Found Deceased GA - Timothy Cunningham, 35, Chamblee, 12 Feb 2018 #2

[idfinch]

My deepest sympathies to the family. This is definitely not the outcome anyone wanted, but at the very least they can lay him to rest.

I lean towards suicide because of all of his things left home, and the troublesome texts/exchanges with family. Plus the proximity to home. Could it have been accidental? Possibly?

There are some cases that just don't make sense. Not enough answers, the pieces don't seem to fit with suicide even though that's how it has been labeled. Wondering how that last hour went and what really happened. And WHY. A few stick with me. This one will. Cheryl DeBoer bothers me a lot, still.

I hope more than anything that his family can find some sense of peace.

 

[Pamela_Brewer]

I’m starting to question the validity of the HLN sidebar which said Dr. Cunningham’s parents called 911 on Feb 11. I saw it myself on HLN, and I’m the one who reported it here. But, I haven’t seen that reported anywhere else. Literally. I’ve searched online and can’t find any other reports about them calling 911 on Feb 11.

I’m just wondering whether HLN had a typo or something. Maybe they meant to say Feb 14?

Perhaps it should have said shared information from texts on February 11?
Then aging maybe they called 911 and had an officer go do a wellness check?

Mom was reassured and that's why her cell phone was off the next morning...

"Cunningham's parents, Tia and Terrell Cunningham, recently said they shared a worrisome series of text messages and a phone call with their son on the evening of February 11."

https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/04/05/health/timothy-cunningham-cdc-body-found/index.html


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[foxbluff]

I can appreciate that the fishermen would not be eligible for reward money from Crime Stoppers, but what about the separate reward offered by Tim's family and friends?

https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law...d-cdc-researcher-body/89jowssDmg6a9MQxEatieJ/

No reward money for fishermen who spotted CDC researcher’s body
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Friday, April 6, 2018

A seven-week search to find a missing CDC researcher ended late Tuesday because of two alert fishermen who spotted a body in the Chattahoochee River, according to police. But the two men aren’t eligible for any of the $15,000 in reward money for their 911 call that led investigators to Timothy Cunningham’s body, Atlanta police said.

“They are not,” Officer Stephanie Brown said. “The Crime Stoppers reward is for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case.” <snipped>

 

[Jade]

FWIW

After several fisherman that fell out of boats drowned, ones that could swim and ones that were relatively close to shore, a newspaper article had information that falling into cold water triggers an involuntary intake of breath causing drowning in what seems unlikely situations.

Although that may not seem like frigid water we southern folks are vulnerable to cold.

Average bath tub temperature is around 100+ a little more I think.

He reminded me of a coworker, sweetest guy, wears his heart on his sleeve.

My condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and his community

 

[Kittybunny]

Sad, but not surprised that this was Tim. I did not think that he would be found alive. While I am pretty certain that this was suicide, I can't completely rule out accident without really understanding the exact geography and logistics of how and whether he could have fallen in accidentally somehow. But I still lean against it - his parents concern, the text messages, his non-promotion, and calling in sick the week before, and leaving work early, all are signs that don't bode well.

R.I.P. Tim

 

[Gussified]

I’ve read that Tim was found wearing his running shoes. His death may be due to nothing more than a fatal cardiac arrhythmia. Everything leading to this event may have been nothing more than coincidence. Still sad.

In the presser, the medical examiner pretty much ruled that out. Someone asked something along those lines and she said the autopsy indicated that he died of drowning, and was “unremarkable” otherwise. Of course, toxicology is still pending, but the autopsy should have turned up any sign of cardiac arrhythmia. JMO

 

[22T]

I'm so sad about this news I felt from the beginning and the circumstances provided that it would end this way. My only question from the coroner's report, and maybe someone has asked and I haven't caught it already, but if he jumped wouldn't he have had scratches or bruises or some sort of impact on his body? Are they assuming he simply walked into the water and lay down to die? It's so unnatural for our bodies to embrace water into our mouths/noses when exposed to it. That's a really hard way to drown.

 

[SeesSeas]

I can appreciate that the fishermen would not be eligible for reward money from Crime Stoppers, but what about the separate reward offered by Tim's family and friends?

https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law...d-cdc-researcher-body/89jowssDmg6a9MQxEatieJ/

No reward money for fishermen who spotted CDC researcher&#8217;s body
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Friday, April 6, 2018

A seven-week search to find a missing CDC researcher ended late Tuesday because of two alert fishermen who spotted a body in the Chattahoochee River, according to police. But the two men aren&#8217;t eligible for any of the $15,000 in reward money for their 911 call that led investigators to Timothy Cunningham&#8217;s body, Atlanta police said.

