JOLIET, IL (WBBM Newsradio) - A 37-year-old cold case out of Will County, IL may now have been solved. According to the Will County Sheriff’s Office, an eyewitness claims that on December 9th, 1988, an argument between husband and wife Joan and Gilbert Bernal Sr. ended with the husband becoming violent and dragging Joan to the back of the home they shared in Joliet at the time.
It’s alleged that the couple had argued over which of their children would be allowed to join them on a vacation to Texas. This was the last time anyone would see Joan. Gilbert Bernal had reported her missing later that month, telling police that he had left her at a bus stop in Oklahoma.
Bernal Sr., now charged with first degree murder, has been living in Flint Michigan where he was taken into custody by a U.S. Marshal’s task-force late December 2025 and questioned again by detectives after some re-opened leads and developments in this long unsolved case. He was then extradited back to Will County where he arrived this past Friday and is scheduled to next appear in court on Monday, January 12th.
Joan Bernal’s body has never been found.
Numerous detectives with the Will County Sheriff’s Office worked on the case over the last few decades, re-examining evidence and interviewing witnesses. This investigation was reinvigorated in recent years, when the Will County Sheriff’s Office established a team of detectives that focused on cold case investigations. Their dedication, persistence, and quest for the truth helped bring this indictment to fruition after nearly four decades.
This cold case investigation received media attention last year, when an episode of the television show "Cold Justice" aired on the Oxygen Network.
The Sheriff’s Office writes that this long-awaited legal step honors Joan’s memory and underscores law enforcement’s commitment to never giving up on cold case investigations. “Our thoughts remain with the Bernal family and all those who’ve sought answers and justice for decades.”