Ex-White House chef's body found in New Mexico

WASHINGTON. KAZINFORM - The body of former White House executive chef Walter Scheib was found Sunday in the mountains of New Mexico where he had gone hiking, officials said.

photo: QAZINFORM

Scheib, who served under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, has been absent since June 13 when he left to go for a hike alone on a mountain trail in Taos, New Mexico. He was later reported missing by a family member. On Thursday, investigators tracked Scheib's cell phone signal to a mountain in Taos, according to a press release from the New Mexico State Department of Public Safety, CNN reports. Scheib had recently moved to the area, according to Sergeant Elizabeth Armijo, a New Mexico State Police public information officer. Scheib's car was discovered by investigators Tuesday in a parking lot at the Yerba Canyon Trailhead. His body was discovered off the immediate trail approximately 1.7 miles from the base of a hiking trail. Scheib served as White House executive chef from 1994 to 2005. Scheib was personally hired by then-first lady Hillary Clinton, according to Scheib's official website.