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https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-river-search-cold-case-couple-turns-up-91-vehicles

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https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-river-search-cold-case-couple-turns-up-91-vehicles

Chicago River search for cold case couple turns up at least 97 vehicles
By Kasey Chronis / Published September 3, 2025

The Brief:

- An independent dive team found 97 cars in the Chicago River while searching for clues tied to a 1970 cold case.
- No remains were discovered yet in the search for Edward and Stephania Andrews.

- Authorities are reviewing next steps; 75 vehicles have been cleared so far as not being the sought vehicle.

CHICAGO - An unusual discovery was made along the Chicago River, stemming from a cold case investigation that dates back to 1970.

An independent dive team using sonar technology to search for a couple who disappeared decades ago instead found dozens of submerged vehicles.

What we know:

When the Chaos Divers arrived at the Richard J. Daley Boat Launch on the city's Lower West Side, they were looking for clues that could help solve the mysterious disappearance of Edward and Stephania Andrews dating back to 1970. In search of one car in particular, they found not one, not two, not even three cars — but 97 vehicles between Cicero Avenue and Diversey Parkway in the Chicago River.

"It's not uncommon for us to find vehicles, heck, that's what we do," said Jacob Grubbs, founder & owner, Chaos Divers.

So far, 75 cars have been cleared, meaning they are not connected to the group’s cold case investigation. From what the team could gather, no human remains were inside those vehicles either.

On Wednesday, the Chicago Police Department's Dive Team responded to the boat launch to recover one of the vehicles. Officials with the Chaos Divers say the vehicle was impeding boat traffic. When the Nissan was pulled from the river near 31st Street and Western Avenue, it was a mangled mess—in part due to larger boats striking it over time.

The Chaos Divers is an independent dive team based in southern Illinois. The group uses sonar technology to help bring closure to families of missing persons and solve cold cases.

On Aug. 27, the team arrived in Chicago to begin searching the river for clues about Edward and Stephania Andrews, who vanished 55 years ago. When they continued to discover vehicles, they began combing the river—from the North to the South Branch.

Their search continues, though nothing has yet been tied to the Andrews case. They are checking license plates and VIN numbers of the vehicles they uncovered and will turn their findings over to law enforcement.

"A lot of these are in piles, we have three piles that are ranging anywhere from 12 to 19 cars in one spot, so those are a little bit easier where we can put a diver down and they can bounce from car to car to car," said Lindsay Bussick, manager, Chaos Divers. "We are a little bit more interested in those cars that's kind of the one-off, or just one vehicle by itself because that's going to be more indicative of an accident, or even self-harm or foul play."

Bussick and Grubbs have been receiving assistance from Darrick Langos of Darrick's Dive Recovery Service for their mission in Chicago.

Among the local cases they are working to solve — the team is hoping to find answers about Edward and Stephania Andrews' cold case. The married couple lived in Arlington Heights but was downtown to attend a party on May 15, 1970.

"They were at a cocktail party at the Sheraton Hotel, which Sheraton, at that time, was located at 505 N. Michigan Avenue," Bussick said.

Missing persons reports say the couple had been drinking.

"[Edward] actually crashed into the parking garage door and then it's believed that he went southbound in the northbound lanes, leaving the hotel that night, which would have put them in the Chicago River. They even at one time located markings and things on the pillars off of Lower Wacker Drive but no one has ever been able to locate them," Bussick said.

Bussick said their yellow 1969 Oldsmobile 442 never surfaced.

"The fact that their vehicle has never been found, they're usually in the woods or in the water," Bussick explained.

What's next:

FOX 32 has reached out to Chicago Police Department and the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources to find out what happens next with the rest of the vehicles but did not immediately hear back regarding a plan for recovery efforts.

The Chaos Divers plan to remain in Chicago through Friday to complete their search efforts.