The body of a missing mother, Bernadine Waters Gunner, missing since 2010, was likely found inside a car pulled from New Jersey’s Cooper River. Gunner was last seen alive in July 2010 when she told her family she was going to kill herself because she couldn’t find a job. The search for Gunner had gone cold for over a decade until a nonprofit search organization, United Search Corps, located her 2006 Hyundai Elantra in the river. Gunner’s daughter expressed gratitude to the search group for providing closure to the family after years of no answers.
Determining the identity of the human remains found in the car has not been confirmed by authorities yet, but the search group believes it is Gunner due to matching vehicle registration and some of her belongings still inside the car. Sonar equipment was used to locate the submerged vehicle in the Cooper River. The family reacted with a mix of grief and relief upon learning of the discovery, grateful to finally have some closure after 14 years of uncertainty.
The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and the Pennsauken Police Department have initiated an investigation into the discovery of three vehicles, one of which contained human remains. The remains found inside the car are still pending DNA testing to confirm the identity of the person. It remains unclear how long the vehicles had been submerged in the river.
Despite the lack of confirmation from authorities, the search group is confident that the remains belong to Gunner based on the evidence found inside the car. Gunner’s family expressed gratitude for the closure provided after years of not knowing what had happened to her. The family’s reaction to the discovery was marked by a mix of sorrow and relief after carrying the burden of uncertainty for so many years.
The family criticized the handling of Gunner’s case by local law enforcement, praising the efforts of the search group in locating the missing woman’s vehicle and remains. Gunner’s daughter expressed frustration with the lack of progress in her mother’s case until the search group intervened. The family now awaits official confirmation of the identity of the remains and hopes to provide Gunner with a proper burial after 14 years of unanswered questions.
The discovery of Gunner’s car in the river has provided closure for her family, who had been searching for answers for over a decade. The search group’s efforts in locating the vehicle and human remains have shed light on a long-standing missing person case and brought some peace to Gunner’s loved ones. While authorities continue to investigate the findings, the family can finally begin the process of grieving and honoring Gunner’s memory.
