Kansas Elementary Teacher is Found Dead After Leaving Bar During Snowstorm
Rebecca Rauber left the Town Royal bar in Emporia, Kansas Jan. 23 without her purse, coat or phone.
Amissing Kansas elementary school teacher was found dead in the snow, as a winter storm gripped the Midwest.
The body of 28-year-old Rebecca Rauber was discovered Jan. 25 in the woods just 300 feet from where she was last captured on surveillance footage walking home from an Emporia, Kansas bar two days earlier, according to the Emporia Police Department.
“At this time, it appears, Rebecca may have succumbed to hypothermia early on in her disappearance,” police noted, “as she was covered in snow due to the snowstorm that became heavy on Saturday, January 24th.”
When Did Rebecca Rauber Disappear?
Rauber disappeared just after 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 23 after leaving the Town Royal bar on foot without her purse, phone or jacket. At the time she left the bar, the temperature was an estimated 3 degrees with a wind chill of -13.
Police said Rauber was spotted on surveillance video walking alone. She was last spotted at approximately 11:44 p.m. walking along W. 4th Avenue. Police quickly launched a search effort to find the missing 28-year-old, utilizing K-9s to aid in the search effort.
She was discovered dead Sunday in a wooded area about 300 yards from where she was last seen on surveillance footage.
Although the investigation into her death remains ongoing, police suspect she died from hypothermia.
In the wake of the tragedy, Emporia Police thanked the multiple agencies that came together to help in the search effort, including the Kansas Highway Patrol, Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and Search and Rescue of Kansas.
“All of the agencies listed poured many hours of manpower, involving many resources in the hope of positive outcome,” police said in its statement posted to Facebook. “Our hearts and prayers are truly with the Rauber family.”
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School District Mourns “Valued Member” of Their Community
Rauber had been a second-grade teacher at Riverside Elementary School in Emporia.
The Emporia Public Schools offered their condolences to her family and students in a statement issued Jan. 25.
“Our hearts are with Ms. Rauber’s family, friends, students, and all who were touched by her life and dedication to education,” the district said, according to KVOE. “She was a valued member of our school community, and her loss is felt deeply across our district.”
The district plans to have counselors and district support teams available to help those grieving the loss.
