Vehicle linked to Karen Schepers' 42-year-old cold case found in Fox River
ELGIN, Ill. (WGN) — The Elgin Police Department (EPD) made a major discovery in the investigation of Karen Schepers' 42-year-old cold case Monday night.
In partnership with an independent dive team, Elgin police were able to locate a vehicle northwest of the Slade Avenue boat launch with a license plate number that matched Schepers' 1980 Toyota Celica.
Due to diving conditions on the Fox River Monday night, efforts to safely remove the vehicle from the Fox River were moved to Tuesday, where Chaos Divers, the Elgin Fire Department, and the Kane County Coroner's Office will work to remove and examine the vehicle.
As of Monday night, there is no information available on if any human remains are in the vehicle. Elgin police said this will be confirmed once the vehicle is removed from the Fox River.
Schepers went missing during the early morning hours of April 16, 1983, after leaving a Carpentersville bar following a night out with co-workers in the northwest suburbs.
EPD detectives Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartanian launched the 'Somebody Knows Something' Elgin Police Cold Case Podcast on Jan. 20 of this year, hoping to renew interest and spark new leads as they documented their investigation into Schepers' decades-old disappearance case.
WGN News has tailed the podcast, writing recaps of each episode as detectives have made their way through a renewed look into Schepers' case.
The recap of the podcast's latest episode can be read below.
Episode 7: Exploring bodies of water looking for Karen Schepers
The Elgin Police Department will be holding a media briefing at 10 a.m. Tuesday with the latest information in their investigation.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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