Found Deceased IL - Karen Schepers, 23, Carpentersville, 16 April 1983

[Simply Caustic]

Do we know where Ulracher was in 1983? From what I can find he moved to Oregon. I just found it interesting he's connected to two cases that have associated vehicles, but the one in Barbara Glueckert's case seems to be his, maybe no connection..

Very late reply on my part (only just saw this)
But the car belonged to Ulracher’s sister.

 

[dotr]

Mar 24, 2025
A new search begins in the western suburbs for a woman who disappeared more than 40 years ago.

Mar 24, 2025
soundbite from Elgin Police Detectives about Schepers Cold case

 

[Cubby]

Her vehicle has been found in the Fox River.

https://wgntv.com/news/northwest-suburbs/epd-vehicle-linked-to-42-year-old-elgin-cold-case-found-in-fox-river/

 

[IslandGirlOBX]

"Suburban police to give update on decades-old cold case after missing woman's car found in Fox River"​

ELGIN, IL. - More clues are expected to emerge Tuesday [March 25, 2025] in a decades-old cold case out of suburban Elgin after a car believed to be have belonged to a missing woman was found Monday [March 24, 2025] in the Fox River.

The vehicle, a yellow 1980 Toyota Celica, was located by divers northwest of the Slade Avenue boat launch on the Fox River during a renewed search Monday, officials said. The divers, along with Elgin Police detectives, conducted the search after the department recently launched a cold case unit and a podcast.

According to officials, the car is believed to belong to Karen Schepers, a 23-year-old Elgin resident who went missing in 1983. Tuesday morning [March 25, 2025], Elgin authorities are scheduled to remove the vehicle from the water and provide an update into their latest discoveries.

What happened to Karen Schepers?​

<modsnip>

 

[Cubby]

Karen Schepers cold case: Officials provide update on car recovery efforts

Elgin officials held news briefing to provide an update on the search for Karen Schepers, whose car was found in the Fox River nearly 42 years after her disappearance.

www.fox32chicago.com

Video of this mornings 10 am presser at link.

The attempted recovery of the vehicle will begin early this afternoon.

 

[Cubby]

The car has been recovered. No news on whether it contained human remains.

 

[Bounceycat]

https://wgntv.com/news/northwest-suburbs/epd-vehicle-linked-to-42-year-old-elgin-cold-case-found-in-fox-river/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJQD_BleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYEkwYaD5wXNyrZ8vR2K4dJY3ve0sQOjStbh6shofXFAynJqleR1GXkMgQ_aem_w_7Vm5hHeIs1pXEppFEQHA

After a couple hours, emergency crews were able to pull the vehicle from the waters of the Fox River around 2:40 p.m.

SkyCam 9 was able to capture the Elgin Police and Fire Department pulling the vehicle up over the side of a seawall by a crane with a hoist. After safely setting the car down, investigators began examining the vehicle.

The Kane County Coroner’s Office (KCCO) is now tasked with searching the vehicle for human remains.

 

[Chappy]

Remains found in vehicle connected to Elgin cold case, authorities say

A significant breakthrough in a decades-old cold case has led to the discovery of human remains in a vehicle pulled from the Fox River Tuesday.

www.nbcchicago.com

 

[meanmaryjean]

Human remains in the recovered vehicle

https://wgntv.com/news/northwest-suburbs/kane-county-coroners-office-confirms-human-remains-found-inside-of-car-pulled-from-fox-river/

 

[HmmMysterious]

Remains found in vehicle connected to Elgin cold case, authorities say

A significant breakthrough in a decades-old cold case has led to the discovery of human remains in a vehicle pulled from the Fox River Tuesday.

www.nbcchicago.com

I'm absolutely certain the remains belong to Karen. After nearly 45 years of being submerged in a river, she's finally going home. My thoughts go out to Karen's family and friends.

 

[Bounceycat]

I'm so relieved that her family finally has answers and can lay her to rest. Her mom was interviewed in the earlier anniversary articles and mentioned how she was keeping Karen's childhood home in case she ever came back, to have something familiar. Does anyone know if Mom is still alive and able to finally learn what became of Karen?

 

[dotr]

rbbm March 26 2025

Skeletal remains found in car linked to Karen Schepers, missing from Illinois since 1983 | The Express Tribune

Authorities recovered remains from a car in Fox River identified as belonging to Karen Schepers, missing since 1983.

tribune.com.pk

''Authorities say DNA testing or dental records will be used to confirm the identity of the remains, a process that could take several weeks. While initial findings show no signs of foul play, the official cause of death will be determined after a full autopsy.

