Underwater remains could crack 1983 cold case of missing Chicago-area woman: Police

CHICAGO -- Human skeletal remains were discovered in a submerged vehicle Tuesday outside Chicago. Law enforcement say they are working to determine if they belong to a Chicago-area woman who has been missing for 42 years.

A 1980 Toyota Celica registered to Karen Schepers, who went missing in 1983 when she was 23, was discovered in the Fox River by sonar late Monday; a dive team helped raise the vehicle, an operation that for many in the surrounding area had been a long time coming.

Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley called the discovery "a tremendous break in this investigation."

Schepers' disappearance was a mystery for decades.

A musician and former cheerleader at her high school, she was working as a computer programmer at a bank when she was last seen at a local bar with about 20 co-workers in the early hours of April 16. Detectives said she had just broken off an engagement and was living alone in an apartment in Elgin, located about an hour west of Chicago.

At the time of her disappearance, she carried no debt and her bank accounts and credit cards remained untouched after she vanished.

Last year the Elgin Police Department formed a cold case unit. Schepers' disappearance was the first case on the docket.

In a podcast the department launched in January, investigators said strong winds and below-freezing temperatures could have created icy road conditions that night that might have caused her vehicle to veer into the river. The Fox River was higher than its typical eight feet at the time and the roadway was not brightly illuminated.

In January, police contacted Chaos Divers, an organization located in southern Illinois specializing in underwater searches for law enforcement. According to manager Lindsey Bussick, the Schepers case is the 20th successful recovery in less than four years. Bussick said her team waited until conditions warmed up this week to conduct the search.

An initial sweep of sonar Monday discovered three vehicles in the river. Schepers' vehicle was submerged seven feet. Mike McFerron, a diver, confirmed it was her vehicle by bringing up the license plate.

Schepers' sister Susan Trainer told Chicago ABC affiliate WLS the discovery "changes everything."

"For many years, when I would see people that would have similar characteristics, I would stop. If I was in a crowded place like an airport, I'd always be looking. Is there anyone that looks like her?" she said.

Bussick said the vehicle was upside down and its rear window was smashed, which could have been caused by debris settling on it over decades. Despite its shallow grave, the vehicle was nearly invisible from the surface since visibility in the river was only four to six inches.

"I feel it was an unfortunate tragic accident. It is heartbreaking to know the family had to wait this long," Bussick said.

She added that she is "confident" the skeletal remains were intact because the vehicle was largely sealed and hadn't shifted from its location. A special "lift bag" was fastened to the vehicle to seal it off as it was moved to the surface.

Lalley said a forensic pathologist with the Kane County Coroner's Office will compare DNA samples and dental records to confirm whether the remains are a positive match with Schepers, a process that "could take up to several weeks."

In the podcast, the siblings revealed their mother still lives in the family home, which is maintained the same way since 1983 so Schepers would recognize it upon her return. "We are waiting for her to show up one day," said her brother Gary Schepers. "I would be surprised, but I wouldn't be surprised if that happened."