Latest news with #KarenSchepers
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
Detectives' true crime podcast helps dig up breakthrough in case that haunted family: ‘drew audible gasp'
What started as a way for a pair of two Illinois detectives to crowdsource tips to solve decades-old cold cases ended in a shocking discovery. Detectives Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartanian were looking to breathe new life into unsolved cases by launching the true-crime podcast, "Somebody Knows Something," in October 2024 at the request of Elgin Police Department Chief Ana Lalley. Their goal centered around using modern investigative technology to potentially bring closure to local families. "We both kind of looked at each other and said, 'No, I'm not really sure that's for us'," Vartanian told Fox News Digital. "Then we took a step back, were open-minded in our thinking and objective, and thought that this could be a really good vehicle to utilize investigative processes within law enforcement." Missing Woman Found After More Than 60 Years, Sheriff Reveals What Really Happened The pair combed through open cold cases within their area, zeroing in on the disappearance of 23-year-old Karen Schepers in 1983. "Our thought was, depending on whatever case we started with or if we did multiple cases, there may be people that are outside of Illinois and outside of our region that might have known about some of these cases," Vartanian said. "So it was the right thing to be able to get that information out there to be able to get answers for the victims and families." Read On The Fox News App Schepers was enjoying a night of celebratory drinks with coworkers at P.M. Bentley's in Carpentersville, Illinois – located 45 miles outside Chicago. Schepers was the last of the group to leave the bar at approximately 1 a.m. on April 16, 1983, and neither she nor her 1980 Toyota Celica were ever seen again, according to the Elgin Police Department. Body Of Missing Washington State Grandmother Found Buried Under Shed Partially Encased In Concrete Even though the community had countless theories of what may have happened to Schepers, including the possibility something happened to her on the way home or when she arrived at her destination, the case ran cold. Schepers' disappearance remained an open investigation for 41 years, and was briefly revisited by the Illinois State Police in the late 1980s and again by investigators in 2010. "In 2008 [and] 2009, we did a bunch of billboards for that case and tried to generate media interest," Houghton told Fox News Digital. "A lot of DNA was put into the national databases that were kind of new on the scene at that time, so that was the new technology then." Fox Hollow Serial Killer's Secret Tapes Could Reveal Murder Horrors If Ever Found: Documentary Despite the multiple attempts to solve what happened to Schepers, detectives were unable to follow any major leads, until the department launched "Somebody Knows Something." "When we started to look at the Karen Schepers case, we realized that we could put everything out there because we had no idea what happened to her," Vartanian said. "Whether it was an accident or if it was something intentional, and then anything in between. There was so much time that had gone by, we knew that there was a lot of content that could be there." With permission from her family, Houghton and Vartanian began digging for new information regarding Schepers, using a mix of old-fashioned police work while leaning on updated technology. Missing Wisconsin Teen Found More Than Two Months After Disappearance "This was very much an old-fashioned 'talk to people, get in a car, go knock on doors, go drive around' type of investigation," Houghton said. "Investigations for any of our cases are still like that, but this was much more like that in the fact that we had to go look and see what roads existed in 1983? What bodies of water existed in 1983? Because it's very different now than it was then." The pair hit the pavement, talking to locals in the area who knew Schepers to paint a picture of her final moments on the morning she went missing. Houghton and Vartanian worked to determine what route Schepers took home, along with researching the weather conditions and other details that may have contributed to her disappearance. As the detectives were pouring over print media, they discovered the nearby Fox River was flooded at the time of Schepers' disappearance – a key break in the case that prompted them to call in expert divers to search the body of water. Luxury Florida Mall's String Of Murders And Kidnapping Have One Thing In Common: Retired Fbi Agent "Interestingly enough, we would get a lot of tips from people that were saying, 'There's no way she's in the river'," Houghton said. "'It's too shallow, I fish there, I boat there.' However, there are different parts where the river might be two feet deep or one foot deep, and there are other spots where it's [up to] 15 feet deep, so it really depended on where you were looking." On March 24, 2025, the Elgin Police Department called in Chaos Divers, a non-profit team of independent divers specializing in underwater recovery, to search the river. In a dramatic end to a four-decades-long mystery, Schepers and her vehicle were found. "As we each heard the news that her car was found, time stopped while we drew an audible gasp," Schepers' family said in a statement. "When it started back up again, our lives took a new path that finally included the answer to 'Where is Karen?' This question has been haunting all who knew Karen for many years." 