Australia Australia - Kath Bergamin, 37, Wangaratta, Vic, 18 Aug 2002

New tests for Vic cold case tape restraint
7 News/AAP
14 minutes ago (as at 10:08AM AEST 3 October 2017)

https://au.news.yahoo.com/vic/a/37318549/dna-hope-in-missing-vic-woman-case/

Police will retest a piece of duct tape in a bid to solve the case of missing woman Kath Bergamin.

‘A piece of duct tape fashioned into restraints that was found at the home of a Victorian woman who's been missing for 15 years will be retested using new DNA techniques in a bid to solve the cold case.

Kath Bergamin, 37, disappeared from her Wangaratta home on the night of August 18, 2002.

Police suspect foul play and a coroner concluded she was murdered, but her body has never been found and the killer remains a mystery.

Thanks to advances in DNA technology, forensic re-examination of duct tape found at the scene is being done in a bid to get a stronger DNA profile.

<modsnip>

Google search &#8220;Kath Bergamin&#8221;:

https://www.google.com.au/search?dc...ENMu68QXszpKwAQ&q=&#8220;Kath+Bergamin&#8221;

Thanks Bo.
I remember reading in detail about Kath's disappearance a couple of years ago. How frightening is her husband !!!

https://www.vicpolicenews.com.au/news/new-leads-in-kath-bergamin-disappearance

New avenues of enquiry, relating to DNA, a recent anonymous letter and an appeal to witnesses following the announcement of a $1 million reward last year, has led to a renewed optimism in the solving the case.
Due to ongoing advances in DNA technology, forensic re-examination of duct tape found at the scene is being conducted in an attempt to strengthen a number of profiles already obtained from the tape years earlier.
In April of this year, police also received a letter from an anonymous source providing intimate details of what happened to Ms Bergamin, including who was involved in her abduction and murder.
Police urge the letter writer, and any other person who has information as to the circumstances surrounding Kath’s disappearance, to contact police.
Victoria Police would also like to remind the community of the $1 million reward and potential indemnity from prosecution for information leading to the apprehension and subsequent conviction of the person or persons responsible for the disappearance and suspected murder of Kath Bergamin.

There was a story about Kath on Channel 7&#8217;s &#8216;Sunday Night&#8217; program just recently:

https://au.tv.yahoo.com/plus7/sunday-night/-/watch/37204447/who-killed-kath-bergamin-part-1/

https://au.tv.yahoo.com/plus7/sunday-night/-/watch/37204465/who-killed-kath-bergamin-part-2/

symbah said:

Thanks Bo.
I remember reading in detail about Kath's disappearance a couple of years ago. How frightening is her husband !!!

https://www.vicpolicenews.com.au/news/new-leads-in-kath-bergamin-disappearance

New avenues of enquiry, relating to DNA, a recent anonymous letter and an appeal to witnesses following the announcement of a $1 million reward last year, has led to a renewed optimism in the solving the case.
Due to ongoing advances in DNA technology, forensic re-examination of duct tape found at the scene is being conducted in an attempt to strengthen a number of profiles already obtained from the tape years earlier.
In April of this year, police also received a letter from an anonymous source providing intimate details of what happened to Ms Bergamin, including who was involved in her abduction and murder.
Police urge the letter writer, and any other person who has information as to the circumstances surrounding Kath’s disappearance, to contact police.
Victoria Police would also like to remind the community of the $1 million reward and potential indemnity from prosecution for information leading to the apprehension and subsequent conviction of the person or persons responsible for the disappearance and suspected murder of Kath Bergamin.

Click to expand...

Yep, and Kath was obviously extremely frightened of him:

HE'LL KILL ME
The Border Mail
JULY 31 2007 - 10:00PM

‘MISSING Wangaratta woman Kath Bergamin told her sister-in-law she had feared she would be killed by her husband before she could leave their front gate if she split with him, a coroner heard yesterday.

The evidence from Maria Russell was given on the first day of an inquest at Wangaratta Coroner’s Court, which is examining the circumstances of Mrs Bergamin’s disappearance from her home in Brien Crescent, Wangaratta, on Sunday August 18, 2002.

Mrs Bergamin had left her marital home at Cheshunt, south of Wangaratta, in May and had taken out an intervention order against estranged husband John Bergamin when she relayed her concerns to Mrs Russell in July, 2002.

“Kath ... told me that John had said to her that if she left him, she wouldn’t get further than the front gate because he would kill her,” Mrs Russell said.

“Kath did not indicate when John had actually said this to her, but from the context of the conversation I believe that this was a recent threat.

