Body of CDC Worker Missing for Nearly 2 Months Found in River

Timothy Cunningham was missing for nearly two months.

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Image via Getty/Kevin C. Cox

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The body of a missing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employee has been found.

Timothy Cunningham's body was discovered in the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta Tuesday night, an Atlanta Police Department spokesperson told the Associated Press Thursday afternoon. Additional details have not yet been made available. A press conference is scheduled for later Thursday.

35-year-old Cunningham was employed by the CDC as an epidemiologist. Family members reported him missing on Feb. 16 after noticing his car and personal belongings had been left at his Atlanta residence. Among the personal items later confirmed by police were Cunningham’s wallet, phone, keys, and dog Mr. Bojangles.

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Though reports started to spread claiming that Cunningham had recently missed out on a promotion prior to his disappearance, acting CDC Director Dr. Anne Schuchat later called such reports "incorrect." According to the CDC's updated statement on the matter, Cunningham was given an "exceptional proficiency promotion" in July. "Over and above any of his assignments at CDC, his early promotion within the [U.S. Public Health Service] reflects his excellence as an officer and an employee," a CDC spokesperson said last month.

On his last recorded day at work, Cunningham left early because he reportedly "wasn't feeling well." A neighbor, Viviana Tory, told CBS News in March that her husband had spoken with Cunningham that same day. Tory claimed Cunningham suggested they erase his number. At one point, a $15,000 reward was offered for information related to Cunningham's disappearance. Earlier into the investigation, authorities said evidence of foul play had not been uncovered. They did not, however, rule it out.

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