'Dating Game' Serial Killer's Rise To Fame Was Key To His Downfall, Arresting Officer Reveals For First Time The divers were able to recover Schepers' vehicle while keeping the structure intact, allowing investigators to use dental records to identify her skeletal remains. "With this case, it was a bit of a unicorn in the fact that we had no idea what happened to her," Houghton said. "Don't be afraid to fail, don't be afraid of looking foolish. Because at the end of the day, the goal is to find this person and we did that in this case. If we do this five more times and this is the only time it works out, so be it. But if you do this five or 10 times, and you find one case or solve one case, it's totally worth doing that for that family." Houghton and Vartanian are already planning on the next case to revive in the second season of their podcast, telling Fox News Digital it will likely be a homicide investigation. Houghton and Vartanian were able to provide her 90-year-old mother with two items recovered from her vehicle – her sapphire birthstone ring and class of 1977 high school graduation tassel – providing a sense of closure for Schepers' loved ones as the mystery surrounding her disappearance finally comes to a close. "We hope for continued success on each and every cold case," Schepers' family said. "Miracles do happen."Original article source: Detectives' true crime podcast helps dig up breakthrough in case that haunted family: 'drew audible gasp'
Fox News
11-05-2025
- Fox News
Detectives' true crime podcast helps dig up breakthrough in case that haunted family: ‘drew audible gasp'
What started as a way for a pair of two Illinois detectives to crowdsource tips to solve decades-old cold cases ended in a shocking discovery. Detectives Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartanian were looking to breathe new life into unsolved cases by launching the true-crime podcast, "Somebody Knows Something," in October 2024 at the request of Elgin Police Department Chief Ana Lalley. Their goal centered around using modern investigative technology to potentially bring closure to local families. "We both kind of looked at each other and said, 'No, I'm not really sure that's for us'," Vartanian told Fox News Digital. "Then we took a step back, were open-minded in our thinking and objective, and thought that this could be a really good vehicle to utilize investigative processes within law enforcement." The pair combed through open cold cases within their area, zeroing in on the disappearance of 23-year-old Karen Schepers in 1983. "Our thought was, depending on whatever case we started with or if we did multiple cases, there may be people that are outside of Illinois and outside of our region that might have known about some of these cases," Vartanian said. "So it was the right thing to be able to get that information out there to be able to get answers for the victims and families." Schepers was enjoying a night of celebratory drinks with coworkers at P.M. Bentley's in Carpentersville, Illinois – located 45 miles outside Chicago. Schepers was the last of the group to leave the bar at approximately 1 a.m. on April 16, 1983, and neither she nor her 1980 Toyota Celica were ever seen again, according to the Elgin Police Department. Even though the community had countless theories of what may have happened to Schepers, including the possibility something happened to her on the way home or when she arrived at her destination, the case ran cold. Schepers' disappearance remained an open investigation for 41 years, and was briefly revisited by the Illinois State Police in the late 1980s and again by investigators in 2010. "In 2008 [and] 2009, we did a bunch of billboards for that case and tried to generate media interest," Houghton told Fox News Digital. "A lot of DNA was put into the national databases that were kind of new on the scene at that time, so that was the new technology then." Despite the multiple attempts to solve what happened to Schepers, detectives were unable to follow any major leads, until the department launched "Somebody Knows Something." "When we started to look at the Karen Schepers case, we realized that we could put everything out there because we had no idea what happened to her," Vartanian