Skeletal Remains Found in Car of Missing Elgin Woman, 42 Years After Disappearance
3/27/25 UPDATED from Elgin Police - The Kane County Coroner’s Office on March 27, 2025 officially notified the police department that the human remains located inside the vehicle were positively identified as Karen Schepers. This positive identification was made using a forensic odontologist along with dental records provided by the Schepers’ family.
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The Kane County Coroner's office has confirmed that skeletal remains were found inside a vehicle recovered Tuesday from the Fox River, marking a significant development in the 42-year-old case of missing Elgin woman Karen Schepers.
Hundreds of onlookers gathered along both sides of the river as law enforcement officials pulled the yellow 1980 Toyota Celica from the water. The car, registered to Schepers, had been submerged upside down near the west bank of the river, north of the Slade Avenue boat launch, in about seven feet of water.
Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley announced the discovery, noting that the vehicle was located Monday during a joint search effort by the Elgin Police Department and Chaos Divers, a nonprofit specializing in sonar searches for missing persons. The license plate, XP8919, confirmed the car's connection to Schepers, who disappeared on April 16, 1983, after leaving a Carpentersville bar.
The vehicle was taken to the Kane County Coroner's Office, where forensic pathologists later confirmed the presence of skeletal remains inside. Authorities stated that it could take several weeks to determine if the remains match Schepers' DNA or dental records.
Schepers' case was a top priority for Elgin's newly formed Cold Case Unit, led by Detectives Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartanian. The case was also the focus of the department's “Somebody Knows Something" podcast, launched in January.
You can find the podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/4hcC25y7E7EK6ob8vc9NT9
