Indiana teacher's body found after vanishing from Airbnb in Puerto Rico: report
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A missing Indiana teacher’s body has reportedly been found face down in a river in Puerto Rico after she vanished from her Airbnb on a trip to the island.
Amanda Lynn Webster, 44, an art teacher at the Thompson Crossing Elementary School in Indianapolis, was reported missing Wednesday by her Airbnb host, Fox 59 reported.
The landlord realized that Webster “failed to leave the home as agreed upon and left her belongings and a rented car on the property,” according to an English translation of a local police statement on Facebook.
On Friday, Police Commissioner Antonio Lopez Figueroa activated an “Ashanti Alert” asking people to help search for the woman, who had last been seen at Casa Parcha guest house near El Yunque National Park in Naguabo.
Authorities on Saturday said they made the grisly discovery of a body, which they did not immediately identify.
“A lifeless body, which could be that of a woman, was found this morning in the river in the Río Blanco neighborhood of the Camino Viejo Sector of Naguabo,” police said in a statement.
“The body was found face down floating in a rocky area of the river, so the Police CIC team, together with the Prosecutor’s Office and staff from the Forensic Institute, are working on the extraction and identification process,” cops said.
“At this stage it is not possible to identify the gender of the body or conclude whether it shows signs of violence,” the statement added.
But sources close to Webster’s family told Fox 59 that the person found was Webster.
“I’m just happy she was found and that her family, her students and the community and all her friends can have some form of closure even though it’s pretty earth-shattering,” Webster’s good friend Sharon Rickson told WTHR. “There’s hundreds if not thousands of lives she directly impacted. A lot of people are going to be feeling this loss.”
Webster also worked with special-education students at Franklin Township schools.
“She was such a force. She was such a positive force. You would feel her presence and her warmth immediately. She gave the best hugs,” Rickson told the outlet.
“She was very unique, happy-go-lucky, never met a stranger and absolutely beautiful radiant personality. We are really going to miss her,” she added.
Webster’s mother, Pamela, posted a heartfelt message for her daughter online just last month before she went missing.
“Amanda Webster, my beautiful daughter. I didn’t know that there was a daughter’s day. Sorry I missed it but everyday is daughter’s day in my life since the day you were born. Love you to the moon and back forever and ever,” she wrote.
“Awww thank you Mom! Love you too!! I didn’t know there was a daughter’s day either-but I’ll take it haha,” Webster replied.
On Saturday, the grieving mom wrote: “Thank all of you for your support and prayers. They just found Amanda’s body in the river, she had been under water for some time.”
The school district said counseling services would be provided to students and staff beginning Monday.
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