said. "Whether it was an accident or if it was something intentional, and then anything in between. There was so much time that had gone by, we knew that there was a lot of content that could be there." With permission from her family, Houghton and Vartanian began digging for new information regarding Schepers, using a mix of old-fashioned police work while leaning on updated technology. "This was very much an old-fashioned 'talk to people, get in a car, go knock on doors, go drive around' type of investigation," Houghton said. "Investigations for any of our cases are still like that, but this was much more like that in the fact that we had to go look and see what roads existed in 1983? What bodies of water existed in 1983? Because it's very different now than it was then." The pair hit the pavement, talking to locals in the area who knew Schepers to paint a picture of her final moments on the morning she went missing. Houghton and Vartanian worked to determine what route Schepers took home, along with researching the weather conditions and other details that may have contributed to her disappearance. As the detectives were pouring over print media, they discovered the nearby Fox River was flooded at the time of Schepers' disappearance – a key break in the case that prompted them to call in expert divers to search the body of water. "Interestingly enough, we would get a lot of tips from people that were saying, 'There's no way she's in the river'," Houghton said. "'It's too shallow, I fish there, I boat there.' However, there are different parts where the river might be two feet deep or one foot deep, and there are other spots where it's [up to] 15 feet deep, so it really depended on where you were looking." On March 24, 2025, the Elgin Police Department called in Chaos Divers, a non-profit team of independent divers specializing in underwater recovery, to search the river. In a dramatic end to a four-decades-long mystery, Schepers and her vehicle were found. "As we each heard the news that her car was found, time stopped while we drew an audible gasp," Schepers' family said in a statement. "When it started back up again, our lives took a new path that finally included the answer to 'Where is Karen?' This question has been haunting all who knew Karen for many years." The divers were able to recover Schepers' vehicle while keeping the structure intact, allowing investigators to use dental records to identify her skeletal remains. "With this case, it was a bit of a unicorn in the fact that we had no idea what happened to her," Houghton said. "Don't be afraid to fail, don't be afraid of looking foolish. Because at the end of the day, the goal is to find this person and we did that in this case. If we do this five more times and this is the only time it works out, so be it. But if you do this five or 10 times, and you find one case or solve one case, it's totally worth doing that for that family." Houghton and Vartanian are already planning on the next case to revive in the second season of their podcast, telling Fox News Digital it will likely be a homicide investigation. Houghton and Vartanian were able to provide her 90-year-old mother with two items recovered from her vehicle – her sapphire birthstone ring and class of 1977 high school graduation tassel – providing a sense of closure for Schepers' loved ones as the mystery surrounding her disappearance finally comes to a close. "We hope for continued success on each and every cold case," Schepers' family said. "Miracles do happen."
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Daywatch: Momentum builds for nuclear power in Illinois
Good morning, Chicago. Less than a year ago, two Elgin detectives were named to the police department's new cold case unit. Soon after Chief Ana Lalley presented the unit's first – and, so far, only – members with an unconventional idea: What if, in the spirit of generating interest and leads, Detectives Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartanian regularly shared their work with the public? What if they even … hosted a podcast? The detectives were dubious. They had listened to true crime podcasts before and even liked some of them. And they knew their first case – the disappearance of Karen Schepers in April 1983 – would make a compelling story. But to put a podcast together, themselves, and host it? To investigate the most difficult cases, often ones that have gone unsolved for decades, and take an audience along for the ride for the improbable victories and inevitable failures? To share with the world their search for Karen Schepers, a young Elgin woman missing for more than 40 years? The detectives had plenty of reasons to be skeptical. Their chief pushed them to do it, anyway – and it worked. Read the full story from the Tribune's Andrew Carter. