Teacher Stabbed To Death By Husband Who Then Walked Into I-55 Traffic: Police

By Emma G. Gallegos in News on Oct 22, 2015 3:02PM

A beloved high school teacher was stabbed to death by her husband on Tuesday night, police say. Shortly after, he confessed to the murder and killed himself by walking in front of a semi-truck on the I-55.

Susan Cunningham, 47, was a popular P.E. and health teacher at Plainfield North High School who had taken the year off to battle cancer. Police found her with multiple stab wounds in her Plainfield home after neighbors called in Tuesday evening asking for a welfare check, NBC reported. She died shortly after being transported to an Aurora hospital.

Craig Cunningham, Susan's husband of a year-and-a-half, called a relative shortly before he was killed by a semi on the I-55. Police say he confessed to the murder and said he planned to kill himself instead of going to jail. Earlier in the day, Plainfield police say Susan had called them, saying she felt threatened by her husband. They offered to escort her while she gathered her things, but Susan was afraid that it would escalate the situation, according to the Chicago Tribune. Police hadn't had any prior contact with the couple.

The couple lived together with their five children—two of them Susan's, three of them Craig's, according to ABC 7. None of the children were home at the time of the murder, and they are all now staying with relatives.

Police told the Tribune the killing doesn't appear to have been premeditated. Investigators say that Susan would periodically leave the couple's home to stay with relatives for short periods of time.

Plainfield North High School held a vigil last night to remember Cunningham.

"She just had the biggest heart," former student Emily Pedersen told NBC. "She was there for everyone. She was shoulder to cry on if you needed."