Yesterday, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office officially ruled Dr. Timothy Cunningham‘s death “suicide by drowning.” Although it still remains unclear how he first entered the water (it should also be noted that the doctor was said to be an excellent swimmer).
Cunningham, who was Harvard-educated, was last seen alive leaving work Feb. 12, after complaining that he felt unwell.
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The chief medical examiner, Dr. Jan Gorniak, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:1
- toxicology testing found marijuana in Cunningham’s system
- his body showed no other signs of trauma
- Cunningham’s parents told police that he did have frequent mood swings but that he had never been officially diagnosed with depression or any other mental illness
Atlanta authorities initially called Cunningham’s case unusual with Atlanta police major Michael O’Connor saying at a press conference, “This is an extremely unusual set of circumstances. Every single belonging we were aware of was located in the residence. It is not common in missing-person cases for us to find someone’s entire belongings.”2
Again, while they have ruled the cause of death as “drowning,” officials still have no idea how he or where he got into the water. And for a strong swimmer, death by drowning seems particularly odd.
As always should more information become available, we will update you.
