MEHDI FEDOUACH/AFP/Getty Images(TAOS, N.M.) — Authorities have found the body of missing former White House chef Walter Scheib a few miles from the hiking trail where his car was last seen, New Mexico State Police confirmed.
Scheib, 61, was last seen on June 13 heading to hike a trail in the Taos Ski Valley 10 miles outside of Taos, New Mexico.
State police and volunteers had been searching for Scheib since Wednesday, after a family member reported him missing and his car was discovered at the trailhead.
Cell phone data that showed Scheib’s last known location helped rescuers narrow their search – and eventually led them to his body Sunday evening.
“The body was discovered off the immediate trail approximately 1.7 miles from the base of the trail. No further details are available at this time. Rescue workers are still gathering information,” New Mexico State Police Sgt. Liz Armijo said in a statement.
Scheib, who authored a White House cooking memoir and appeared on the cooking show Iron Chef America, was hired by Hillary Clinton to work in the White House kitchen in 1994 after serving her a pecan-crusted rack of Australian lamb, he once said in an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America.
He went on to serve as the president’s top chef for 11 years, preparing daily meals and state dinners alike for Presidents Clinton and Bush. He was credited with bringing New American-style cuisine to the White House.
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