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Search for retired CU professor in Louisville area ends, case turned over to coroner

William James McGinley, 72, was last seen Wednesday morning near the intersection of Eisenhower Drive and South Boulder Road
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BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — The Louisville Police Department has concluded their search for a former CU Boulder professor who went missing after going on a bike ride Wednesday morning and the case has been turned over to the Boulder County Coroner's Office, a spokesperson with the department told Denver7 Thursday.

William James McGinley, 72, was last seen near the intersection of Eisenhower Drive and South Boulder Road while heading toward the Harper Lake/Coyote Run Open Space Trail at approximately 8:40 a.m. Wednesday, according to the LPD spokesperson.

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He was last seen riding a white Specialized pedal bicycle and wearing a dark blue shirt, black shorts, white socks, and white shoes, the spokesperson said.

McGinley, a former CU professor of Literacy Studies, was described by a family member as a white man measuring 6-feet tall and weighing around 155 pounds.

Denver7's Colette Bordelon contributed to this report.


Editor's note on July 30, 2026 at 3:15 p.m.: A previous version of this story stated McGinley was a professor at CSU. That is incorrect; the man was a professor at the University of Colorado. We regret the error.

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