The death of a former White House chef with Atlanta connections was ruled an accidental drowning, authorities said Tuesday.
New Mexico police determined there were no signs of foul play in the death of Walter Scheib, who was found Sunday in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the northern part of the state, the Associated Press reported.
Scheib, 61, was reported missing by his girlfriend June 14 after he didn't return from a hike he had embarked on near the Taos Ski Valley the previous day. His body was found off a Yerba Canyon hiking trail near Taos, N.M., after weeklong search by the Air Force, Civil Air Patrol, National Guard, State Police and volunteers.
Sheib was White House chef for 11 years under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, leaving in 2005 to become a food consultant and speaker.
He was also involved with Atlanta's City of Refuge, an organization that provides services for homeless and abused residents. He started working there as chief culinary officer in January as a contract employee, according to Terry Tucker, chief strategy officer for the shelter.
"We are unbelievably saddened that our friend will no longer be with us," Tucker previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He was a mentor for a lot of our residents. We look forward to finding an appropriate way to honor him here at City of Refuge."
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