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including a look at the coal industry in Illinois, a backstage tour of the Cadillac Palace where a touring production of 'Moulin Rouge!' rolled into town with nearly 300 costumes and where to make a reservation for Easter brunch. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History As Illinois closes in on its deadline of being carbon-free by midcentury, even as demands for energy rise, legislators are looking to satisfy both needs through a strategy many so far have tried to avoid: allowing new, large-scale nuclear reactors to be built in the state. Gov. JB Pritzker used his first-ever appearance on Fox News to take his criticisms of President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs to the network's conservative-leaning audience, labeling the Republican administration's levies on imports 'taxes on working families.' Like a TV network's summer reruns, Trump is back with a pro-coal agenda. Among his targets are Illinois and other states with their own clean energy laws, which promise to end the nation's use of coal to generate electricity and wean the nation from gas-fired power. Industry data tell another story. Coal, once a dominant sector of the economy, is in steep decline because it can't compete against cleaner, less-expensive energy sources. When Mayor Brandon Johnson came into office, his handpicked City Council ethics leader hoped the new mayor promising big change might truly reform the rules meant to keep elected officials in line in the famously corrupt city. But then Johnson instead fought those efforts, Ethics Committee Chair Ald. Matt Martin said. And he has done so again and again. The footage of two women brutally attacking a server at Taco Azteca, a longtime Mexican restaurant in Pilsen, last weekend has left a neighborhood reeling, according to residents and local leaders. The now viral video has raised concerns of safety in the neighborhood and left other workers in the area fearful. As police continue the search for the two aggressors, the images of the beating over a $50 check still haunt some of the other workers at the restaurant, said co-owner Martha Garcia. The worst-case scenario has come to fruition for Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele. Steele will undergo season-ending surgery Friday to repair the flexor tendon in his elbow and address the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), manager Craig Counsell announced yesterday. The extent of the damage to Steele's UCL won't be known until the doctor gets eyes on it during the procedure. The Cubs will have a better timetable for Steele's recovery after the surgery. The Chicago Sky loaded up on late first-round draft stock in a trade with the Minnesota Lynx. The Sky announced they acquired the No. 11 pick in the 2025 draft in exchange for the rights to their 2026 first-round pick. This trade nullified the pick swap that Minnesota initially gained in last year's trade for the No. 7 draft pick, which the Sky ultimately used to select Angel Reese. The Sky now own the Nos. 10, 11, 16 and 22 picks in tonight's draft. Chicago's field of dreams was born on an early spring day in 1938. Mel Thillens awoke to the sight of his kid brother standing next to his bed. Ferdy Thillens said he and his buddies needed a place to play softball. 'We put a plate in a prairie, and it just grew from there,' Mel Thillens subsequently recalled to a Tribune reporter. Prairie was Chicagoese for an empty lot. In this instance, it meant a substantial piece of land north of Kedzie and Devon avenues. Each time the nationally touring production of 'Moulin Rouge!' rolls into a new city, an entire truck is required to transport the show's costumes: a rainbow palette of corsets, cancan skirts, tailcoats, top hats and heeled boots that evokes the opulence of the 1899 Parisian setting. In total, the production travels with 297 costumes for the principal actors and ensemble performers, plus about 200 for understudies and swings. 'Moulin Rouge! The Musical' is currently playing through April 20 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. At a time when Palestinian existence and resilience are under a microscope, the Chicago Palestine Film Festival is spotlighting all aspects of Palestinian culture and tradition with the 24th annual event, which began Saturday. Much of the film festival, which runs through April 26, takes place at the Gene Siskel Film Center and includes many screenings as well as panel discussions and social gatherings. Easter is one of the biggest brunch occasions of the year, but also a time for hearty dinners centering on roast lamb and honey-baked ham, and baskets filled with sweet treats. Celebrations at Chicago restaurants run the gamut, featuring decadent buffets, egg decorating, a traditional midnight feast and a drag show. Whether you're seeking a meal where the kids can meet the Easter Bunny or looking for someone else to cook the food for your at-home gathering, these 70 restaurants are providing all the goodies.
