A man who vanished after surveillance footage captured him entering his apartment but never leaving has been found dead.
Christopher Woitel, 50, was last seen on January 8 on CCTV footage taken from his apartment block in San Francisco.
The footage showed him walking up the stairs with a bottle of wine before entering his flat.
Family members said the computer programmer was acting “strange and paranoid” and reportedly writing unusual posts on Facebook in the days leading to his disappearance.
Christopher’s mother reported him missing on January 13 after she could not reach him. She said she last spoke to him on January 9.
Police launched an urgent investigation into his disappearance and searched his flat but could not find him.
A private investigator Scott Williams hired by the family also searched the apartment but could not find the missing computer programme.
He found his apartment undisturbed and his bank account and credit cards had not been used since early January.
The private investigator said the apartment building had a back door, but the CCTV footage from that area did not show him leaving.
But Christopher’s family have now confirmed that his body has in fact been found in the building.
“Today (February 16), the San Francisco Police Department and the Medical Examiner notified us that they have located Chris,” spokesperson Mark Guarino wrote in a Facebook post.
“It is with a heavy heart that we must inform you of Chris' passing.
“Please help us by preserving Chris' legacy in your memories. Thank you for your love and caring support through these very difficult times.”
There has been no further details on where the body was found and an autopsy is pending.
