Wangaratta mother-of-three Kath Bergamin went missing in August 2002. Detectives believe she was killed but her body has never been found.

An anonymous letter was sent to investigators in March 2017 and its level of detail encouraged them.

Officer in charge of the missing persons squad, Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper, said he was reasonably confident the letter, which has a barely visible ‘BE’ followed by a series of illegible numbers written on it, was sent from Bendigo, Benalla, or the areas in between. 

"This letter tells us that there are people out there that know she is dead, know who killed her and know where she is and it’s troubling them," he said.

Ms Bergamin’s estranged husband, John Bergamin, was charged with her murder in 2006 but the case against him was dropped due to lack of evidence.

A Victorian coroner in 2008 ruled she was abducted and murdered, but said he could not name her killer.

Detective Inspector Stamper admitted it was unusual to receive a letter providing such detail 15 years after a person went missing, but he thought it indicated the writer wanted to talk about the case.

“I think that the weight of their knowledge of this matter is weighing on them significantly and they'll want to get it off their chest and that can be a very difficult process,” he said.

Detective Inspector Stamper said the case was one of a number Victoria Police was investigating, but the “shocking circumstances” surrounding her death, allied with the renewed hope the letter had brought, made officers intent on finding a resolution.

A $1 million reward remains on offer for information leading to the apprehension and subsequent conviction of the person or persons responsible for Ms Bergamin’s murder. 

Anyone with information regarding the incident can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppers.com.au.

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