In December of 1988, Joan Bernal, her husband, and their children had plans to leave their home in Joliet, Illinois, and head to Texas to visit her husband's family for the holidays. Things didn't go as planned, and they weren't able to bring Joan's children from a previous marriage due to custody issues. According to Joan's husband Gil, they decided to make the trip anyway, and Joan got upset along the way. Gil stated that he dropped her off near a McAlester, Oklahoma bus stop, and gave her some cash to get back to Illinois. The plan was that Joan would pick up her other children and fly down to Texas. Joan Bernal has never been seen or heard from again. This case is full of different stories of what happened to Joan, whether she may still be alive, and questions surrounding her disappearance.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Joan Bernal, please call the Will County Sheriff's Office at 815-727-8574.

You can follow developments in Joan’s story on social media at Help Us Find Joan Bernal.

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