049 - The Disappearance of Kayla Berg

Trace Evidence

Steven Pacheco

True Crime, Documentary, Society & Culture, History

4.7 • 4.2K Ratings

🗓️ 18 June 2018

⏱️ 95 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Fifteen year old Kayla Berg was excited to move back to her hometown of Antigo, Wisconsin after spending the previous two months in Texas with her mother, Hope. While Texas hadn't worked out for the pair, Kayla was looking forward to seeing her father and brother, as well as all the friends she had left behind.Kayla returned on August 2nd, 2009, and immediately took advantage of the dwindling weeks of summer before she'd be returning to High School as a Junior.

Living with her grandparents, while her mother attempted to find more permanent housing, wasn't ideal, but Kayla was just happy to be home. Just a little over a week after coming back, on August 11th, Kayla makes arrangements to hang out with twenty-four year old Kevin Kielcheski, a friend of her brother's who she has known since she was young. Kevin picks her up around 9pm, and is home by midnight, but Kayla never makes it back.

The next day, when Kayla is noted as missing, Kevin states that he dropped her off at a friends house. The problem with his story is that the house in question had been condemned a month earlier, and belonged to Kayla's ex-boyfriend, Miguel. Kevin claims Kayla directed him to the location, while her friends protest that she knew no one lived there anymore.Over the course of the next eight years, Kevin and Miguel would become the prime people of interest. The stories about Kayla's activities would stir up rumors and speculation while investigators had the difficult task of attempting to determine what happened to a fifteen year old girl, with a fear of the dark, who is alleged to have been dropped off at an abandoned house in the middle of the night.

What happened to Kayla Berg? Did she run into someone at the abandoned home who had dark intentions? Was her ex-boyfriend Miguel involved in her mysterious disappearance? Or, did her brother's close friend, Kevin, tell an elaborate story about dropping her off when something more sinister took place?Join host Steven Pacheco as he examines this convoluted and tragic case in hopes of differentiating between rumor and fact in Episode 49 - The Disappearance of Kayla Berg.

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Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/kayla-berg

Transcript

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0:00.0	Did you know choosing the train can take up to 500 cars off the road? Just one train at a time.
0:07.0	One gig at a time, one last minute plan, one festival, one going then, why not at a time?
0:18.0	One train journey at a time can help create a greener future.
0:23.0	So when will you take your next trip? Find out more at nationalrail.co.uk for what's last greener?
0:38.0	In August of 2009, 15-year-old Kayla Berg joyfully returned to her hometown of Antigo, Wisconsin.
0:49.0	After living in Texas with her mother for the previous two months, the duo had come home following a failed experiment and an attempt at a new beginning.
1:00.0	Upon their return, Kayla would be living in her grandparents' home while her mother sought out more permanent accommodations.
1:08.0	And while the living arrangement was cramped, Kayla was excited to be back home to her brother, father, and her friends.
1:18.0	Less than a week after returning, Kayla makes plans to go out with a family friend, Kevin Kielceski.
1:26.0	The 24-year-old friend of her older brother picks up Kayla from her grandparents' home and the two head out for a night of driving around, as was frequently the case in sleepy Antigo.
1:40.0	While Kevin is reported to have been home by midnight, Kayla never makes it back.
1:46.0	And when authorities begin asking questions, Kevin tells the story that he dropped Kayla off at her ex-boyfriend Miguel's house that night in Wassa some 35 miles away.
2:00.0	There's one problem with that story. The home Kevin describes is not where Miguel is living anymore, and that particular location has been condemned by the city and sealed shut.
2:13.0	So where did Kayla Berg go?
2:17.0	In the years since, the disappearance of Kayla Berg has been inundated by rumors, hampered by hoaxes and false sightings.
2:26.0	The small town of Antigo has been haunted by this disappearance, and Kayla's family and friends continue to live every day, asking themselves what could have happened to their 15-year-old daughter, sister, and best friend.
2:42.0	This is Trace Evidence, episode 49, The Disappearance of Kayla Berg.
2:52.0	Welcome to Trace Evidence. I'm your host, Stephen Pacheco.
2:58.0	Today's case examines the mysterious disappearance of 15-year-old Kayla Berg from Antigo, Wisconsin in August of 2009, before getting into the case, just a few notes about the show.
3:14.0	Trace Evidence is a weekly true crime podcast examining a different unsolved case each week.
3:21.0	You can subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite pod catcher to get every update and episode.
3:29.0	If you have questions, comments, or case suggestions, email me at traceevidencepod at gmail.com.
	...

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