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

[debirlfan]

Seems he would have taken things with him though and arranged for doggie care IMHO.

I was talking about his absences on Thursday and Friday. It seems to me that if he was depressed about not getting the promotion, he wouldn't have been at work that Tuesday and Wednesday, either. (I'm assuming he did work those two days, as we haven't heard otherwise.)

 

[dixiegirl1035]

It took this long for people to start getting really confused about it, IMO. It’s a lot of new terms and concepts for people to learn and they started getting the jargon mixed up. I think it was good his dad said something but CDC also wanted to clear it up.

I think the CDC has confused things more than before! We here now know, thank you very much, that last year's position within the United States Public Health Service had nothing to do with his promotion to branch chief that he was applying for.

I think the Centers for Disease Control has just confused the Normal public in my opinion.

In addition, I think perhaps they are just Incorrect in what they are stating as they don't seem to be recognizing that he did not get the promotion to Branch or section chief?

 

[mrstfs]

I was talking about his absences on Thursday and Friday. It seems to me that if he was depressed about not getting the promotion, he wouldn't have been at work that Tuesday and Wednesday, either. (I'm assuming he did work those two days, as we haven't heard otherwise.)

Ah ok makes sense


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Breamworthy]

Where my friend works, if he calls in sick, he has to see a doctor and provide a doctor's note to his employer before he can return to work.
It doesn't look like TC's employer forced TC to consult with a doctor when he decided to call in sick on Thursday and Friday and leave due to illness after he attended the meeting on Monday morning. No medical intervention by the employer was provided to TC so I guess they don't have a policy in place for this.
Perhaps TC didn't want to go see a doctor because he wasn't physically ill, just emotionally upset.

There's been recent work in public health research showing that requiring sick notes is an unnecessary strain on both employees and the healthcare system. My guess is, being a public health agency, the CDC is on top of this research and doesn't require sick notes - especially not from higher level employees.

 

[daisydaisy]

Hmmmm.... So is the CDC quibbling with LE over the exact phrasing (Promotion vs New Position) in order to save face?
OR did LE maybe mislead in order to make Timothy's disappearance seem voluntary?

(I'm still bothered that there has not been another Presser or statement released saying they confirmed it was Tim leaving the CDC in his car that day. Plus, there should have been other cameras that captured his car driving towards his home).

They do like to stick to their technical wording. A "promotion," I *think*, would qualify as a move up to a higher rank or GS-level. The branch chief job wouldn't necessarily be a promotion, since he probably had to be at a particular GS-level to apply in the first place.

If CDC leadership is even aware of the branch chief job TC didn't get, I'm guessing they didn't mention it in the statement because it's a personnel issue? Either way, it's causing more confusion.

 

[daisydaisy]

There's been recent work in public health research showing that requiring sick notes is an unnecessary strain on both employees and the healthcare system. My guess is, being a public health agency, the CDC is on top of this research and doesn't require sick notes - especially not from higher level employees.

I never had to supply a doctor's note to use sick leave at CDC.

 

[debirlfan]

There's been recent work in public health research showing that requiring sick notes is an unnecessary strain on both employees and the healthcare system. My guess is, being a public health agency, the CDC is on top of this research and doesn't require sick notes - especially not from higher level employees.

With the flu going around, it would seem that effectively encouraging sick people to go to work would be counter productive.

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

JMO, The CDC statement is missing the crucial recent information about the Branch Chief job Tim applied for but did not get. Reading between the lines, my hunch is that Tim was concerned that the July 2017 promotion was 'instead of' the February 2018 Branch Chief job. Perhaps his bosses already had decided on their choice of applicant for Branch Chief and Tim's July promotion was a token advancement.

RBM

CDC says missing researcher had been promoted, despite reports

https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law...moted-despite-reports/oMku265VHNiIKbr85B7LwN/

From the AJC article:

“Sgt. John Chafee with the Atlanta Police Department responded to the CDC’s statement by saying, ‘We stand behind every statement the Atlanta Police Department made about Dr. Cunningham’s employment, as our information came directly from the CDC. Any further questions about Dr. Cunningham’s employment, or this statement issued by the CDC today, would need to be answered by the CDC.’”

SeesSeas makes a very good point. The CDC statement does not address the situation involving the branch chief position/assignment whatsoever. The position Timothy applied for but found out he did not get one week before he disappeared, and for which the reason was given to him the very last day he was last seen alive. The job multiple people have stated Timothy was upset he did not get.

Personally, I do not believe not getting the job or the explanation given was the direct cause of Timothy’s disappearance. He might have been so distressed by either or both to the point of experiencing an acute mental health crisis, but if so, as others have pointed out, that was only the last straw, as his family has also spoken of “personal issues” he had been dealing with:

“‘Tim had been in communication with us extensively on Sunday [Feb. 11], and I pinpoint Sunday because there were some exchanges via phone as well as text that alerted me to be concerned about our son,’ his father, Terrell Cunningham, told NBC News. ‘We, as a family, were aware of some personal issues that were going on with Tim, and they were to be expected and they were joys as well as some lows when we share they were personal.’”

http://www.11alive.com/mobile/artic...essages-before-his-disappearance/85-523425011

 

[mrstfs]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-em...m-odd-message-to-neighbor-day-he-disappeared/

It’s at the 1:46 mark.

Here’s one with the husband (neighbor) starts at 1:55 https://www.google.com/amp/amp.fox5...o-speak-about-search-for-missing-cdc-employee

Does anyone know how long Dr. Cunningham lived in that house?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LoveXinfinity]

Here’s one with the husband (neighbor) starts at 1:55 https://www.google.com/amp/amp.fox5...o-speak-about-search-for-missing-cdc-employee

Does anyone know how long Dr. Cunningham lived in that house?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Since 2012 according to Zillow.

