Missing Chicago CPS Teacher Linda Brown Found Dead in Lake Michigan

The search for Linda Brown, a Chicago Public Schools teacher who had been missing for more than a week, came to a heartbreaking end Monday when her body was recovered from Lake Michigan. Authorities have not yet determined the cause or manner of her death.

Brown, a special education teacher at Healy Elementary in Bridgeport, was found near 31st Street Harbor, close to the location where surveillance video captured her on January 3. Video footage showed Brown parking her car around 3 a.m. and walking across the 35th Street pedestrian bridge.

Chicago Police marine units recovered her body just before noon. Following her disappearance, a large-scale search along the lakefront had been underway, with community members and former students joining in the effort.

A Lasting Impact

Hours after the recovery, former student Rene Lopez reflected on Brown’s influence: “We’re all extremely sad, but we all carry a little piece of her within us. One of her most amazing qualities was that quality of creating a second family.” Lopez said Brown had impacted him and his 15 cousins during their time in her classroom.

Brown’s family released a statement saying, in part: “This is not the outcome we were hoping or praying for, but we are grateful that she has been found and can now be brought home to our family. We want to extend our deepest and most sincere gratitude to everyone who supported us during this unimaginable time.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson also honored Brown, saying, “As a special education teacher at Healy Elementary, she made an immeasurable impact on countless young lives and was a vital member of the Bridgeport community.”

Brown had been on leave from work but was scheduled to return soon. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy before releasing an official cause of death.

Lopez summed up Brown’s legacy: “There’s nothing we can do to bring her back, but sharing just a special moment of what she did to impact thousands of students at this point. She created a positive impact, and that will forever carry on with her legacy.”