After Two Weeks, Still No Trace Or Word From Missing Chicago Man

Two weeks after John Cunningham Jr. walked out of his parents’ Palos Park home without a coat or shoes, and leaving behind his cell phone and wallet, those who know John Jr. best believe he is still alive, but greatly endangered.

The good news is that despite a massive air and ground search involving hundreds of police officers and helicopters hovering over the Palos forest preserves, Cunningham Jr. wasn’t found. It means that he’s not lying injured in the woods or worse. The bad news is he still hasn’t been found.

“He’s not your run-of-the-mill, disappeared guy,” said Paul Ciolino, a Chicago private investigator hired by John Jr.’s parents to aid in the search for their missing son. “I think he disappeared because of an emotional trauma and for whatever reason he can’t find his way back.”

Cunningham Jr. grew up in the Palos area but was currently living on Chicago’s North Side in the Lakeview neighborhood. He was visiting his parents when he was last seen at 10:45 a.m. Oct. 30, near 104th Avenue and McCarthy Road in Palos Park. His parents are offering a $10,000 reward for the safe return of their son.

The morning he disappeared, he was distraught after quitting his job with a New York finance company by phone. The recent law school graduate also declared that he no longer wanted to be a lawyer.

Ciolino said that search and rescue dogs lost Cunningham Jr.’s scent at Post Rail Road in Palos Park, indicating that he may have picked up a ride. The dogs did not pick up his scent during the five-day search of the Cook County forest preserves.

“We’ve searched every forest preserve and every lake within 25 miles of his parents’ home,” Ciolino said. “He’s not camping out in the woods catching rabbits and skinning them and cooking them over a campfire in the woods.”

Ciolino said he and his staff “have given money and talked to probably 100 homeless guys” in the south suburbs. None of them has seen Cunningham Jr. He believes Cunningham may be staying with someone he met or is being supported by an organization.

“Most are pretty high functioning survival types with phones and a bike,” the private investigator said. “I’m convinced he’s out there.”

Forensic experts have also examined Cunningham Jr.’s cell phone and computers. He hasn’t accessed his bank accounts or used credit cards in the two weeks that he’s been missing.

“There’s nothing to suggest that this was a planned event of any kind,” Ciolino said. “It’s possible that he hitched a ride somewhere and doesn’t know what state he is in and is sorting things out. This is all speculation, which you can only do through professional judgement and experience.”

For now, his parents, John and Christine, just want to know their son is alive and well. They respect their son’s privacy if wants to remain in hiding.

“All we want is for John to call any of his friends, or his mom and dad,” Ciolino said. “He can me if wants to remain hiding. I will verify any calls, as long as I can determine that it’s him.”

Anyone with information about John Cunningham Jr.’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Cook County Sheriff at 708-865-8397 or private investigator Paul Ciolino at 847-736-8397 or pciolino@pjcinvestigations.com, or call 911.