A haunting breakthrough has finally come in the cold case of Karen Schepers, 23, who vanished over 40 years ago in Elgin, Illinois, a suburb outside of Chicago.
The Elgin Police Department announced on Monday that they have located Karen’s Yellow 1980 Toyota Celica buried in Fox River.
The vehicle was first located near a boat launch before a diver located the car and identified the license plate, which matched Karen’s.
The Toyota is scheduled to be removed from the river on Tuesday afternoon with the assistance of professional divers, the Elgin Fire Department, and the Kane County Coroner’s Office.
Once the vehicle is safely recovered, authorities plan to search for the remains. Police Chief Ana Lalley said in a statement that the investigation is still open and the recovery process is expected to take some time.
‘As the recovery of the vehicle is made, it is important to stress that this is the beginning of what is still considered an open and active investigation with many questions still to be answered,’ Lalley said in a media update.
‘As we continue to investigate this case, we will remain steadfast in our resolve to provide answers and closure to Karen’s family.’
Lindsay Bussick, the manager of Chaos Divers, a nonprofit organization assisting in the search, told the Chicago Tribune that authorities used sonar technology to determine the license plate and model of the vehicle.
Hellbound and Down 