On November 23, 1979, the day after Thanksgiving, Renee Cruz Tovar decided to stay home while her roommate went out on a date.  The following morning, November 24, 1979, her roommate returned home and found Renee murdered in their apartment.  In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Detectives Andrew Houghton and Chris Hall from the Elgin Police Department Cold Case Unit meet with family members and friends of Renee to learn more about her brief life and the impact her tragic death had on the Elgin community.

On November 23, 1979, the day after Thanksgiving, Renee Cruz Tovar decided to stay home while her roommate went out on a date. The following morning, November 24, 1979, her roommate returned home and found Renee murdered in their apartment. In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Detectives Andrew Houghton and Chris Hall from the Elgin Police Department Cold Case Unit meet with family members and friends of Renee to learn more about her brief life and the impact her tragic death had on the Elgin community.

On November 23, 1979, the day after Thanksgiving, Renee Cruz Tovar decided to stay home while her roommate went out on a date.&nbsp; The following morning, November 24, 1979, her roommate returned home and found Renee murdered in their apartment.&nbsp; In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Detectives Andrew Houghton and Chris Hall from the Elgin Police Department Cold Case Unit meet with family members and friends of Renee to learn more about her brief life and the impact her tragic death had on the Elgin community.

S2E7: The Final Murder of the Decade (1979) – Part 1

In May of 2024, Elgin (IL) Police Chief Ana Lalley created the Elgin Police Department Cold Case Unit to take a fresh look at unsolved homicides and missing persons cases with the belief that dedicating resources and using new technology will help solve these cases. As part of this new unit, the Elgin Police Department launched a podcast dedicated to Elgin cold cases to seek information from the public. Somebody Knows Something: The Elgin Police Cold Case Podcast was created by the Elgin Police Department and is recorded with assistance of WRMN 1410 in Elgin, Illinois. Detective Andrew Houghton, Detective Christopher Hall, and Detective Matt Vartanian of the Elgin Police Department Cold Case Unit host the podcast and take listeners along as they investigate missing persons and homicide cases in real time and seek justice for the victims and closure for their families. This podcast includes actual police interviews, re-creations, and information that has never been released publicly as the Elgin Police Department seeks assistance from the community. Season 1, Where is Karen? follows Detectives Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartanian as they investigate the disappearance of 23-year-old Karen Schepers, who, along with her car, disappeared without a trace after a night out with co-workers on April 16, 1983. Season 2, Elgin: The 1970’s follows Detective Andrew Houghton and his new partner, Detective Chris Hall, as they review five cold case homicides and one missing person case, all from the 1970s.   Over the course of this season, they investigate the shootings of Guadalupe Alanis in 1971 and Maynard Chester Holley in 1975, the murder of 16-year-old Lori Bolger and the disappearance of 14-year-old Barbara Glueckert in 1976, the stabbing of Cayce Kyles in 1977, and the murder of Renee Tovar in 1979.  Season 3, Wyteria is Missing follows Detectives Andrew Houghton and Chris Hall as they re-investigate the disappearance of 45-year-old Wyteria Jones, who vanished from the Douglas Hotel in downtown Elgin in the fall of 1982. A new member, Detective Beth Sterricker, also joins the unit and Sergeant Matt Vartanian returns to assist with Wyteria's investigation. Anyone with information on any of the cold cases discussed are encouraged to contact the Elgin Police Department via email at ColdCaseTips@elginil.gov or via phone at 1-847-289-COLD. A list of all cold case missing persons and homicide cases as well as additional information about the Elgin Police Department Cold Case Unit can be found at www.ElginColdCases.com.  DISCLAIMER: This podcast is based on information sourced primarily from police reports and media reports, but certain names and other identifying details may have been changed or altered for privacy and security reasons. While the events and cases discussed are based on real investigations, some aspects may be simplified for time and for narrative purposes. Voice actors may be used to read from statements or documents. All information presented is intended solely to inform and raise awareness. Hosts may discuss theories regarding the cases examined in this podcast, but such discussions are not intended to, and should not be considered by the listener to be, legal conclusions. All persons discussed are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Listener discretion is advised.

