Joliet, IL – A decades-old mystery tied to the 1988 disappearance of a Will County woman took a major turn this week after prosecutors unsealed a first-degree murder indictment against her husband.
According to the Will County Sheriff’s Office, Gilbert Bernal Sr., 82, of Flint, Michigan, appeared earlier today before Judge Art Smigielski after a Will County grand jury returned a sealed indictment charging him with first-degree murder in connection with the disappearance and suspected killing of his wife, Joan Bernal.
Authorities said the indictment was issued on December 9, 2025—exactly 37 years to the day Joan Bernal was last seen alive. Bernal Sr. was taken into custody on December 11, 2025, at his residence in Flint by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Task Force as part of a renewed cold case investigation.
Investigators allege Joan Bernal was last seen on December 9, 1988, at the couple’s residence. According to detectives, Bernal Sr. allegedly battered her during a domestic dispute and dragged her to the rear of the home. That was reportedly the final confirmed sighting of Joan Bernal.
At the time, Bernal Sr. reported his wife missing on December 27, 1988, claiming he left her at a bus stop in McAlester, Oklahoma. Despite extensive searches and multiple investigations over the decades, Joan Bernal’s body has never been found.
The case was revived in recent years when Will County detectives formed a dedicated cold case unit, re-examining evidence and re-interviewing witnesses. The investigation also received national attention earlier this year through an episode of Cold Justice on the Oxygen Network.
Bernal Sr. was extradited to Illinois and arrived at the Will County Adult Detention Facility on January 2, 2026. His detention hearing is scheduled for January 6.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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