Elgin cold case: Car linked to missing woman Karen Schepers unknowingly found in Fox River by fire crews in 2022, not recovered
Share and Follow

ELGIN, Ill. (WLS) — Skeletal human remains found inside a car pulled from the Fox River linked to a decades-old cold case have now been identified, the Kane County Coroner said Thursday.

The body was confirmed to be that of missing Elgin woman Karen Schepers.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Finally after 42 years, Schepers officially has been found after the official identification by the Kane County Coroner.

Officials said the skeletal human remains found inside the 1980 canary yellow Toyota Celica from the Fox River on Tuesday were confirmed to be the remains of Schepers, who went missing in 1983.

The Kane County Coroner said forensic specialists used dental records provided by the family to make the official identification.

Elgin police initially said the identification process could take weeks, but this comes just two days after crews pulled her vehicle from the Fox River.

Search teams with a nonprofit group called the Chaos Divers found the car near the Slade Avenue boat launch on Monday.

Police said the car was taken to a secure storage location for further investigation.

Schepers was 23 years old when she was last seen attending a party with coworkers at a bar in Carpentersville in the early hours of April 16, 1983. Neither Karen nor her 1980 Toyota Celica were seen again, until now.

As for why she went missing and how she died, that is still a mystery.

This all comes after the cold case was revived early this year in a podcast launched by the Elgin Police Department called Somebody Knows Something.

Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Republicans survive close call in Tennessee as another warning flares

Republicans Navigate Narrow Victory in Tennessee Amid Emerging Concerns

Republican Matt Van Epps secured a win in the special election for…
Afghan man accused of DC shooting may have been blackmailed by Taliban

Taliban Blackmail Allegations Emerge in Case of Afghan Man Accused in DC Shooting

Investigators are delving into a chilling possibility regarding the suspect accused of…
'Home Improvement' star Zachery Ty Bryan arrested over Thanksgiving weekend

Zachery Ty Bryan, ‘Home Improvement’ Actor, Faces Arrest During Holiday Weekend

This incident marks the sixth time in five years that the former…
Judge blocks ICE from making warrantless arrests in DC without flight-risk proof

DC Court Halts ICE Warrantless Arrests: New Ruling Requires Flight-Risk Justification

A federal judge issued a ruling on Tuesday that curtails the Trump…
Thunderbirds pilot ejects safely as F-16C crashes during California training mission over controlled airspace

Thunderbirds Pilot Safely Ejects Amid F-16C Crash During California Training Exercise in Controlled Airspace

On Wednesday, a pilot from the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds successfully ejected…
Trump administration says it will withhold SNAP food aid from Democrat-led states unless they provide recipient records

Trump Administration to Withhold SNAP Aid from Certain States Over Record Disclosure Dispute

In a recent development from Washington, President Donald Trump’s administration announced plans…
University of Delaware student accused of 'frightening' plot to attack campus police

University of Delaware Student Accused of Planning Campus Police Attack; Authorities Seize Illegal Weapons

The Justice Department has revealed that a University of Delaware student is…
Grainy tape may solve the mystery of the 'Lost Boys of Pickering'

Unveiling the Mystery: How Grainy Tape Could Crack the Decades-Old ‘Lost Boys of Pickering’ Case

More than three decades ago, a small suburban city witnessed the mysterious…