Kane County Reporter

Elgin Police Sergeant Matthew Vartanian and Detective Andrew Houghton have been nominated for the 2025 “America’s Greatest Detective” award by Law & Crime, a network focused on true crime and live trial coverage. Their nomination comes as recognition for their work on the decades-old cold case of Karen Schepers and for launching the podcast Somebody Knows Something, which revisited the case and gained national attention.

The CrimeCon CLUE Awards ceremony, where the winner will be announced, is scheduled to take place in September in Denver. The award highlights outstanding investigative efforts by law enforcement professionals nationwide.

Somebody Knows Something, produced by the Elgin Police Department, debuted with a season that brought new attention to Karen Schepers’ disappearance from 1983. Several weeks after the podcast's first episode aired, Schepers' car and skeletal remains were found in the Fox River. The renewed focus helped push the podcast into the top one percent of downloads globally and led to media appearances for both officers at major true crime events. A second season featuring unsolved cases from the 1970s is now available.

Detective Houghton stated: “I am humbled by our nomination and appreciate the community’s interest not only in Karen Schepers’ case but also in our other cold cases. Being recognized with this nomination will allow more people to become involved and help us continue our work as an innovative department that is not afraid to embrace change and promote transparency in law enforcement.”

Sergeant Vartanian said: “It is a tremendous honor to be nominated for this award. We are very thankful to our department, community and listeners for their support of our work. Our hope is that this type of work continues to highlight the need to get much-deserved answers for lost loved ones and their families.”

Chief Ana Lalley added: "Andrew and Matt are deserving of this nomination, as their work on the Karen Schepers case has forever changed a family, a police department and a community in a profound and enduring manner. Their unwavering pursuit of answers, and the graciousness of the Schepers family—who allowed us to reopen this investigation and believed in us—let us bring Karen home. It has been a privilege and an honor to provide what I hope is a sense of closure and peace to the family. I want to thank Law & Crime for nominating Matt and Andrew and for bringing attention to the exceptional work of law enforcement professionals across the country."

Information about Elgin's Cold Case Unit or Somebody Knows Something can be found through the Elgin Police Department website or on major streaming platforms hosting the podcast series. Additional details regarding CrimeCon CLUE Awards are available here.