Death of school bus driver investigated as homicide

FERGUSON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A local school bus driver was found dead in her house last week, and police are considering the case a homicide.

The body of Jean Tuggy, 60, was discovered by two friends who came to her house to check on her on the afternoon of Jan. 21. The last contact reported from Tuggy had been in the afternoon of the previous day.

According to the Ferguson Township Police Department, there was no sign of forced entry into Tuggy’s house, but investigators were working to determine whether any items were missing.

Authorities said that the death is being investigated as an intentional homicide, although possible motives were unclear.

“Tuggy lived alone and the home is located on a dead-end private street,” Ferguson Township Police officials said in a statement. “It is unknown at this time if Tuggy had been threatened by anyone, or why someone would want to harm her, but police are working tirelessly to identify the perpetrator.”

An autopsy conducted Friday determined that Tuggy’s death was a homicide. The scene was forensically processed by Pennsylvania State Police and Ferguson Township Police.

The investigation was ongoing, and authorities asked for anyone with potentially helpful information to contact Ferguson Township Police.

Tuggy was a longtime school bus driver for State College Area School District.

"We are deeply saddened by the news,” district spokesman Chris Rosenblum told the Centre Daily Times. “Jean Tuggy had been a district bus driver for 16 years, and she will be missed here.”