CHICAGO (WGN) — The body of a Chicago Public Schools teacher who had been missing for over a week was recovered from Lake Michigan on Monday, police said.
The Cook County Medical Examiner confirmed a body pulled from Lake Michigan belonged to 53-year-old Linda Brown.
Chicago police say Brown was last seen in the early hours on Jan. 3 in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood. Brown was reportedly headed to nearby Wicker Park for an appointment but never arrived.
Her husband said when he woke up that morning, she had already left their home. Family and friends say she was going through some mental and other health challenges.
Brown’s vehicle was located Jan. 7. Surveillance cameras from a Chicago Archdiocese building caught images of Brown parking her car, getting out alone, and walking across the bridge.
There is no video of her coming back over the bridge or getting back into her car.
NewsNation affiliate WGN spoke with a former student who described Brown as a constant source of positivity who made a lasting impact on those around her.
“I don’t know her family personally, but I know the family we created at school and the impact she had on those she taught,” the former student said. “She was always willing to help anybody, and she will forever be ingrained in the culture and the neighborhood of students. She impacted thousands and thousands of lives.”
WGN reached out to Chicago Public Schools for comment but did not receive a response.