Dateline: 5 harrowing details about Paula Sladewski's murder, revisited

15 years later, the brutal Miami killing of a young model remains one of Florida’s most haunting cold cases

It was supposed to be a fun New Year’s trip—sun, music, and Miami nightlife. Paula Sladewski had flown in with her boyfriend to see Lady Gaga and spend a few days in South Beach. But by the end of the weekend, the 26-year-old model’s name would become synonymous with one of the most horrific unsolved murders in Florida.

On January 3, 2010, Paula was last seen leaving a nightclub. Hours later, her body was discovered burning in a dumpster. The case would go on to grab national headlines, yet 15 years later, it remains open, with more questions than answers.

Here are five of the most chilling—and still unexplained—details of Paula Sladewski’s murder.

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A night out turns tragic

Paula and her boyfriend, Kevin Klym, spent the early hours of January 3 at Club Space in downtown Miami. After an argument, both were asked to leave the club. They separated outside. Klym returned to their hotel alone. Paula didn’t.

Surveillance footage showed Paula Sladewski walking out of the club, with an unidentified man following her just seconds later. He was never seen again, and Paula never made it back to the hotel.

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A body found in flames

Later that day, police were called to a dumpster fire in North Miami, over 120 blocks from Club Space. Inside, firefighters made a horrifying discovery: the badly burned body of a woman. It was Paula.

She had been set on fire and dumped in a commercial trash bin, her body so damaged that dental records were needed to confirm her identity. The level of violence stunned even seasoned investigators.

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A location too specific to be random

The dumpster was hidden on a dead-end street near a propane company—an isolated, industrial corner of the city. Detectives believe this wasn’t just a convenient spot; the person who dumped Paula Sladewski’s body likely knew the area well.

“This wasn’t random,” said Cmdr. Michael Gaudio, the lead investigator at the time. “Someone had to know that dumpster was there. You don’t just drive 120 blocks into an industrial zone by accident.”

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The vanishing trail

In a city full of cameras, it’s almost unthinkable—yet after that single shot of Paula Sladewski leaving Club Space, there were zero confirmed sightings. No street footage. No public tips. No security clips. She simply vanished for 14 hours until the fire call came in.

Detectives never found out where she went, how she got there, or who she was with. It’s a void that’s haunted the investigation ever since.

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The case that still keeps people up at night

Cmdr. Gaudio, now retired from the North Miami Police Department, still thinks about the case.

“It’s the one I didn’t solve,” he said in 2020. “And it still bothers me.”

Paula Sladewski’s sister, Kelly Farris, continues to speak out, asking for anyone who knows something to break their silence.

“She was full of life,” Kelly once said through tears. “She didn’t deserve this. Please, if you know anything, come forward.”

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The murder of Paula Sladewski. Still unsolved. Still heartbreaking.

Fifteen years is a long time. But this case isn’t over—not for Paula’s family, not for the detectives, and certainly not for the person who knows what happened that night.

If you have information, contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS. A $3,000 reward is still being offered.

Paula Sladewski’s life ended in tragedy. But her story deserves closure.