The body of a woman recovered from Lake Michigan on Monday was that of a special education teacher from Chicago who had been reported missing, bringing a tragic end to the search for her, according to police. Linda Brown, 53, was found dead in Lake Michigan near Chicago's South Side just before noon on Monday, according to officials.
The Cook County Medical Examiner later confirmed that the body was that of Brown, a special education teacher who had been missing for more than a week. The beloved teacher was last seen after what was described as a quiet movie night at home with her husband, Antwon, before she suddenly vanished.
Missing and Found Dead
Brown's grieving family also confirmed the identification, telling ABC 7 in a text message that they are "absolutely heartbroken" by the loss. Police said Brown was last seen on Jan. 3 in the 4500 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in the Bronzeville neighborhood, roughly two miles southwest of the White Sox's Rate Field.
At the time, she was driving her blue 2021 Honda Civic and was believed to be heading to her regular weekly acupuncture appointment.
Investigators later found her car abandoned near East 35th Street and South Lake Park Avenue on Jan. 7 — about two miles from where she was last seen.
Then on Friday afternoon, police revealed they had recovered surveillance footage placing Brown in the same area where her vehicle was found. According to her family, the video shows Brown walking alone across a pedestrian bridge toward the lakefront around 3 a.m. on Saturday.
Grim Discovery
Antwon said he was overwhelmed with emotion when he woke up early Saturday morning and realized Brown was gone, describing the moment as one in which he "broke down." "I don't know what to do. I've done everything. I'm talking to people, we've got people searching for her. I'm out of options," Antwon pleaded.
Police say the investigation into Brown's death is ongoing, and they are still waiting for autopsy results.
For now, it remains unclear how she ended up in the water, and officials have not yet released a cause of death.
