Missing CDC doctor was passed up for promotion before his disappearance

Missing CDC doctor Timothy Cunningham was passed up for a promotion shortly before he disappeared without a trace more than two weeks ago, according to police.

Cunningham, a highly regarded epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, went missing after he left work mid-day on Feb. 12.

Atlanta Police Department Major Michael O'Connor said that on the morning of his disappearance, Cunningham called his sister before going to work and talking with his supervisor about a promotion that he didn't receive.

Cunningham, 35, reportedly expressed disappointment to several coworkers about being passed up for the position. He then complained of feeling ill and left work early, which is one of the last times he was heard from.

After Cunningham failed to report to work or contact his family over the next two days, his parents, Terrell and Tia-Juana Cunningham, drove down to Georgia from their house in Maryland to check on their son.

When they arrived at his Atlanta home on Feb. 14, the couple found their son's phone, keys, wallet, car and dog, with no trace of him in sight.

"The most unusual fact, in this case, is that every single belonging that we are aware of was located in the residence," Major O'Connor said. "So his keys, cell phone, credit cards, debit cards, wallet, all of his identification, passports – anything you can think of we've been able to locate."

"There is a lot I simply cannot explain. This is an extremely unusual set of circumstances."

Adding even more mystery to the bizarre case, Chris Torry, a neighbor of Cunningham's, told WAGA that the CDC employee made a strange request a few days before he disappeared.

"My wife and him and swapped phone numbers. Saturday, Tim called over to me from across the way and told me to take his number out of her phone," he told the station. "It seemed a bit strange."

According to the CDC, Timothy Cunningham worked as a commander in the U.S. Public Health Service and has responded to both the Ebola virus and the Zika virus outbreaks. He holds two degrees from Harvard University.

Cunningham's family and the Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta are offering a $10,000 reward for tips regarding the case.

Anyone with information on his disappearance is urged to call 911 or the Atlanta Police Homicide/Adult Missing Persons Unit at 404-546-4235.