TikTok and X were a fever dream of conspiracy theories and unfounded accusations when Linda Brown, a beloved Chicago teacher, vanished just days after the New Year. Internet detectives were quick to point the finger at her husband, Antwon Brown, dissecting his grief for “clues.” But the internet is having a quiet, shameful moment of reckoning today. After surveillance video surfaced showing Brown walking toward the lakefront alone, the search reached a heartbreaking conclusion on Monday.
Suggested Reading
The Root previously told you how Brown, a special education teacher at Robert Healy Elementary School, was reported missing on Jan. 3. She was last seen near the 4500 block of South Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood where she lives, CBS News reported.
Just over a week of searching, Brown was found dead, according to local news channel NBC 5. Chicago Police marine units pulled Brown’s body from the 31st Street Harbor Monday, near where she was captured on surveillance camera walking alone over a pedestrian bridge that leads to the lakefront early Saturday morning.
How Brown ended up in the water was not immediately clear, and police said they’re investigating her death pending autopsy results.
“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,” Brown’s family said in part after her body was recovered. “We want to extend our deepest and most sincere gratitude to everyone who supported us during this unimaginable time.”
Antwon recalled how Brown, 53, recently took a leave of absence from work for mental health treatment, although she planned on returning to her job when school resumed. However, he claimed as that day approached, Brown’s struggles with anxiety and panic attacks worsened. Despite her mental health challenges, her family stressed she had never disappeared before.
Rene Lopez, Brown’s former student, told news station ABC 7 how she had a unique way of reaching people and “made us believe in a sense of hope. She just created a sense of community, a safe space within her classroom.”
Lopez added Brown played a pivotal role in him becoming the first in his family to graduate. “I want the city of Chicago to really understand how much of an impact she played to her community,” Lopez said. “Although she’s no longer here physically, her legacy will continue to flourish through all the lives that she was able to touch.”
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.