Married Couple Appear in Court in Teacher's Killing

Married Couple Face Murder Case

A married California couple accused of killing a teacher who was reportedly dating the wife have now appeared in court after authorities arrested them in Mexico and returned them to Fresno County.

Misty Gomez, 32, and her husband, Antonio Garcia, 40, are charged in the death of 37-year-old Geoffrey “Geoff” Bernardi, a Clovis educator and audiovisual technician who died in December 2025. The pair made their first appearance before a Fresno County judge on Aug. 26 and remained in custody with bail at about $1 million each, according to ABC30.

For Bernardi’s family, the case carries an especially painful layer. His mother, Erin Adams, has said her son was dating Gomez and believed he had no idea she was already married.

A Teacher Remembered for the Arts

Bernardi worked in career technical education for the Clovis Unified School District and had built much of his professional life around theater, music and audiovisual production.

People reported that his obituary described him as an experienced stagehand and sound technician who later worked as an AV design technician helping with Clovis Unified productions. His family said he had found work and a community that mattered deeply to him.

That background has made the murder case about more than the arrests themselves. Bernardi was a son, educator and colleague whose death left family members trying to understand how a relationship they believed was promising became connected to a homicide investigation.

According to People, Bernardi was found badly injured near a canal in Clovis shortly before 1 a.m. on Dec. 18, 2025. He was taken to a hospital and died less than two days later.

Police Focused on the Relationship

Investigators eventually concluded the attack was not random and identified Gomez and Garcia as suspects.

Police have said Gomez was dating Bernardi while she was married to Garcia. Investigators also said evidence and communications uncovered during the investigation helped point them toward the couple.

ABC30 later reported additional allegations about what investigators believe happened before Bernardi was attacked. Gomez allegedly told authorities that she and Garcia had argued while he was driving her toward a hospital, after which she went to Bernardi’s apartment. Police now contend Garcia was the person who attacked Bernardi, according to the station. Those claims remain allegations in an active criminal case.

Authorities have not established a motive in the reporting reviewed for this article, and Gomez and Garcia have not been convicted.

Arrested in Mexico

After an investigation lasting about eight months, U.S. Marshals located Gomez and Garcia in Mexico and took them into custody on Aug. 19.

They were returned to California, first booked in Alameda County and then transferred to Fresno County. A criminal complaint accuses both defendants of murdering Bernardi “with malice aforethought,” according to reporting from People and ABC.

Their first court appearance on Aug. 26 was brief. ABC30 reported that continued arraignment proceedings were expected the following week.

Two Children Remained in Mexico

The arrests also created a separate crisis for Gomez’s two daughters.

ABC reported that Gomez had traveled to Mexico with the girls after detectives identified her as a person of interest. Their relatives said the children remained in the custody of Mexico’s National System for Integral Family Development in Michoacán while family members worked through the process of bringing them back to the United States.

Because the girls are minors, their identities and circumstances warrant particular restraint. They are not accused of wrongdoing and are dealing with the consequences of an adult criminal case that has crossed an international border.

For Bernardi’s family, meanwhile, the court proceedings mark the beginning of another difficult stage. Eight months after his death, the people accused of killing him are back in California and before a judge, but the allegations have not yet been tested at trial.

The legal case will continue. For those who knew Bernardi as a teacher, technician and family member, the loss that started it remains unchanged.

References: Woman and Husband Accused of Murdering Her Lover, a Beloved Teacher - Leaving 2 Kids Stranded in Mexico | Children of woman charged with murdering beloved California educator stuck in Mexico