Join Law&Crime”s Dan Abrams as he uncovers how the nation’s top detectives cracked down and solved some of the most elusive crimes.

Exceptional detective work has captured the imagination, informed, and provided amusement to people for generations. However, those who carry out this remarkable investigative work daily often remain unacknowledged beyond their immediate area. To address this, the prominent Law&Crime network will be awarding its third annual America’s Greatest Detective Award at Crime Con 2025, a recognition given yearly to spotlight the most intricate investigative work done by individuals or teams operating within or alongside law enforcement.

For the third consecutive year, Law&Crime has meticulously chosen three nominees from diverse investigative fields. We are now inviting our audience to vote for who they believe is most worthy of the title of America’s Greatest Detective.

This year’s contenders are: Sgt. Julissa Trapp from the Anaheim, California, Police Department, noted for her efforts in the case involving serial killer Steven Dean Gordon and his partner Franc Cano; Officer Jeffrey Babauta from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, recognized for a 2½-year undercover investigation into illegal alligator poaching; and Sgt. Matthew Vartanian along with Detective Andrew Houghton from the Elgin, Illinois, Police Department, acknowledged for their solution to the 42-year-old cold case of Karen Schepers, which led to their innovative cold case podcast series, Somebody Knows Something.

Dan Abrams from Law&Crime will lead the America’s Greatest Detective panel at Crime Con and announce the recipient of the award at the 2025 CLUE Awards on September 8, 2025.

The recipient of America’s Greatest Detective title from the three nominees will be decided by an expert panel composed of Law&Crime executives, partners, and law enforcement specialists.

Sgt. Matthew Vartanian joined the Elgin, Illinois, Police Department in 2008 after his passion for law enforcement was ignited during an internship in nearby Geneva. Over the years, he has accumulated extensive experience in special investigations, focusing on gang-related crime intelligence. In May 2024, he transitioned to a role within the cold case unit and was subsequently promoted to sergeant of the patrol division by June 2025. In this new capacity, Vartanian will continue to apply his commitment and expertise in aiding the Elgin community with crisis and tactical response, criminal capture, evidence gathering, and more.

Det. Andrew Houghton has been a police officer in Illinois since 2007 and has been with the Elgin Police Department since 2012. Det. Houghton previously worked as a patrol officer and an evidence technician before becoming a detective in 2013. He also served as an affiliate investigator with both the Illinois Attorney General’s Office & The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces from 2014 through 2024, where he specialized in crimes against children and internet-related crimes. He has been a member of the Kane County Major Crimes Task Force, which assists area agencies with major crimes since 2021, and was assigned as the first full-time detective for the Elgin Police Department’s cold case unit in May 2024.

In October 2024, Vartanian and his partner, Houghton, reopened the case of Karen Schepers, a 23-year-old resident of Elgin who went missing after a night out with coworkers in April of 1983. After launching a podcast in order to generate vital tips from the community, Vartanian and Houghton were able to successfully locate Schepers’ car and remains in the Fox River in March, providing a major break in a case that has haunted Elgin for 42 years.

Vartanian’s podcast with Houghton, Somebody Knows Something, serves as an exceptional model for trailblazing investigative work by allowing the public to listen along – and offer crucial, never-before-heard information – in real time. With a new addition to the team, Detective Chris Hall, the podcast will continue to seek out new leads on additional cold cases in Season 2.

To quote Vartanian on the duo’s inspiration behind the initiative: “We’re cops, we’re not podcasters; we have no experience in this at all. Then we took a step back and thought objectively and open-mindedly and realized this could be a really powerful tool for us as law enforcement to generate public interest again and get these cases back out there.”