&#8220;They are not,&#8221; Officer Stephanie Brown said. &#8220;The Crime Stoppers reward is for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case.&#8221; <snipped>

Perhaps the family will distribute the $24,337 to the fisherman as it was for "a reward for information that will help locate Tim". I guess they could choose to refund the donors. They may get advice on how to proceed with this.

 

[smiley]

I am glad that he was found and his family can lay him to rest
I am still on the fence as to what happened.
If he left work because he was ill, why was he out walking or jogging(jogging shoes on) ?
If he was going to commit suicide why collect rocks & put in your pocket?
I am leaning towards accident
Then again whatever was in the messages between Tim and his parents before he disappeared could be the clue as to what truly happened

 

[Crosby87]

A young father and his son accidentally drowned in the Chattahoochee River on Sunday, April 1st, 2018.

Beau Rabon, 4, was found dead in the Chattahoochee River on Friday morning, the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reported. It was five days after his father, James Rabon, was pulled from the river on Easter Sunday.

The father and child weren’t wearing life jackets when they went fishing from the bank about 250 yards south of Oliver Dam on March 28, according to Columbus fire.

The boy fell into the water and his father went in to rescue him, authorities told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
When witnesses saw them go under they notified authorities, and an extensive search began.

https://www.ajc.com/news/local/year-old-boy-body-found-chattahoochee-river/iWe4cf1EBgVkkt2Z1wwCDJ/

 

[JazzTune]

I'm so sad about this news I felt from the beginning and the circumstances provided that it would end this way. My only question from the coroner's report, and maybe someone has asked and I haven't caught it already, but if he jumped wouldn't he have had scratches or bruises or some sort of impact on his body? Are they assuming he simply walked into the water and lay down to die? It's so unnatural for our bodies to embrace water into our mouths/noses when exposed to it. That's a really hard way to drown.

At the presser they said the body was badly decomposed, and the condition was consistent with him being in the water since the day he disappeared.

My apologies for being so graphic, but I wonder at the condition of his body at the time of recovery.

I might be wrong but I would imagine the decomposition was beyond the stage of detection of scratches and bruises...


JMO

 

[savagewoman]

RIP Tim

This whole situation with Tim not getting a promotion. It seemed that the CDC disclosed quite a bit of information surrounding this. It has made me think a lot about my previous corporate career. I too put so much of my self worth into my job. It actually made me very stressed then depressed. I left my former dream job because the company hired someone else above me to be my boss. It broke me. I could really relate to what Tim was struggling with careerwise. So sad for him

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[JazzTune]

I am glad that he was found and his family can lay him to rest
I am still on the fence as to what happened.
If he left work because he was ill, why was he out walking or jogging(jogging shoes on) ?
If he was going to commit suicide why collect rocks & put in your pocket?
I am leaning towards accident
Then again whatever was in the messages between Tim and his parents before he disappeared could be the clue as to what truly happened

The word "ill" covers a lot of territory. If he was in the midst of a mental health crisis, that definitely qualifies as ill, in my opinion.

If he was in that crisis, and determined to carry out a plan to go jump off a bridge, it's much easier to get there wearing jogging shoes, instead of dress shoes.

As for the rocks, it was my understanding from the presser that they were found in his pocket. Not that they were necessarily found that very day he disappeared. I understood them to mean that he collected the rocks as a form of a hobby.

Those rocks may not have been new. He might have carried rocks in his pocket every day for his own reasons.

All just my opinion...

 

[dspdenver]

I might be wrong but I would imagine the decomposition was beyond the stage of detection of scratches and bruises...
JMO

There was a body found here in Denver in the South Platte River in January after a month missing and the autopsy report did identify bruising on arms and legs from a possible fall down an embankment, but they could not determine if the man drowned due to decomposition of the lungs. I would imagine the river here was colder than the Chattahoochee, but they still listed drowning as the preliminary COD for Timothy, so perhaps the deeper water there helped to slow decomposition even with warmer water and a longer time before being found, and thus scratches and bruising might also still be indentifiable. MOO.

 

[heartgoesout]

Agreed completely on whoever said about our need to know and respecting the privacy of Tim and his family.

