You’re watching the NBC 5 Chicago News streaming channel, which plays local Chicago news 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can find the “NBC 5 Chicago News” streaming channel on your phone or computer, and on Peacock, Samsung, Roku, Xumo or on our app, so you can watch our local news on your schedule.
In April of 1983, 23-year-old Karen Schepers, of Elgin, disappeared after a night out with coworkers.
Tuesday, more than 40 years after the case went cold, a giant, submerged clue was discovered after the suburban police renewed search its efforts: Schepers' 1980 Toyota Celica.
The car was found by a dive crew in the Fox River Monday as part of the investigation, which has now been picked back up after the Elgin Police Department launched a cold case unit and podcast. Schepers' disappearance was at the top of the unit's list, officials said.
As crews prepared to recover the car from the river Tuesday morning, Elgin police and fire officials, as well as the Kane County Coroner talked about the development, saying officials were hoping to soon give Karen's family more answers and a "sense of peace."
"Yesterday's search of the Fox River was conducted because as a reexamination of the case progressed," Elgin Police Department Chief Ana Lalley said during the update. Lalley added that theories of Karen's disappearance led them to the Fox River.
"With recent significant advancements in technology, Chaos Divers were contacted to assist us in conducting a more thorough search, to fully explore and exhaust this theory," Lalley said.
Local
About 4:42 p.m. Monday, with the help of sonar technology, divers located a vehicle matching the car's description in the river. The license plates lined up, Lalley said.
"The scene is considered a crime scene and access will be limited," Lalley said Tuesday. "Once the vehicle has been safely removed from the Fox River determination may if any human remains are in the vehicle."
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
Lalley stressed the case remains an "open and active investigation," with more details expected to be released after the vehicle is recovered.
"As we continue to investigate this case we remain steadfast in our resolve," Lalley said. "To provide answers and closure to Karen's family."
What happened to Karen Schepers? Where the case stands
On April 16, 1983, then 23-year-old Karen Schepers went to a bar in Carpentersville bar with coworkers. Neither Karen nor her yellow 1980 Toyota Celica were seen again, officials said.
"Karen and her vehicle...disappeared without a trace," Lalley said during Tuesday's update. According to police, Schepers' whereabouts "remain unknown," but theories remain.
According to Lalley, the department reopened the case in 2024, which was highlighted in the cold case podcast, "Somebody Knows Something."
"The goal of this podcast is very simple to generate leads and garner information into Karen's case so that we could eventually provide answers to Karen's family and friends," Lalley said, adding that detectives had received tips and information from those who listened.
In the podcast, police have said there is no record of any searches for Schepers or her car in the water in the 1980s, despite the Fox River and several other ponds being near potential routes home from the bar.
"Here we are 40 years later, and we're exhausting every investigative lead that we can," she said.