True Crime

In May of 2024, Elgin (IL) Police Chief Ana Lalley created the Elgin Police Department Cold Case Unit to take a fresh look at unsolved homicides and missing persons cases with the belief that dedicating resources and using new technology will help solve these cases. As part of this new unit, the Elgin Police Department launched a podcast dedicated to Elgin cold cases to seek information from the public.Somebody Knows Something: The Elgin Police Cold Case Podcast was created by the Elgin Police Department and is recorded with assistance of WRMN 1410 in Elgin, Illinois. Detective Andrew Houghton, Detective Christopher Hall, and Detective Matt Vartanian of the Elgin Police Department Cold Case Unit host the podcast and take listeners along as they investigate missing persons and homicide cases in real time and seek justice for the victims and closure for their families. This podcast includes actual police interviews, re-creations, and information that has never been released publicly as the Elgin Police Department seeks assistance from the community.Season 1, Where is Karen? follows Detectives Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartanian as they investigate the disappearance of 23-year-old Karen Schepers, who, along with her car, disappeared without a trace after a night out with co-workers on April 16, 1983.Season 2, Elgin: The 1970’s follows Detective Andrew Houghton and his new partner, Detective Chris Hall, as they review five cold case homicides and one missing person case, all from the 1970s. Over the course of this season, they investigate the shootings of Guadalupe Alanis in 1971 and Maynard Chester Holley in 1975, the murder of 16-year-old Lori Bolger and the disappearance of 14-year-old Barbara Glueckert in 1976, the stabbing of Cayce Kyles in 1977, and the murder of Renee Tovar in 1979. Season 3, Wyteria is Missing follows Detectives Andrew Houghton and Chris Hall as they re-investigate the disappearance of 45-year-old Wyteria Jones, who vanished from the Douglas Hotel in downtown Elgin in the fall of 1982. A new member, Detective Beth Sterricker, also joins the unit and Sergeant Matt Vartanian returns to assist with Wyteria's investigation.Anyone with information on any of the cold cases discussed are encouraged to contact the Elgin Police Department via email at ColdCaseTips@elginil.gov or via phone at 1-847-289-COLD. A list of all cold case missing persons and homicide cases as well as additional information about the Elgin Police Department Cold Case Unit can be found at www.ElginColdCases.com. DISCLAIMER: This podcast is based on information sourced primarily from police reports and media reports, but certain names and other identifying details may have been changed or altered for privacy and security reasons. While the events and cases discussed are based on real investigations, some aspects may be simplified for time and for narrative purposes. Voice actors may be used to read from statements or documents. All information presented is intended solely to inform and raise awareness. Hosts may discuss theories regarding the cases examined in this podcast, but such discussions are not intended to, and should not be considered by the listener to be, legal conclusions. All persons discussed are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Listener discretion is advised.

In May of 2024, Elgin (IL) Police Chief Ana Lalley created the Elgin Police Department Cold Case Unit to take a fresh look at unsolved homicides and missing persons cases with the belief that dedicating resources and using new technology will help solve these cases. As part of this new unit, the Elgin Police Department launched a podcast dedicated to Elgin cold cases to seek information from the public. Somebody Knows Something: The Elgin Police Cold Case Podcast was created by the Elgin Police Department and is recorded with assistance of WRMN 1410 in Elgin, Illinois. Detective Andrew Houghton, Detective Christopher Hall, and Detective Matt Vartanian of the Elgin Police Department Cold Case Unit host the podcast and take listeners along as they investigate missing persons and homicide cases in real time and seek justice for the victims and closure for their families. This podcast includes actual police interviews, re-creations, and information that has never been released publicly as the Elgin Police Department seeks assistance from the community. Season 1, Where is Karen? follows Detectives Andrew Houghton and Matt Vartanian as they investigate the disappearance of 23-year-old Karen Schepers, who, along with her car, disappeared without a trace after a night out with co-workers on April 16, 1983. Season 2, Elgin: The 1970’s follows Detective Andrew Houghton and his new partner, Detective Chris Hall, as they review five cold case homicides and one missing person case, all from the 1970s. &nbsp; Over the course of this season, they investigate the shootings of Guadalupe Alanis in 1971 and Maynard Chester Holley in 1975, the murder of 16-year-old Lori Bolger and the disappearance of 14-year-old Barbara Glueckert in 1976, the stabbing of Cayce Kyles in 1977, and the murder of Renee Tovar in 1979.&nbsp; Season 3, Wyteria is Missing follows Detectives Andrew Houghton and Chris Hall as they re-investigate the disappearance of 45-year-old Wyteria Jones, who vanished from the Douglas Hotel in downtown Elgin in the fall of 1982. A new member, Detective Beth Sterricker, also joins the unit and Sergeant Matt Vartanian returns to assist with Wyteria's investigation. Anyone with information on any of the cold cases discussed are encouraged to contact the Elgin Police Department via email at ColdCaseTips@elginil.gov or via phone at 1-847-289-COLD. A list of all cold case missing persons and homicide cases as well as additional information about the Elgin Police Department Cold Case Unit can be found at www.ElginColdCases.com.&nbsp; DISCLAIMER: This podcast is based on information sourced primarily from police reports and media reports, but certain names and other identifying details may have been changed or altered for privacy and security reasons. While the events and cases discussed are based on real investigations, some aspects may be simplified for time and for narrative purposes. Voice actors may be used to read from statements or documents. All information presented is intended solely to inform and raise awareness. Hosts may discuss theories regarding the cases examined in this podcast, but such discussions are not intended to, and should not be considered by the listener to be, legal conclusions. All persons discussed are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Listener discretion is advised.

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S2E7: The Final Murder of the Decade (1979) – Part 1

S2E7: The Final Murder of the Decade (1979) – Part 1

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