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4w ago

Car of Missing Woman Found in Fox River With Human Remains Inside

The discovery of Karen Schepers' car and remains, 42 years after her disappearance, marks a breakthrough in a decades-old cold case.

The Toyota Celica of Karen Schepers is loaded onto a flatbed truck after being taken out of the Fox River on March 25, 2025, in Elgin. Police later confirmed that human remains had been found inside. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Members of the Elgin Police Department and the nonprofit organization, Chaos Divers, use sonography to search for Karen Schepers and her vehicle in the Fox River on March 24, 2025, in Elgin. The Elgin woman has been missing since 1983. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
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Overview

  • Karen Schepers' 1980 Toyota Celica was found submerged in the Fox River near the Slade Avenue boat launch after a sonar search by Chaos Divers.
  • Human skeletal remains were discovered inside the vehicle, with DNA and dental analysis underway to confirm their identity.
  • Schepers disappeared in April 1983 after leaving a Carpentersville bar, with no activity on her bank accounts or credit cards since.
  • The Elgin Police Department's Cold Case Unit, which recently launched a podcast revisiting the case, collaborated with Chaos Divers to locate the car.
  • The discovery offers potential closure to Schepers' family, who have sought answers for more than four decades.