Man accused of 2019 Pittsylvania Co. triple murder ‘able to stand trial’

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. ( WFXR ) — After almost five years, the case against Matthew Bernard, who is accused of killing his mother, sister, and infant nephew in 2019, will move forward to a grand jury.

In August 2019, the Pittsylvania Police Department received a call that a person had been shot at a home on the 1900 block of Keeling Drive. Two women and a child were found dead at the scene.

The victims were identified as the suspect’s family members, Joan Bernard, Emily Bivens, and her son, Cullen.

Bernard was found by deputies naked at Keeley Baptist Church where he attacked a groundskeeper before being taken into custody.

He was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and later faced three counts of aggravated murder of multiple persons in three years and three counts of using a firearm.

The case has been on hold for years as courts have ruled that Bernard was found mentally incompetent to stand trial.

However, on Wednesday, July 3, court documents show the case against Bernard had been certified to the grand jury.

WFXR News will continue to update this story as more information becomes available

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