Tuesday’s dramatic extraction from the Fox River of the Toyota Celica believed to be the vehicle carrying 23-year-old Karen Schepers of Elgin when she disappeared in April 1983 took a surprising twist yesterday.
According to a joint press release from the Elgin Police Department and the Elgin Fire Department, during Tuesday’s recovery of the vehicle at the Slade Avenue boat launchin Elgin, a person approached an Elgin police officer and reported that in 2022, while fishing near the location where the vehicle was eventually found, the sonar equipment he was using detected an unusual object in the Fox River. He contacted the Elgin Fire Department at the time to convey the information.
The Elgin Fire Department deployed its dive team to investigate using an underwater, remote-operated vehicle equipped with both camera and sonar technology. The dive team identified what appeared to be a small vehicle submerged in the water and a diver ultimately made physical contact with a tire. The tire’s small diameter led the diver to prematurely conclude that the object in the water was likely either an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) or UTV (utility-task vehicle). Accordingly, no further investigation was conducted.
The Elgin Police Department stated that it had no knowledge of the dive team’s activities before yesterday.
Elgin Fire Chief Robb Cagann said, “When this information came to my attention, I immediately met with Elgin Police Chief Lalley to discuss the incident. Upon careful review, I concluded that more should have been done in 2022, including a comprehensive underwater examination of the vehicle.”
“It is of vital importance to me that this information be provided to the public and more importantly, to the family of Karen Schepers, so all know that a thorough review of the incident was conducted as soon as this information came to my attention. The fire department will also ensure that the circumstances surrounding this incident never happen during any dives. Since that time, the fire department’s dive team leadership has changed, and the department has updated its operational protocols and technological capabilities to ensure the most efficient and effective dive operations,” said Cagann.
Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley added, “Upon learning of this information, I met with Chief Cagann to address the matter. Chief Cagann offered a sincere apology on behalf of the Elgin Fire Department, acknowledging that the initial handling did not meet their established standards. I appreciate the manner in which Chief Cagann has handled this incident and want to convey my appreciation for both Chief Cagann and the members of the Elgin Fire Department for the exceptional work that is done each day.
Yesterday, the Kane County Coroner’s Office anounced that skeletal remains were found in the vehicle and than DNA and dental testing is underway to the identify of the deceased person, which will likely take several weeks.
