Our card this week is Kyle Burtus, the 8 of Hearts from Florida.

Today's episode is a special one to me for two reasons.

One, because Kyle's mom Lynn actually reached out to us about covering her son's case.

And two, because I'm going to tell you his story differently than I typically do.

Today, we're going to walk through Kyle's case the way Lynn had to, remaining in the

dark for years about so many things, and then finding out information about her son and

his murder, the way no victims loved one should.

I'm Ashley Flowers, and this is The Deck.

Around 530 in the evening on August 15, 2013, Lynn Krieger and her husband Gary were at

a restaurant in Laurel, Mississippi, enjoying a nice dinner after visiting with some family.

When Gary got a text from an unknown number.

He just looks at it and says, I don't know who that is, and he just, you know, because

it just said, please call me.

We didn't know who it was, the phone rang, he ignored it, and it was a text message again.

If this is Kyle, Bertis's parents, please call us.

Lynn told Gary she'd take care of it, so she stepped outside and called the number.

The man who answered identified himself as a detective, with the Lee County Sheriff's

Office in Florida where Lynn and Gary lived.

He asked where we were, and I said, we were in Mississippi visiting family.

I said, what's wrong?

Well, where exactly are you?

And I said, we're in Laurel, Mississippi, at such and such a restaurant.

...