The case gained renewed interest recently through the podcast Somebody Knows Something, produced by Elgin police cold case detectives. The podcast outlined the circumstances of Schepers’ disappearance and presented new theories. It also encouraged the public to come forward with tips, which police credit for the latest breakthrough.

Gary Schepers, Karen’s brother, expressed gratitude but also frustration. “I wish they had looked this hard in 1983, but they didn’t,” he said. “There’s no good outcome… but one is better than all the scenarios I can imagine.”

Mar 25, 2025
CBS News Chicago SkyWatch was over the scene as authorities pulled the yellow car believed to belong to Karen Schepers from the Fox River in Elgin Tuesday. Schepers vanished in 1983 after attending a work party at a bar. Divers never searched the Fox River at the time, but divers found the car Monday when searching the water.

 

[mzmarymac]

Looks like they did find skeletal remains inside the car. Horribly sad story that it took all these years to find her when she was right there all along. My heart goes out to the family, and especially anyone who might have been under an umbrella of suspicion all these years. Now, granted, we don't know exactly what happened, and may never, but she was the last one to leave a bar and drove home, so I wouldn't be surprised if this is just a tragic case of drunk driving, but maybe we will see. Happy the family has her body to provide her with a proper burial.

Skeletal remains found in car pulled from Fox River that belonged to Karen Schepers, missing since 1983

Schepers was last seen on April 16, 1983, when she left a bar in nearby Carpentersville after a party with her co-workers.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[SpringDonut77]

The Elgin Fire Dept had found the car in 2022 but did nothing about it...

https://wgntv.com/news/northwest-suburbs/elgin-fire-department-unknowingly-discovered-vehicle-linked-to-karen-schepers-disappearance-in-2022/

 

[IslandGirlOBX]

The Elgin Fire Dept had found the car in 2022 but did nothing about it...

https://wgntv.com/news/northwest-suburbs/elgin-fire-department-unknowingly-discovered-vehicle-linked-to-karen-schepers-disappearance-in-2022/

Wow, that is truly unfortunate as conducting further investigation of the vehicle in 2022 would have likely saved Karen's family another 2+ years of not knowing what happened to her. I have to admit, however, the Elgin Fire Department's full acknowledgement of the error that occurred -- and the apology that was issued and their commitment to ensuring something like this never happens again is wildly refreshing. Let this be a lesson to other departments or agencies that may receive reports of submerged vehicles in bodies of water or discover them during dives to do complete and thorough investigations. You don't see acknowledgement of errors in situations like these enough, IMO.

“When this information came to my attention, I immediately met with Elgin Police Chief Lalley to discuss the incident,” Elgin Fire Chief Robb Cagann said. “Upon careful review, I concluded that more should have been done in 2022, including a comprehensive underwater examination of the vehicle.”

“Upon learning of this information, I met with Chief Cagann to address the matter,” Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley said. “Chief Cagann offered a sincere apology on behalf of the Elgin Fire Department, acknowledging that the initial handling did not meet their established standards."

Cagann added that he did not want his department’s actions to take away from the work done by EPD on Schepers’ case.

********
All MOO.

 

[iulia]

Her NamUs page has been removed.

 

[Cubby]

Karen Schepers: Remains in submerged car confirmed as Illinois woman missing since 1983

More than 40 years after Karen Schepers vanished without a trace, authorities have confirmed that skeletal remains found in her submerged car in the Fox River belong to the missing woman.

www.fox32chicago.com

The remains have been positively identified as Karen.

 

[dotr]

Police who started cold case podcast find woman’s remains after 42 years - National | Globalnews.ca

Karen Schepers and her yellow Toyota Celica went missing around 1 a.m. on April 16, 1983, after leaving a bar following a night out with co-workers.

globalnews.ca

View image in full screen
Karen Schepers went missing in 1983 and the case eventually ran cold. Last week, her car and remains were discovered in an Illinois river. Instagram / @chaos_divers_

''In May of last year, however, the Elgin Police Department created a Cold Case Unit and reopened Scheper’s missing person case. Detectives Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartanian were given the green light to start the Somebody Knows Something: The Elgin Police Cold Case Podcast, dedicating their first episode, which aired on Jan. 20 of this year, to Schepers’ case.''

 

[dotr]

Apr 15, 2025 The Takeaway with Alex | Podcast
Exactly 42 years after the disappearance of Karen Schepers, the Elgin detectives who cracked the 1983 cold case are speaking out about their experience -- including a podcast they started to attract new leads. Detectives Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartanian of the Elgin Police Department Cold Case Unit join the podcast this week to share the story of Karen Schepers, from the night she went missing to the moment her remains were pulled out of the Fox River just last month.