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Bernice Gray disappeared the day after Christmas in 1991 and still remains missing. According to the prosecution's arguments, shortly after dropping her one-year-old toddler at day-care and moments before reaching her place of work, Gray was allegedly shot in her car by her ex-boyfriend Robert William Pann, who then buried her body, which was never discovered.
The upcoming episode of ID's American Monster on June 19, 2022 will focus on the nearly impossible-to-solve murder case of Bernice Gray. The official synopsis of the episode, directed by Bill Thomas and written by Bruce Kennedy, states:
"Property developer, Robert Pann and trainee nurse, Bernice Gray seem like the ideal match. However, buried secrets surface and are about to end this seemingly picture-perfect romance."
It all began when the police discovered the victim's abandoned vehicle with blood splatters on the inside, days after her disappearance. Without the victim's body, solid leads, and with limited evidence and witnesses, the unsolved case dragged on for years with one prime suspect: the ex-boyfriend.
By 1995, when she was declared legally dead, the authorities were able to build a homicide case gathering as much evidence and witnesses as possible to bring down the murderer. In 2001, Robert Pann, the victim's ex-boyfriend, was found guilty and convicted of first-degree murder in a murder trial that seemed almost impossible to achieve.
Exploring Bernice Gray's alleged murder case of 1991
Described as benevolent and selfless, the 23-year-old Bernice Gray, a nurse in training, worked as a medical records keeper at the time of her disappearance. On December 26, 1991, when Gray failed to report for an early morning shift at her workplace, her superiors reached out to her family and ex-boyfriend, Robert Pann, asking about her whereabouts.
Time passed, and authorities were informed about the missing person when they carried out a thorough city-wide search only to discover Bernice's blood-splattered car four days later in east Detroit. DNA revealed that the blood found was of the missing woman, and the two shell casings found inside the car indicated that she was shot dead. Reportedly, experts also revealed that although they were unsure of her demise, it was confirmed that she was shot at close range.
Reports state that once Bernice Gray was declared legally dead in 1995, the case gained momentum, leading to a key revelation from two days prior to her disappearance. Investigators discovered that Pann had proposed to Bernice, but she rejected it, following which the former threatened to kill her. As per the jeweller, he even attempted to return the engagement ring after his ex-girlfriend was reported missing. The former also stated that Pann's shoes were covered in mud and grass.
However difficult it was to build a homicide case without the victim's body, the police finally had enough evidence to arrest Robert Pann for his involvement in the alleged murder case. In 2001, nearly a decade after Gray's disappearance and alleged murder, he was put on trial and ultimately found guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison and an additional two years for possessing a firearm.
Catch ID's American Monster this June 19, 2022, at 9/8c as the episode revisits Bernice Gray's 1991 alleged murder case.
