What happened to Paula Slavewski? Shocking details of the aspiring model's murder on Dateline explored

The heartbreaking and still unsolved murder of Paula Slavewski, who had big dreams of becoming a model, has been a mystery that's troubled the minds of detectives, her loved ones, and the community for more than a decade.

It was in 2010 that her body was found in North Miami, just hours after she was last spotted leaving Club Space in the heart of Miami.

Paula was only 26 at the time, and her family remembered her as a bright spark of energy, full of life. She had made the trip from California to Miami with her boyfriend, Kevin Klym, to ring in the New Year and enjoy a Lady Gaga show.

But what should've been a joyful night of festivities took a dark turn, leaving everyone with so many unanswered questions.

Even though the cops have followed clues over the years, they haven't been able to crack the case. It's still wide open, with both the investigators and Paula Slavewski's family holding out hope that one day, someone will come forward with that crucial piece of information that could finally bring closure.

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The timeline of events that led to the death of Paula Slavewski

On the early morning of January 3, 2010, Paula Sladewski and Kevin Klym stumbled into Club Space, obviously having had a wild night. They'd been out drinking and partying for a while. Unfortunately, their night took a sour turn when they got into a big fight, right inside the club.

The bouncers had to step in and calm things down. They threw Kevin out, but Paula decided she wasn't ready to leave yet. Around 7:21 a.m., the club's security walked Paula Slavewski out all by herself. Sadly, it was the last time anyone saw her alive.

Surveillance cameras showed Paula walking out of the club, trailed by a guy nobody could name. Later that night, her charred body turned up in a dumpster on the corner of NW 14th Avenue and 130th Street, which is almost 12 long miles from where she was last seen.

It looks like the person who did this had a good idea of the area since they managed to get her body there without being caught on any other cameras. This has thrown a wrench in the works for those trying to figure out what happened to Paula Slavewski.

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The Paula Slavewski case's investigation, suspects, and theories

When the whole debacle started, Kevin Klym was looked at because of where he was in relation to the Paula Slavewski case. There had been talk of a rough time between him and Paula, with some saying there was even domestic violence in their past.

Just a few weeks before she was killed, Klym was in trouble with the law for hitting Paula, which made people wonder why they'd go on vacation together. But, the security cameras at the club told a different story. They showed him leaving the place and hopping into a taxi to go back to the hotel, which checked out with what he'd been saying.

The cops put out a sketch of who they thought might've done it, based on what someone saw. This guy was big, either Black or Hispanic, and had a goatee. He was spotted leaving the club's parking lot with Paula.

The former boss of the North Miami Police, Michael Gaudio, talked about it in 2020. He was upset that they hadn't caught anyone yet and said:

“It’s the one case I couldn’t solve. It still haunts me.”

They had a good idea of what the bad guy looked like, but they couldn't find him. So, the search went on, and they're still looking for the person who did it.

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Remembering Paula Sladewski's life that was cut short

Paula Slavewski's family and friends have fond memories of her as a young woman full of charm and drive.

Her sister, Kelly Farris, talked about her and said she was:

“So full of life and beautiful.”

Paula Slavewski had always pictured herself living a glitzy life, strutting down the runway and maybe even popping up in a Playboy video. But things took a twist when she got caught up in a world of wild parties and a stormy relationship. For Paula Slavewski's loved ones, finding peace is still out of reach.

In 2010, when Kelly Farris made a public appeal, she said:

“She did not deserve to die this way.”

Police are still asking anyone who knows anything to step up and help out, and Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for tips.

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The Paula Slavewski case is what the Dateline episode "Death of a Golden Girl" is about. It aired on March 19, 2010, on NBC.

More Dateline mysteries: Lauren Giddings' murder, Amber Smith's assault.