On October 12, a 44-year-old art teacher from Thompson Crossing Elementary School in Indianapolis went missing during her trip to Puerto Rico. 

Her disappearance was noticed when she failed to vacate her Airbnb, leaving her belongings and a rented car behind.

On October 13, local authorities issued an “Ashanti Alert,” a call for assistance in the search. The teacher, Amanda Lynn Webster, had last been seen at a guest house near El Yunque National Park in Naguabo.

On October 15, a body was discovered floating face down in a rocky river near Naguabo. The authorities were unable to confirm the body’s identity, and could not determine its gender or any signs of potential violence. Sources close to Webster’s family have confirmed that the discovered body was hers.

Sharon Rickson, a close friend of Webster, shared her grief and spoke about the teacher’s influence on many. “There’s hundreds if not thousands of lives she directly impacted. A lot of people are going to be feeling this loss,” she said. Webster taught art and worked with special-education students at Franklin Township schools, amplifying her influence in the educational community.

The news of Webster’s disappearance and subsequent discovery has left her family, friends, and the educational community in shock and sorrow.