Police podcast leads detectives to solve decades-old mystery of missing woman

What began as a approach for just a few detectives from Illinois to crowdsource tricks to resolve for many years of chilly instances, resulted in a surprising discovery.

Detectives Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartanian wished to carry new life into the request of Elgin Police Division Chief Ana Lalley within the launch of the true podcast ‘Any person Is aware of One thing’ in October 2024. Their aim was geared toward utilizing fashionable analysis expertise to probably shut the native households.

“We each appeared a bit at one another and stated,” No, I am undecided if that is for us “,” Vartanian advised Fox Information Digital. “Then we took a step again, we had been open -minded in our pondering and goal, and thought that this could possibly be a extremely good car to make use of analysis processes inside regulation enforcement.”

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The pair combines as a consequence of open chilly instances of their space and nil in on the disappearance of the 23-year-old Karen Schepers in 1983.

“Our thought was, relying on the case with which we began or if we did a number of instances, there could possibly be people who find themselves exterior of Illinois and out of doors our area who could learn about a few of these issues, “stated Vartanian.” So it was the suitable factor to get that data to get solutions for the victims and households. “

Schepers loved an evening of festive drinks with colleagues at PM Bentley’s in Carpentersville, Illinois – positioned 45 miles exterior Chicago. Schepers was the final of the group that left the bar at about 1 hour on April 16, 1983, and nor her Toyota Celica from 1980 had been as soon as seen extra, according to The police of Elgin.

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Though the group had numerous theories about what occurred to Schepers, together with the chance that occurred to her on her approach residence or when she arrived at her vacation spot, the case bought chilly.

The disappearance of Schepers remained an open investigation for 41 years and was once more visited by the Illinois State Police in 2010 and once more by the researchers in 2010.

“In 2008 [and] 2009 we did a variety of billboards for that case and tried to generate media curiosity, “Houghton advised Fox Information Digital.” Many DNA was positioned within the nationwide databases that had been quite new on the time, in order that was the brand new expertise on the time. ”

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Karen Schepers laughs in an undated picture. (Elgin Police Division)

Regardless of the a number of makes an attempt to resolve what occurred to Schepers, investigators couldn’t observe giant leads till the ‘somebody is aware of one thing’ launched.

“Once we began trying on the Karen Schepers case, we realized that we may put up all the pieces there as a result of we had no thought what occurred to her, “stated Vartanian.” Whether or not it was an accident or whether or not it was one thing deliberate, after which one thing in between. There was a lot time that had handed, We knew there was a number of content material that could possibly be there. “

With permission from her household, Houghton and Vartanian began digging for brand spanking new details about Schepers, utilizing a mixture of previous -fashioned police work whereas leaning on up to date expertise.

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“This was very an previous -fashioned “speaking to folks, stepping in a automobile, knock on doorways, go round” Sort of analysis, “Houghton stated.” Analysis for all our issues are nonetheless the case, however this appeared rather more to see and see which methods had been in 1983? Which water our bodies existed in 1983? As a result of it’s now very totally different from the time. “

The couple touched the sidewalk and talked to the locals within the space that Schepers knew to color a photograph of her final moments on the morning that she was lacking. Houghton and Vartanian labored to find out which Route Schepers took residence, along with investigating the climate situations and different particulars that will have contributed to her disappearance.

Whereas the detectives flowed over printed media, they found that the close by Fox River was flooded on the time of the disappearance of Schepers – an necessary break within the case that led them to name within the skilled divers to look the water.

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Karen Schepers’ car was found within the Fox River in Elgin, Illinois on March 24, 2025. (Elgin Police Division)

Detectives had been capable of match the license plate of Karen Schepers when her car was found on March 24, 2025 within the Fox River in Elgin, Illinois. (Elgin Police Division)

“Attention-grabbing sufficient we’d get a number of suggestions from individuals who stated,” There is no such thing as a approach she is within the river, “stated Houghton. “It is too shallow, I fish there, I boat there.” Nevertheless, there are totally different components the place the river will be deep or one ft deep, and there are different locations the place it’s [up to] 15 Ft deep, so it actually relied on the place you appeared. “

On March 24, 2025, the Elgin Police Division Division referred to as Chaos numerous, a non-profit staff of impartial divers who concentrate on restoration below water, to look the river.

In a dramatic finish of a 4 many years of thriller, Schepers and her car had been discovered.

“Whereas we every heard the information that her automobile was discovered, the time stopped whereas we pulled an audible sigh,” stated the Van Schepers household An explanation. “When it began once more, our life took a brand new path that lastly contained the reply to” The place is Karen? ” This query is all that Karen had recognized for a few years. “

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The divers had been capable of restore the car of Schepers and saved the construction intact, permitting researchers to make use of dental information to establish its skeleton -like stays.

“With this case it was a little bit of a unicorn in the truth that we had no thought what occurred to her, “Houghton stated.” Do not be afraid to fail, do not be afraid to look silly. As a result of on the finish of the day the aim is to seek out this particular person and we did that on this case. If we do that 5 extra occasions and that is the one time it really works, it’s so. However in case you do that 5 or 10 occasions, and you will see that one case or clear up one case, it’s utterly worthwhile to do this for that household. ”

Houghton and Vartanian are already planning within the subsequent case to breathe new life into the second season of their podcast, and says Fox Information Digital that it’s going to most likely be a research of homicide instances.

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Houghton and Vartanian had been capable of supply her 90-year-old mom two gadgets that had been recovered from her car Sapphire Birthsteenring and sophistication of 1977 highschool graduating Tassel-a sense of closure for the family members of Schepers when the thriller round her disappearance lastly comes.

“We hope for steady success on each chilly trigger,” stated the Van Schepers household. “Miracles do occur.”