PENNSAUKEN, NJ — Authorities have confirmed the identity of human remains found last spring in a submerged vehicle in the Cooper River as Bernadine Gunner, a Camden woman who disappeared nearly 15 years ago.
The announcement was made by Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay, Pennsauken Police Chief Phil Olivo, and Camden County Police Chief Gabriel Rodriguez, following conclusive forensic testing. DNA analysis conducted by the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification verified that the remains belonged to Gunner, who was last seen in 2010.
On 5/15/2024 after 45 minutes of search operations, our Missing Persons Unit discovered Bernadine’s vehicle submerged within the Cooper River approximately 1 mile from her last known location in the 1300 Block of Park Ave, Camden New Jersey.
An ensuing underwater investigation identified the remains of Bernadine. Our team, in collaboration with the Bellmawr Dive Team, Steve Flanagans Towing, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, local law enforcement from Camden and Pennsauken, New Jersey State Police, and the Office of Emergency Management, successfully recovered the Hyundai from cooper river that finally brought closure to a lingering mystery in the Camden community.
Account from United Search Corps.
Gunner, 52 at the time of her disappearance, was reported missing by her family on July 11, 2010. She was last seen operating a 2006 blue Hyundai Elantra and had reportedly made threats to take her own life. The search ended nearly 14 years later, when her vehicle was recovered from the Cooper River on May 16, 2024.
The discovery was made by the United Search Corps, a nonprofit organization that aids law enforcement in searching for individuals believed to have disappeared in waterways. Upon recovering the car, authorities located human remains inside and initiated forensic analysis to establish identity.
Bode Technology, a forensic laboratory in Virginia, extracted the DNA, which was then matched by the UNT Center. The results confirming Gunner’s identity were returned on April 16.
Recovery confirmed after coordinated multi-agency search
The vehicle recovery operation involved multiple agencies, including the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, Pennsauken Police Department, FBI, New Jersey State Police, and local emergency services. The Camden County/Bellmawr Dive Team and United Search Corps played a key role in locating the submerged vehicle.
Members of the New Jersey State Police Anthropology Unit assisted in recovering the remains, which had been in the river for over a decade. According to investigators, the condition of the vehicle and remains suggested a long-term submersion, consistent with Gunner’s disappearance date.
“We are grateful to all those who assisted with returning Bernadine to her family,” Prosecutor MacAulay said. “While we strongly believed the remains recovered from the Cooper River belonged to Bernadine, the confirmation through forensic DNA testing finally provides her family with a definitive answer and closure.”
Authorities did not release further details on the condition of the vehicle or whether any evidence of foul play was found. The case had remained open and unresolved since 2010, with occasional leads but no confirmed sightings or findings until last year’s discovery.
Gunner’s family was notified shortly after the results were confirmed, bringing a measure of closure after more than a decade of unanswered questions.
A submerged vehicle yields answers to a 14-year-old Camden mystery.