UPDATE — 1/13/26 at 7:58 p.m. ET: Late Thursday, January 13, Chicago police revealed that Linda Brown died by suicide.
Original story:
Police have confirmed that they’ve recovered the body of Chicago special education teacher Linda Brown, pulling her remains from Lake Michigan on Monday, January 12.
The Chicago Police Department’s marine unit found Brown’s body just before noon, according to a statement from police.
Brown, 53, was last seen on January 3, leaving her Chicago home for a weekly acupuncture appointment her husband said she never showed up for. Police found her car abandoned days later, and video surveillance showed the women walking alone not far from the lake’s shoreline.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has already positively identified Brown’s remains.
Brown’s family had spent several days searching for her. In a message to ABC 7 Chicago, a relative said they were “absolutely heartbroken.”
Linda taught at Robert Healy Elementary School in Bridgeport.
ABC 7 Chicago spoke with one of Brown’s former students, Rene Lopez, who said Brown had a unique way of reaching people. “She just made us believe in a sense of hope,” Lopez said. “She just created a sense of community, a safe space within her classroom.”
Brown also taught Lopez’s brother and 10 of his cousins. “We always carried a piece of her with us. We always reached out [to her] for advice, and she always had a safe space for us to be able to ask questions, to express ourselves,” Lopez said.
Erin Kamradt, the school’s principal, issued a statement in the wake of Monday’s tragic discovery.
“It is with deep sadness that I update you on a situation impacting our community,” Kamradt wrote. “Ms. Linda Brown, one of our teachers, has passed away. Our thoughts are with her family during this difficult time. We know that this loss will raise many emotions, concerns, and questions for our entire school, especially our students.”
She wrote that the district was “working closely with the Chicago Public Schools Crisis Management Unit to provide grief counseling and support to students and staff members. Our own school-based mental health professionals will also be available for students who need ongoing services.”
She also promised to share information about the funeral service “as soon as we have it. If your child wishes to attend, we strongly encourage you to accompany them to the service. If the funeral is scheduled during school hours, students who wish to attend will need parental permission to be released from school.”
Kamradt said the school community is “deeply saddened by this loss” and assured parents the district would “do everything we can to help our school community heal.”
Antwon Brown, Linda’s husband, told ABC 7 Chicago his wife had been on medical leave for unspecified mental health issues. She was set to return to her job at Robert Healy Elementary School this week.
“She has a little mental issue going on, and she took a leave of absence from her job to get help for that,” Brown told reporters. “As school was getting closer, it was kind of getting worse, like the anxiety, the panic attacks.”
In their missing persons bulletins, Chicago Police did say that Linda “may be in need of medical assistance.”
Police are investigating Brown’s death. They do not have a cause of death for Brown yet, and police are trying to determine how she ended up in the lake.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
