A Former White House Chef Disappeared Without a Trace Last Week
An all-out search and rescue effort has thus far failed to yield any sign of former White House chef Walter Scheib, who apparently went missing a week ago.
Officials say Scheib—who ran the White House kitchen under both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush—is probably somewhere in the Taos Ski Valley. Friends say he had recently moved from Florida and may not have been familiar with the area.
His girlfriend apparently realized he was missing when he failed to show up for a date Monday. Authorities believe he went hiking in the valley sometime on Saturday.
The last trace of him was the car he left behind at the Yerba Canyon Trail Head near the ski valley. Searchers say they are very concerned, because they do not believe he was prepared to spend more than a few hours in the woods. They don’t know where he specifically planned to go, and they fear he was unprepared, carrying very little with him.
Nearly 30 searchers, including teams with dogs and horses, have fanned out across the trails in the area, scouring for any sign of Scheib.
Tracking Scheib has proven difficult. Officials say recent bad weather could be wiping out any clues. Searchers say Scheib has hiked this trail before. They’re also searching creeks and rivers, because Scheib also likes to fish.
According to Taos News, most search efforts have been hampered by weather and terrain: a search and rescue helicopter was unable to spot much through the “densely wooded” canyons, and unmelted snow has made tracking difficult.
Schieb’s friends and family tell police they have no idea where he was headed or why, but police say they’ve found no evidence of foul play and have not processed his Subaru for evidence.
