Victoria Police closing in on killer or killers of cold case murder victim Kath Bergamin
EXCLUSIVE: POLICE are confident they will soon have the DNA of the killer or killers of missing cold case murder victim Kath Bergamin. And police have revealed another vital clue.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
POLICE are confident they will soon have the DNA of the killer or killers of missing cold case murder victim Kath Bergamin.
They will then get DNA from her husband, John, and son, Steven, and compare it with the DNA profiles they expect to obtain from the retesting of the duct tape used to restrain Mrs Bergamin.
Missing persons squad boss Tim Day yesterday confirmed Mr Bergamin and his eldest son, Steven, were suspects in the 2002 murder.
“There was clear animosity between her and her husband John and their son Steven,” Det-Insp Day told the Herald Sun.
Mr Bergamin and his son Steven, who has changed his surname to Zanin, have both denied being involved in Mrs Bergamin’s disappearance.
The Herald Sun is not suggesting they are guilty of the murder, only that police consider them suspects.
MORE:
BERGAMIN FAMILY APPEAL FOR HELP
FRIEND’S FEARS FOR MISSING MUM
Police charged John Bergamin in 2004 with murdering his wife, but the charge was later dropped following legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Mrs Bergamin, 37, and a mother of three, disappeared from her Wangaratta home on the night of August 18, 2002. Her body has not been found.
There is a $1 million reward for anyone with information that solves the case — as well as possible indemnity from prosecution.
“There are persons we believe to have been complicit in Kath’s disappearance and murder — and who may not be the main offender or offenders — that have not yet told police of their involvement,” Det-Insp Day said.
“I say this to those people; you only get one chance to tell your story. This is it. You need to come to us before we come to you.
“It is often the case that when the principle offender is finally arrested they attempt to minimise their own culpability by suggesting accomplices had a greater role than they actually did.
“You don’t want be the one in that position, so it’s effectively a race to the watch house.
“I also say this to those people; if your conscience doesn’t get the better of you there are a million other reasons to come forward in the shape of the reward — along with the potential to be considered for an indemnity from prosecution if you weren’t the principle offender
“Fifteen years is long enough to remain silent.
“We urge anyone involved in Ms Bergamin’s disappearance to now consider their own individual position and use this chance to do the right thing and clear their conscience.”
Ms Bergamin fled from the family home in Upper King River Rd, Cheshunt, on May 29, 2002, and sought an intervention order against her husband. Her children stayed with him.
She commenced legal proceedings to get financial support from her husband — and a share of the family business and farm — in mid-August 2002.
She disappeared just a few days later.
Coroner Peter White heard evidence in 2008 that Ms Bergamin told a friend she knew she could get half the farm if she left, but that her husband had threatened that the only way she would leave would be in a box.
Police gave evidence during the inquest that Ms Bergamin’s son Steven was planning to turn the family tobacco farm into a winery and that he had told people the business couldn’t afford for his mother to leave.
He and his father were excused from giving evidence at the inquest; with the coroner telling the court they didn’t have to take the witness stand on the grounds they might incriminate themselves if they did.
In a recent breakthrough in the case, police received an anonymous letter in April from a person Det-Insp Day described as having “intimate details of what happened to Ms Bergamin, including who was involved in her abduction and murder”.
“We believe the letter writer’s information is genuine,” he said yesterday.
“There is some material in the letter that suggests they have either been told what happened to Kath or they were there when she was taken.
“I am today appealing for that letter writer to contact us as the information they have could prove vital to us being able to lay murder charges.”
Equally vital to laying murder charges will be the results of further DNA testing of duct tape found in Ms Bergamin’s rear yard during a 2002 search of her Brien Crescent home in Wangaratta immediately after she was reported missing.
Its figure of eight shape strongly suggests it was used to bind Ms Bergamin’s legs.
A red sock Ms Bergamin was known to have been wearing was found in her hallway and red fibres consistent with having come from that sock were found stuck to the duct tape.
There was also duct tape stuck on a cushion in Ms Bergamin’s bedroom.
Police tested the duct tape crime scene samples at the time, but those tests produced inconclusive results.
DNA was originally taken from John Bergamin and his son Steven by court order, but those samples had to be destroyed after the charge against John Bergamin was dropped in 2004.
Det-Insp Day yesterday said he was “quietly confident” improvements in DNA technology since 2002 would see the current retesting of the duct tape resulting in DNA profiles of the killer or killers being obtained, as well as confirming the red fibres on the tape came from the sock Ms Bergamin was wearing.
“We already have evidence that DNA on the tape is consistent with it being Ms Bergamin’s DNA,” Det-Insp Day said.
“We also know there are DNA profiles from other people on the tape.
“With the improvements and developments in DNA technology in the 15 years since Ms Bergamin disappeared, we are optimistic we will be able to identify the depositors of one or more of those DNA profiles.
“Confirming the fibres are from her sock would confirm the tape was on her at the time of her disappearance.
“This in turn means the people whose DNA profiles we obtain from the tape will be implicated, in that it will be strong evidence placing them at the scene of Ms Bergamin’s disappearance.”
Det-Insp Day said it appeared more than one person was involved in the death of Ms Bergamin.
“We never discount anything without evidence, so there could just be one offender,” he said.
“But all the evidence is telling us it’s likely to be more than one person involved.”
Police know Ms Bergamin was alive and at home alone watching a video at 7.16pm on August 18, 2002, as she spoke on the phone with a friend.
Her housemate arrived home about 11pm to find Ms Bergamin wasn’t there.
A fire at the Bergamin farm the following day engulfed a car belonging to Ms Bergamin’s son Steven.
One theory detectives are working on is that the car was used to dispose of Ms Bergamin’s body and that the vehicle was set on fire to destroy evidence of the body having been in it.
“From reviewing details in the Bergamin file, it appears the car was deliberately torched,” Det-Insp Day said.
Missing persons squad detectives will be conducting inquiries in and around Wangaratta and Cheshunt in coming weeks.
“They will be speaking to those that have been spoken to before and encouraging those we know have certain information about Kath’s disappearance to finally come forward,” Det-Insp Day said.
He urged anyone with any information about the disappearance of Ms Bergamin, or anyone with details of the relationship between Ms Bergamin and her husband John, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestoppersvic.com.au