 

[daisydaisy]

I believe Tim’s family and LE with regard to the job situation, despite CDC’s statement today. It’s relevant to his possible mental state at the time of his disappearance, but it could also jog someone’s memory.

If he went out to walk/hike, got on a bus, or went to a bar to just get lost for a little while, maybe it’s something he would’ve mentioned offhandedly to a stranger if they struck up a conversation. Maybe now they wouldn’t recognize him by picture alone, but the two taken together could make them say, “Hey, I think I talked to that guy...” He’s so happy and smiling in all his pictures, but he may have looked much more downtrodden at the time he went missing.

I don’t necessarily think that scenario is likely, but I do think it could be one reason why the information was shared.

 

[missingno]

Here is the entire statement from the Acting CDC Director:

https://twitter.com/ellywyu/status/973209315648724994?s=21

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi all - I have been following this case as a lurker here. This statement is so bizarre. Prior to now, I understood Tim's work situation to be as follows:

• Last year Tim received a promotion (this is what the above statement from the CDC seems to be referring to)
• This year, Tim applied for another promotion which he did not receive. On the day of his disappearance, Tim went into work for a morning meeting regarding the reasons why he did not receive the second promotion. Shortly after the meeting, Tim left work for home stating he did not feel well.

Given the CDC's new statement above, are we to now conclude that the CDC are saying there was no second promotion application at all? And perhaps the idea of a second promotion application has been miscommunicated, either intentionally or not?

The factors around the second promotion application are important as till now I have been thinking of him as suicidal, with the lack of promotion appearing as a breaking point for Tim. This could be an interesting development though I wonder what happened: are the CDC trying to change former statements or have LE communicated this wrong from the beginning?

 

[Ursamajr]

Hi all - I have been following this case as a lurker here. This statement is so bizarre. Prior to now, I understood Tim's work situation to be as follows:

• Last year Tim received a promotion (this is what the above statement from the CDC seems to be referring to)
• This year, Tim applied for another promotion which he did not receive. On the day of his disappearance, Tim went into work for a morning meeting regarding the reasons why he did not receive the second promotion. Shortly after the meeting, Tim left work for home stating he did not feel well.

Given the CDC's new statement above, are we to now conclude that the CDC are saying there was no second promotion application at all? And perhaps the idea of a second promotion application has been miscommunicated, either intentionally or not?

The factors around the second promotion application are important as till now I have been thinking of him as suicidal, with the lack of promotion appearing as a breaking point for Tim. This could be an interesting development though I wonder what happened: are the CDC trying to change former statements or have LE communicated this wrong from the beginning?

Bizarre. I feel like there are two possibilities:
1. There was a miscommunication between media and LE and/or family and CDC and indeed there never was an application for a promotion that may or may not have existed and...
2. The CDC (with LE's help?) is releasing this statement to send a message to the public - but mainly Timothy - that he did not get passed over for a promotion and therefor didn't "fail" or "disappoint". This statement may or may not mean a promotion was indeed on the table.

Confusing to say the least.

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

IIRC, what happened this year, in the week prior to TC going missing, was not about "promotion" he did not get. I think it was reported here repeatedly that it was a slightly different position (not a promotion) he had applied for and was not selected for...

IMO that doesn't figure in what happened, but who knows at this point.

 

[anonypotomous]

Then what was with the meeting with his supervisor to talk about why he didn’t get the promotion?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Pamela_Brewer]

Did he ever even show up for a "meeting" that morning?
I know they said they weren't sure if he left.
This is too weird!
Moo

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[daisydaisy]

Bizarre. I feel like there are two possibilities:
1. There was a miscommunication between media and LE and/or family and CDC and indeed there never was an application for a promotion that may or may not have existed and...
2. The CDC (with LE's help?) is releasing this statement to send a message to the public - but mainly Timothy - that he did not get passed over for a promotion and therefor didn't "fail" or "disappoint". This statement may or may not mean a promotion was indeed on the table.

Confusing to say the leaset.

Definitely an interesting point there at the end. Tim stated before that his passion for his work sustains him. If this is related to job disappointment, and he is out there following coverage, I’m sure he wouldn’t appreciate his “failure” being stated and restated publicly.

His parents have also made direct pleas for him to return, almost giving him permission to come back despite the circumstances under which he may have left and saying they can get him help.

 

[daisydaisy]

I truly believe the promotion vs. new job is a matter of semantics. There are SO many CDC employees, and CDC leadership could not possibly be aware of all internal hiring, job changes, etc., at all times. The USPHS is a more close-knit group, of which Dr. Schuchat herself is a member. IMO, she’d be much more likely to know of Tim and his USPHS promotion because of that. The rest of CDC is absolutely vast.

If LE interviewed Tim’s direct supervisor, which I’m sure is the source of what they have said to the media, I would trust that information first.

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

Then what was with the meeting with his supervisor to talk about why he didn’t get the promotion?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well perhaps it was a meeting to talk about why he didn't get the POSITION.

 

[Yvettea]

I deleted my remarks because they were in error.
On February 27 the police gave a press conference in which they mistakenly referred to the job change as a promotion. Further they said that the meeting on Monday was to discuss the reasons TC did not receive the promotion.

I didn't listen to the entire press conference this time and I do believe this has been clarified in our discussion on at least one occasion. The issue remains does the public understand that TC did not lose out on a promotion? My guess is no.