A CDC researcher left work sick two weeks ago — then vanished

A CDC researcher left work sick two weeks ago — then vanished »

Dr. Timothy J. Cunningham had been a rising official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Harvard-educated epidemiologist was promoted in July at the U.S. Public Health Service in Atlanta and contributed to responses following outbreaks of Zika, Ebola and health emergencies caused by Hurricane Sandy. He also was a prominent fixture in the Atlanta community, earning a spot in Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 Awards last year.

But the researcher, who studies disease patterns, was not feeling well Feb. 12 and left work around midday

FROM WASHINGTON POST REPORTING:


Cunningham, 35, hasn’t been seen or heard from since, his family and police have said, sparking a $10,000 reward offered by the family in partnership with Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta for information leading to an arrest and indictment in connection with the incident.

“I feel like I’m in a horrible ‘Black Mirror’ episode,” his sister, Tiara Cunningham, told the New York Times, referencing the dystopian sci-fi television show. “I’m kind of lost without him, to be quite honest.”

She told the paper she speaks with her brother often, but their conversation Feb. 12 left her concerned. “He sounded not like himself,” she said. He did not reply to a text message she sent later, and their mother, Tia-Juana Cunningham, did not reach him either.