I do wonder though if they would consider sharing Tim's concerning text so that other families can understand nontypical warning signs (if it was not flat out said) and if he did in fact take his own life.

 

[daisydaisy]

Perhaps the family will distribute the $24,337 to the fisherman as it was for "a reward for information that will help locate Tim". I guess they could choose to refund the donors. They may get advice on how to proceed with this.

I want to be careful about saying what the family should or shouldn&#8217;t do with the money. But. Finding him in the state he was apparently in... That had to be traumatic for those fishermen, and I would hope they would somehow be rewarded for their bravery and reporting. Without them, Tim would still be missing. JMO.

 

[JazzTune]

There was a body found here in Denver in the South Platte River in January after a month missing and the autopsy report did identify bruising on arms and legs from a possible fall down an embankment, but they could not determine if the man drowned due to decomposition of the lungs. I would imagine the river here was colder than the Chattahoochee, but they still listed drowning as the preliminary COD for Timothy, so perhaps the deeper water there helped to slow decomposition even with warmer water and a longer time before being found, and thus scratches and bruising might also still be indentifiable. MOO.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/body-missing-cdc-employee-found-atlanta-authorities-n863021



Thank you for posting, that really is interesting. I wouldn't have imagined it could be possible, so I appreciate the information.

As for the situation here though, I'm not sure it can be compared. I think quite a bit of decomposition may occur with two months as compared to just one. I may be wrong, but from the link above it states:

"Fishermen found the severely decomposed body on Tuesday night..."

I don't want to be insensitive to the family, or add any more anguish in any way. So, I won't really discuss the ramifications of that terminology.

Actually, it's hard to even read about when I google it. Suffice it to say though that severe decomposition does not jive with detection of scratches and bruises, from what I have read.

I won't link it as it's so graphic. Others can research it if they want.

So I'll just leave this then as being my opinion only...

Thanks again for your input!


JMO

 

[liltexans]

I want to post something that Leanne Bearden's husband, Josh, posted after Leanne died of suicide. Incidentally, Josh also started a foundation for depression awareness after Leanne died in the hopes of educating and helping others.

I realize we don't know the manner of death yet for Timothy. The preliminary cause of death is drowning and the manner of death is still undetermined. However, there is a possibility that Timothy died of suicide. Society is never going to move past the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicidality until people talk about it and have real conversations and educate themselves. If Timothy had died of diabetes or heart disease or cancer, most people would not think twice about mentioning that. It would not be covered up out of respect for his privacy.

Depression and mental illness are NO different from other diseases. They are diseases that affect the brain. They are caused by various factors, including chemical imbalances, but they are just as real as having a broken arm or a heart problem. People with depression don't choose to have depression.

This is what Josh Bearden posted when his beloved wife died:

When Leanne picked these pictures she was happy just like she always was. Leanne was not a depressed person, Leanne had depression. The difference in the two is as far apart as the people that can't recognize this. They might as well live on different planets. During the whirlwind of memorial services that Leanne had one group said that they don't want to remember Leanne as a depressed person. LEANNE WAS NOT A DEPRESSED PERSON, SHE HAD DEPRESSION. I remember the anger that this made me feel but I sucked it up. The danger in this type of thinking is that we learn nothing. The stigma of depression rolls on and nobody notices. This is the exact thinking that feeds the stigma and changes nothing. This type of poisonous thought is something that we all must change.

http://www.goexplore365.com/

 

[dspdenver]

Actually, it's hard to even read about when I google it. Suffice it to say though that severe decomposition does not jive with detection of scratches and bruises, from what I have read.

The Denver ME did note "moderate decomposition" rather than severe as in Timothy's case. I just wanted to note the difference in them not being able to specify drowning with any certainty in the Denver case compared to this one as showing how specific circumstances can apparently have a large affect on autopsy results.

 

[JazzTune]

The Denver ME did note "moderate decomposition" rather than severe as in Timothy's case. I just wanted to note the difference in them not being able to specify drowning with any certainty in the Denver case compared to this one as showing how specific circumstances can apparently have a large affect on autopsy results.

Yes, I understand what you're saying now. Sorry I missed it the first time. Good point too! Odd, as you say that the cause of death could be determined as drowning with Timothy, with severe decomposition.

Yet the man you described who had moderate could not have cause of death determined due to too much decomposition of the lungs.

That IS weird...

Thank you for pointing that out. Good observation..