Teacher Found Dead in Stairwell of Charter School on Friday

Source: WISH-TV / WISH-TV

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (WISH) — A teacher at a northeastern Indiana charter school was found dead in a second-story stairwell of the building early Friday, police say.

The teacher was identified as Craig Jones, 47, of Gary.

East Chicago Police Department officers were called to the East Chicago Lighthouse Charter School around 6:40 a.m. Friday for a death investigation. Maintenance workers led police to the stairwell where Jones was found. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say they learned that sometime on Thursday, Jones called a family member to say he was working late and would need a ride home. The family member arrived at the school around 10:30 p.m., but Jones never called the person or exited the building. Eventually, the family member left.

Jones was then discovered by a maintenance worker Friday morning.

Police say that while homicide detectives did investigate the scene, they do not believe foul play was involved.