Cause of Death for CPS Teacher Linda Brown, Who Mysteriously Vanished, Finally Revealed — Details

A Chicago Public Schools teacher was reported missing in early January. Authorities launched a search. Days later, the case took a significant turn.

The disappearance of Linda Brown, a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) teacher, raised concern among her loved ones. In the days that followed, they searched for answers and asked the public for help.

What unfolded in the following week, and what authorities later confirmed, would bring the case to a heartbreaking end.

When Linda Brown Was Last Seen

As reported by ABC 7 Chicago, Brown, 39, was a special education teacher with CPS. She went missing from her home in the Bronzeville neighborhood on Saturday, January 3, 2026.

Chicago police said she was last seen in the 4500 block of South Martin Luther King Drive, not far from where she lived. Her husband, Antwon Brown, said the couple had spent Friday night watching a movie at home. They went to bed as usual. By morning, she was nowhere to be found.

"Everything was fine. Next morning I woke up, it was like 8:35 a.m., and she was gone. No sign of her," he told the news outlet.

At first, he believed she may have left for her usual Saturday acupuncture appointment. But when she didn't return or respond, her family grew concerned.

They retraced her steps, called local hospitals, and shared missing-person flyers across Chicago and online. "We don't know where she is. We need to find her because I'm breaking down and I don't know what to do," Antwon said during the search.

Despite their efforts, nearly a week went by without answers. Then, authorities made a discovery that brought the search to a heartbreaking conclusion.

What Authorities Found One Week Later

Officials previously confirmed to People that Brown's body was pulled from Lake Michigan on the morning of Monday, Jan. 12, near the 3100 block of South Lake Shore Drive on Chicago's South Side.

Following an autopsy on Tuesday, the Cook County Coroner's Office ruled Brown's death a suicide by drowning. The medical examiner has not released additional details.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.