SE Valley Times

Gilbert, AZ - Frank Bernal was a beloved brother, uncle, friend, and a decorated Vietnam War veteran who called Gilbert home. On Friday, June 23rd, the Bernal family came together at the Gilbert Police Department to thank the detectives, officers, and all involved in bringing justice for Frank.

In the early morning hours of October 11, 2020, Gilbert Police officers responded to a report of criminal damage at a business near Cooper and Warner Roads. A trail of blood from the business led officers to a nearby home where officers found Frank inside critically injured.

Shortly after, a person of interest, Jacob Samia, was located nearby. Gilbert Police detectives wasted no time in the collection of crucial evidence while processing the crime scene.

Despite Frank’s courageous fight, he passed away October 20, 2020, at the age of 73.

On October 25, Gilbert PD was notified that DNA collected from inside Frank’s home matched that of Jacob Samia. Samia was arrested and booked the next day at the Maricopa County Jail on first degree murder charges.

Nearly two and half years later, in May 2023, a 12-member jury delivered a verdict, finding Jacob Samia guilty of five counts, including one felony count of first-degree murder, one felony count of burglary, one felony count of kidnapping, one felony count of burglary in the third degree, and one misdemeanor count of criminal damage. Samia was sentenced in June to life in prison with the possibility of release after 25 years. “Because of what you did, collecting all of the evidence, the county attorney presented it, and we got the verdict we wanted,” said Andy Bernal, Frank’s older brother.

The appreciation shown by the Bernal family served as a reminder of the impact of the police work carried out to bring Frank and his loved ones the justice they deserved. “Thank you to the family for their support at the trial, for everybody that was there, it was very important for the judge and the jury to see how loved Frank was,” said Gilbert Police Detective Dave Frerer. “I never got to meet him in person, but through you I was able understand what kind of person he was and obviously he was a great man of the community.”

Original source can be found here.