Human Remains Found In Cooper River Have Been Identified

Editor's note: If you need emotional support, you can call the national mental health hotline at 988 for access to free, one-on-one assistance.

PENNSAUKEN, NJ — Human remains discovered last year in the Cooper River belonged to a Camden woman who went missing in 2010, officials confirmed.

Family members reported Bernadine Gunner missing 15 years ago. She was last seen driving after telling loved ones she felt suicidal, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

Gunner — a mother and grandmother — was 52 when she went missing.

Last May, three submerged vehicles were pulled from the Cooper River in Pennsauken. One of the cars contained human remains.

On April 16, DNA testing confirmed that the remains belonged to Gunner, who was 52 when she disappeared.

"We are grateful to all those who assisted with returning Bernadine to her family," County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay said in a statement. "Missing person cases are heartbreaking because family members are left wondering what happened to their loved one."

Nonprofit search organization United Search Corps first discovered the car and said the remains belonged to Gunner. Her remains were found inside a 2006 blue Hyundai Elantra — the vehicle she was last seen driving.

Investigators "strongly believed" that the remains belonged to Gunner but wanted to confirm it through DNA testing to provide her family "with a definitive answer and closure," MacAulay said.

Bode Technology, a private forensic laboratory in Virginia, helped extract her DNA. A match was confirmed by the Center of Human Identification at the University of North Texas.

Gunner's loved ones held a memorial service for her on Monday.

"Bernadine was known for her warmth and kindness towards others," says her obituary, shared by Boyd Funeral Home in Camden. "Bernadine will be missed tremendously, especially her smile as it could brighten an entire room!"