Family Of WSJ Reporter David Bird Holds Out Hope, One Year After He Vanished
LONG HILL, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Wall Street Journal reporter David Bird vanished nearly a year ago, but his family continued to hold out hope Friday that he was still alive.
Bird, 56, was last seen leaving his home on Long Hill Road in Long Hill, New Jersey at 4 p.m. Jan. 11 of last year. He left to go for a walk in Millington, and never came back.
For the first time Friday, his wife talked with CBS2's Jessica Schneider as the one-year anniversary of his disappearance drew near.
"As January 11 gets a little closer, I find myself unraveling a little more," said Nancy Bird.
Nancy Bird spends her days with scenarios racing through her head. What happened to her husband?
"I relive January 11 every day," she said. "I'm hopeful that my community will also relive that day, and something will jog their memory."
David Bird had only intended to go on a short walk. At the time, Long Hill Township Police Chief Michael Mazzeo told 1010 WINS that Bird left his cellphone and charger.
When Bird did not return that night, police launched what turned into a year-long search. They went through e-mails and his computer, but never found anything to show he wanted to disappear.
"He's a smart guy. He's not a risk take," Nancy Bird said. "He's a family man, and this is completely out of the ordinary of his character to just vanish."
Nancy Bird said it is possible that her husband walked through an area called Hicks Tract, with hiking and walking trails. Police and search crews have combed through nearly every inch.
"They searched the river. They had divers. They followed every single lead," Nancy Bird said.
The missing posters were still up around their own town in New Jersey nearly a year later. But the Bird family – Nancy and her two teenage children – still had no credible leads.
"They're devastated. They're sad," she said. "Their dad's missing, and he's a big part of their lives."
David Bird was a longtime member of the Dow Jones newsroom at the Wall Street Journal. He had just celebrated the nine-year anniversary of a liver transplant at the time he disappeared, family members told 1010 WINS at the time.
Bird was last seen wearing a distinct, bright red jacket with two yellow zippers, blue jeans, sneakers and glasses.
David Bird's family will hold a vigil for him alongside friends on Sunday.
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