Author: Paul Stukel

Update: The family of Karen Schepers has issued a statement, conveyed by the Elgin Police Department, regarding recent events leading to the discovery of her remains in a vehicle submerged in the Fox River. “We would like to thank the Elgin Police Department – especially Chief Lalley, Detectives Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartanian and retired Officer Mike Gough for their dedication to the Cold Case program that brought Karen back to us after so many years. “As we each heard the news that her car was found, time stopped while we drew an audible gasp. When it started back up…

On an election day that saw two incumbents voted out of office and another win an historic 12th term, there was plenty of drama to satisfy even the most ardent political junkie. In Aurora, incumbent Mayor Richard Irvin, who ran unsuccessully for governor in the middle of his second term, was denied a third by Alderman John Laesch, a candidate who had made three unsuccessful runs (2 for Congress, one for mayor in 2021) before winning an alderman’s seat in 2023. Irvin, despite successful efforts to revitalize Aurora’s downtown and increase public safety, lost 52.5% to 47.5% according to unofficial…

Update: According to Village of Carpentersville President John Skillman, a child who was hospitalized following Sunday’s house fire has passed away. In all, three children, all under the age of 3, perished in the tragedy. Kane County Coroner Monica Silva stated that the identities of the children have not yet been confirmed. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and Fire Chief Bill Anaszewicz indicated that it may take several weeks to make an official report. An investigation is ongoing by the Carpentersville Fire Department in cooperation with the Illinois State Fire Marshall and Kane County Task…

According to numerous news outlets, two children – described as “toddlers” – were tragically killed in a house fire in Carpentersville Sunday morning. Two other victims, including another a child, were hospitalized. Their condition is unknown at this time. According to reports, Carpentersville Fire Chief Bill Anaszewicz stated that six people were inside the residence at 1726 Kingston Circle in Carpentersville at the time of the fire. The remaining two victims “refused medical treatment.” According to a press release from the Carpentersville Fire Department, the department and mutual aid companies responded to the fire at about 9:38am Sunday morning, roughly…

A tragic mystery that has lingered for over four decades seems to have come to an end of sorts. Yesterday, the Kane County Coroner’s Office announced that the human remains discovered in a vehicle pulled from the Fox River on Tuesday were indeed those of Karen Schepers, a then-23-year-old young woman who, on an early Monday morning in April 1983, simply vanished after leaving a bar called P.M. Bentley’s in Carpentersville. Questions remain, of course. How did Schepers’ 1983 Toyota Celica end up in the Fox River? Was it an accident or was foul play involved? Detectives Andrew Houghton and…

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…

A Yorkville man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after entering into a plea agreement for sexually assauting his stepdaughter repeatedly over a period of roughly 8 years. The victim was under the age of 13 during most of the time the assaults were committed. Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis announced yesterday that Rafael Sanchez of Yorkville had peaded guilty to the charge of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child, a Class X felony. The plea and sentence were approved by Judge Jody Gleason. A joint investigation by the Aurora Police Department and the Kendall County…

The cold case concerning the disappearance of 23-year-old Karen Schepers of Elgin in April, 1983 has potentially gotten one large step closer to resolution. On Monday, with the use of sonar technology, non-profit Chaos Divers had located several sites of interest in the Fox River and, at a location northwest of the Slade Avenue boat launch in Elgin, a vehicle was identified which bore the license plate XP8919, which matched the license plate of the 1980 Toyota Celica investigators believe Schepers was driving on the evening of her disappearance. Tuesday, according to the Elgin Police Department, Chaos Divers, along with…

A vehicle with license plates matching the vehicle of the 1980 Toyota Celica in which Karen Schepers, who disappeared at the age of 23 in 1983, is believed to have last been seen was located today in the Fox River by Elgin authorities seeking to solve the 42-year-old cold case. With the use of sonar technology, Chaos Divers located several sites of interest that were explored and, at a location northwest of the Slade Avenue boat launch, a vehicle was identified which bore the license plate XP8919, which matches the license plate of Schepers’ 1980 Toyota Celica. It is yet…

A 26-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, both from Naperville, have been denied pre-trial release after being accused of robbing a Lisle convenience store at knifepoint and attempting to rob a woman at a Naperville bank Thursday evening. Both suspects have been charged with one count of Armed Robbery, a Class X Felony, and one count of Attempt Armed Robbery, a Class 1 Felony. At approximately 5:32pm on Thursday, Naperville police officers responded to Bank of America, located at 1301 E. Ogden Boulevard, for a report of an armed robbery. According to police, the alleged victim was conducting a transaction…