Chicago Tribune
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Afternoon Briefing: DePaul's Doug Bruno stepping down
Good afternoon, Chicago. DePaul women's basketball coach Doug Bruno is stepping down after 39 seasons and a 786-405 record at the helm of the program. Bruno, who was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022, will move into a new role with the Blue Demons as the Special Assistant to the Vice President/Director of Athletics for Women's Basketball on May 1. DePaul announced today it will begin a nationwide search for its new coach. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Kane coroner confirms remains found in car are those of missing Elgin woman Karen Schepers The Kane County coroner's office announced last night that the skeletal remains found inside a car removed this week from the Fox River belong to Karen Schepers, the 23-year-old Elgin woman missing since April 1983. Read more here. Gov. JB Pritzker to lead trade mission to Mexico Gov. JB Pritzker will lead a delegation of business, civic and government leaders on a trade mission to Mexico next week at a time when one of his most ardent political foes, President Donald Trump, has continued to foster a hostile relationship with the country on immigration and economic matters. Read more here. More top business stories: Josh Giddey's half-court buzzer-beater stuns the LA Lakers. 4 takeaways from the Chicago Bulls' improbable win. It should have been impossible. But for the Bulls — who prevailed 119-117 for their ninth win in 11 games — that word is beginning to mean less and less. Read more here. More top sports stories: Auburn coach Bruce Pearl says his call for an American hostage release was about 'survival,' not politics Michigan State's Tom Izzo — the 'Mount Rushmore of this sport' — is still in the NCAA title mix at age 70 'A Working Man' review: Jason Statham solves a Chicago sex trafficking problem Jason Statham's latest thriller 'A Working Man' is 'Taken,' if 'Taken' took place in Chicago and Joliet and their environs. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: Looking for a garden upgrade? These tools could help. A federal judge temporarily blocks parts of Trump's anti-DEI executive orders A federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Labor from implementing parts of President Donald Trump's executive orders aimed at curbing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts among federal contractors and grant recipients.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Kane coroner confirms remains found in car are those of missing Elgin woman Karen Schepers
The Kane County Coroner's Office announced Thursday night that the skeletal remains found inside a car removed this week from the Fox River belong to Karen Schepers, the 23-year-old Elgin woman who went missing in April 1983. Dental records provided by the family led to the positive confirmation by a forensic odontologist, according to Coroner Dr. Monica Silva, who issued a news release on the findings shortly after 8 p.m. Elgin police have said it was likely Schepers had been found but there would be no official confirmation until after the coroner's review using either dental records or DNA. Had the latter been necessary, the process could have taken several weeks. The mystery of what happened to Karen Schepers made it one of the oldest cold cases in the Elgin Police Department's files. It prompted two detectives to produce a podcast, 'Somebody Knows Something,' and to launch a search of the river, which is not believed to have been done at the time of her disappearance. And, in fact, the case could have been solved three years ago had an Elgin Fire Department diver not mistaken her car, found in the murky, brush-filled water, for an ATV when he went in to investigate. The search was done after a resident told the fire department that he'd seen something that looked like a car northwest of the Slade Avenue Park boat launch. The error was announced Thursday morning by the Elgin police and fire departments, with Elgin Fire Chief Robb Cagann acknowledging that a better inspection of the vehicle — which had landed on its roof — should have been done. The department's protocol and policies in regards to such searches have been improved since then, he said. Schepers was last seen on April 16, 1983, when she left a Carpentersville bar where she'd been having drinks with coworkers. She was believed to be headed home to her Elgin apartment when she and her 1980 yellow Toyota Celica vanished. The podcast looked at several possible scenarios, including that she could have accidentally driven into a body of water because it was dark, the temperatures below freezings and the roadways slick. Had she followed the common route home, she would been following a path that was very close to the river, which was abnormally high at the time due to recent storms. Schepers' family was notified Tuesday of the car's recovery and the discovery of human remains found inside. Her brother, Gary, expressed relief that they might finally have the closure they've sought for more than four decades. Schepers' father, a pilot, tried to do his own search using a chartered plane but ultimately died without know what had happened to his daughter. The two cold case detective and Chaos Divers, a nonprofit organization that searches bodies of water for missing people, searched several areas long the river using specialized sonar equipment. Police have not offered any thoughts as to how the car ended up where it did and if they believe it could have been moved by the current in the last 41 years.
