What happened to Wendy Duan? Texas ‘Teacher of the Year’ found dead in her backyard

A 28-year-old Boone Elementary School teacher named Wendy Duan was found dead in the backyard of her Sugar Land residence.

Authorities found her remains on Saturday, January 7, 2023, shortly before 10 pm local time. They also discovered that the 28-year-old had multiple gunshot wounds. Neighbors reportedly heard gunshots, which is when police were called to the scene.

Media outlets have tried contacting the Sugar Land Police Department, but no updates have been provided yet.

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Police suspect that elementary school teacher Wendy Duan was a victim of domestic violence

Wendy was named the 'Teacher of the Year' in 2021 at Boone Elementary School in Houston, Texas. She was a third-grade reading/language arts teacher at the said institute.

The Sugar Land Police Department responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of Oxford Mills Lane in the New Territory at Sugar Land. Neighbors also reportedly heard gunshots. Tony Thomas, a neighbor, told ABC13:

“Out of nowhere, just four very distinct gunshots is what I heard, and it was quite scary at the moment, so I dropped everything I was doing and came outside.”

Another neighbor named Sandy Thomas spoke about Wendy and said:

“We’d talk to each other, and she [Wendy Duan] told me she’s a teacher, so not much too much conversation, but she seemed like a nice girl; we would see each other on and off sometimes.”

ABC13 reported that police have identified the suspect and also believe that Duan was a victim of domestic violence. However, police have not yet revealed the identity of the suspect or a possible link between the suspect and Wendy.

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Duan would often use her social media platforms to show enthusiasm for her job and praise her students

Wendy Duan took to Facebook to express her feelings when she became the 'Teacher of the Year' in December 2021. She wrote:

“I still can’t believe that I won ESL teacher of the year lol. The whole time I kept telling people that there was no way that I would win, especially going against other teachers who have been teaching way longer than I have. Thanks to the people who believed in me, and voted for me!”

It has also been found that Wendy was active on Twitter, and would often praise her students on the platform and talk about how enthusiastic she was about her job.

Crisis counseling teams have been established at Boone Elementary School to help staff and students deal with Duan’s tragic demise.

The Alief Independent School District stated that Wendy had been employed at the elementary school since 2017. They released a statement that said:

“We are deeply saddened to learn about the tragic passing of Alief ISD employee Wendy Duan. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this difficult time.”

Netizens have taken to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to mourn the loss of Wendy. One Amberlee Balli wrote:

“I didn’t know Wendy Duan very much, but the small moments I spent with her she was a force of light. You can just tell. I remember going to her home, and see all the cards on her fridge from her students and the faculty members from her school.”

As mentioned before, authorities have not yet revealed many details about the tragic death of Wendy Duan. The case is currently under investigation.