“Kath was aware that John was capable of hurting her and she was extremely frightened of him.”‘

Read more at:

http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/35625/hell-kill-me/

Inquest findings:

http://www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au...ing+-+inquest+into+the+death+of+kath+bergamin

Well it's pretty obvious to me that the police are talking directly to the letter-writer, who is her son. I hope he does the right thing. Sounds like a violent abusive arsehole has gotten away with murder for 15 years.

Police today revealed they are using advanced DNA technology to test duct tape found at the scene, along with a red sock Ms Bergamin was wearing on the night.

It is believed the tape, which was fashioned into a figure-eight, may have been used to restrain Ms Bergamin's limbs.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...-hold-key-to-solving-mothers-cold-case-murder

Bohemian said:

Google search “Kath Bergamin”:

https://www.google.com.au/search?dcr=0&source=hp&ei=XMjSWc2ENMu68QXszpKwAQ&q=“Kath+Bergamin”

Click to expand...

Wow that a son - could do that to his own mum! Over money!
Obviously a very dysfunctional household.
That poor, poor lady. How she must have felt in her last minutes.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There are fresh leads in the cold case murder of a woman in regional Victoria 18 years ago.

Kath Bergamin, 37, disappeared from her Wangaratta home in August 2002, with a coroner later concluding she was murdered, but her body has not been found.

On Thursday, Victoria Police revealed five people had been interviewed across the past week over Ms Bergamin's disappearance.


Five interviewed over Vic mother cold case

Question 1 : Did they ever do a DNA test on the letter and or a handwriting sample?

Question 2: Did they do the lie detector test on all 5 suspects as well as John Bergamin and his son Stephen Bergamin?

Question 3: How do we know that family isn't involved including Kath's Brother, Roger? Could there have been a family disagreement between the parents and Kath?

Question 4: Could this 'friend be involved? e.g knocked her out, finished the job and have John Bergamin help?

Question 5: Could this 'friend have had an affair with the John and wanted to get the wife out the way.

I know these questions were asked a while ago, but I feel compelled to answer - as an Australian, and a family member of Kath's.
1. Don't know about DNA. But to do a handwriting sample they'd have to have someone to compare it to - and they think the letter was written by someone who knows something, not a suspect.
2. Lie detector tests aren't used in Australia.
3. Highly unlikely Kath's adoptive family are involved. Her father was deceased at the time of her disappearance, her Mum would have been in her 70's, and her brother is also unlikely. As far as anyone else in the family knows there were no problems between Kath, her Mum and her brother. In fact they were all very relieved she was finally out of the abusive relationship and rebuilding her life.
4&5. Those things are possible.

Bohemian said:

Yep, and Kath was obviously extremely frightened of him:

HE'LL KILL ME
The Border Mail
JULY 31 2007 - 10:00PM

MISSING Wangaratta woman Kath Bergamin told her sister-in-law she had feared she would be killed by her husband before she could leave their front gate if she split with him, a coroner heard yesterday.

The evidence from Maria Russell was given on the first day of an inquest at Wangaratta Coroners Court, which is examining the circumstances of Mrs Bergamins disappearance from her home in Brien Crescent, Wangaratta, on Sunday August 18, 2002.

Mrs Bergamin had left her marital home at Cheshunt, south of Wangaratta, in May and had taken out an intervention order against estranged husband John Bergamin when she relayed her concerns to Mrs Russell in July, 2002.

Kath ... told me that John had said to her that if she left him, she wouldnt get further than the front gate because he would kill her, Mrs Russell said.

Kath did not indicate when John had actually said this to her, but from the context of the conversation I believe that this was a recent threat.

Kath was aware that John was capable of hurting her and she was extremely frightened of him.

Read more at:

HE'LL KILL ME

Click to expand...

She was. And with good reason. He's a scary man.

Mother-of-three Kath Bergamin (pictured) disappeared from her Melbourne home on August 18, 2002

Mother-of-three Kath Bergamin disappeared from her Brien Crescent home in Wangaratta, north of Melbourne, during the evening of Sunday August 18, 2002.

Investigators later discovered a figure eight piece of duct tape in her backyard, with red fibres from a pair of Nike socks the 37-year-old was last seen wearing, suggesting her legs had been bound.

A coroner found she was murdered and her body dumped in a secret location, but could not identify her killer.

There is a $1million reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for her death.


A coroner found the she was kidnapped from her Brien Crescent home (pictured) in Wangaratta

Her estranged husband John quickly became the prime suspect after she was reported missing but a 2006 murder case against him was dropped due to lack of evidence.

No other suspects have been charged in the decade since.

John had told detectives he was 50km away, at his Chestnut home, the night she disappeared, but his phone bounced off a tower near Wangaratta.

His car was found destroyed by fire the next day.

There is no suggestion he was involved in Ms Bergamin's disappearance.

In October, police revealed they had received an anonymous letter containing 'intimate details' about the case, suggesting more than one person was involved in her disappearance