Skeletal remains discovered in an Illinois river have been identified as those of a young woman who went missing over four decades ago, following a case that prompted detectives to create their own podcast in search of answers, authorities announced on Thursday. Dental records confirmed that the remains found inside a 1980 Toyota Celica, recovered from the Fox River approximately 40 miles northwest of Chicago, belong to 23-year-old Karen Schepers, as reported by the Elgin Police Department.
Detective Matt Vartanian expressed gratitude for the opportunity to bring closure to Schepers’ family, stating, “I am extremely thankful that we were able to bring Karen home to her family. I greatly appreciate them putting their trust in us to find Karen.” Schepers was last seen leaving a party with co-workers at P.M. Bentley’s bar in Carpentersville in the early hours of April 16, 1983.
The unsolved case had puzzled detectives for decades until the cold case unit revisited it last year. As part of their renewed efforts, a podcast titled “Somebody Knows Something” was produced to explore various theories surrounding her disappearance. Recent investigations revealed that the Fox River had experienced high flooding around the time of Schepers’ disappearance.
On March 24, police and volunteers from Chaos Divers recovered a Celica bearing license plates matching Schepers’ vehicle from the river. Subsequent examination on March 25 confirmed the presence of skeletal human remains within the vehicle, which were identified through dental records as belonging to Schepers. The circumstances leading to her car ending up in the water remain unclear.
Police Chief Ana Lalley emphasized the importance of supporting the Schepers family during this challenging time, stating, “Right now, my hope is that the focus remains on the Schepers family and the support that we all can give to them during an unimaginable time as they process the events of this week, which have been no less than extraordinary.”
Detective Andrew Houghton and Detective Vartanian expressed gratitude towards Schepers’ family, friends, and volunteers for their assistance and unwavering belief that Schepers would be found. Houghton acknowledged the family’s trust in reopening the case, stating, “I know that by us reopening this case, the family was taking a chance that they could be let down, and we were very sensitive to that. I also want to thank them for being open enough to allow us to do a podcast which allowed us to bring attention to Karen and her case.”
