Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘She Said She Didn’t Care’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Signs of a Psychopath’ gives a detailed account of the double homicide of 6-month pregnant 20-year-old Martine Bernard and her father, Roosevelt Bernard. Both family members vanished into thin air, only to be found murdered later. As the investigators dug deeper, they realized that the case was far more complicated than they thought. Apart from the investigation and conviction of the killer, the episode also features interviews with the loved ones of the victims, who share their perspectives on the case.
Martine and Roosevelt Bernard Went Missing Before Being Found Dead
Born on May 9, 1950, Roosevelt Bernard was married to Yvrose Bernard, with whom he shared several children. One of them was Martine Bernard, who was brought into the world on August 9, 1997. The loving and supportive household of the Bernards consisted of other family members, including Martine’s two brothers, Roosevelt Bernard Jr. and Ryan Bernard, and one sister, Joane Bernard. Forming a romantic bond with a man named Cassandritz Blanc, an immigrant from Haiti, early on in her life, she decided to tie the knot with him in late 2017. A couple of months after the marriage, she became pregnant and was looking forward to stepping into motherhood. The Bernards were leading a pretty fine life until things turned upside down in June 2018.
What kicked things off was the discovery of 68-year-old Roosevelt Bernard’s burned body in a vacant field near his Hollywood residence, around the intersection of 29th Avenue and Washington Street, in the second week of June. After that, the police were also asked to locate his missing pregnant daughter, Martine Bernard. As the detectives searched for her, following all the trails they had at hand, they discovered her body in a Waste Management trash container in the early morning hours of the next day in Fort Lauderdale, around 4:30 am. Both the Bernards were reportedly shot to death. As the two bodies were discovered, the police launched an investigation into the homicides, intending to put handcuffs on the killer as soon as possible.
A Family Member Betrayed Martine and Roosevelt Bernard
When the investigators found Martine Bernard’s body in an alley near her Fort Lauderdale residence, they also found her husband, Cassandritz Blanc, making her the primary suspect in the case. The authorities conducted various interviews with the victims’ loved ones to get a better picture of their lives and the circumstances surrounding their demise. Naturally, they brought in Roosevelt’s wife and Martine’s mother, Yvrose Bernard, for questioning. Later, they also interrogated the suspect. Collaborating the details shared by all the testimonies, the detectives learned that on the fateful day, the Bernards had plans to attend a family event in the afternoon.
Knocking at their front door came Blanc, who claimed he needed to pick up his wife’s clothes. While he was going through the wardrobe, she went in for a shower and left him alone with her husband, Roosevelt. Making the most of this opportunity, Blanc followed him into Martine’s former bedroom and shot him twice in the back. When Yvrose returned to the living room and noticed the locked bedroom and gloves on Blanc’s hands, he made up a story about a Hispanic male taking Roosevelt outside to talk about something important. Alongside Yvrose and Joane, Blanc left to attend the event around 4 in the evening. Making an excuse to return to the house, he managed to get a key to it, using which he left the back door unlocked.
Later, he sneakily placed Roosevelt’s body in a trash can and took it to the vacant field where it was found. When Roosevelt did not show up at the event and could not be contacted, Yvrose and Joane filed a missing persons report. On the weekend, Blanc was interviewed and asked about the missing man. Martine’s husband told them the same story about the Hispanic male. On the morning of June 11, 2018, Blanc returned to set the body on fire. Thanks to the surveillance footage of a neighbor, the police caught Blanc returning to the residence and rolling the trash can out of the house. The police then brought him in for questioning for a second time, and this time, they ordered him to come with his wife, Martine.
Martine’s Husband Confessed His Crimes to the Police
However, Blanc showed up alone and claimed that she didn’t want to come. Sticking to his original story about the Hispanic man, he further told the detectives that he was wearing the gloves due to a skin condition. However, when he denied returning the residence of the Bernards, as the video footage showed, the investigators presented all the holes and inconsistencies in his story. Since he had no means to defend himself, he left the police station. Suspecting him and, most importantly, concerned for Martine’s well-being, the detectives followed the suspect and observed his every move. In the early morning hours of June 12, 2018, Blanc was seen wheeling off garbage bags toward a dumpster.
Soon, the police arrived at the scene, handcuffed Blanc, and found the mutilated body of Martine inside the garbage. After his arrest, he did not hold back and confessed that he had murdered his wife as well as his father-in-law. He admitted that he shot his 20-year-old wife on June 4 because she had disrespected him. Allegedly, he planned to dismember her body to dispose of it more easily. As a result, Cassandritz Blanc was charged with two counts of first-degree murder of Martine Bernard and Roosevelt Bernard, as well as two counts of abusing a corpse.
Cassandritz Blanc is Serving His Three Life Sentences in a Florida Prison Today
After pleading guilty to three counts of murder in the deaths of his father-in-law and his six-month pregnant wife, the 27-year-old Cassandritz Blanc was sentenced to three life sentences without any possibility of parole on September 6, 2023. However, before the sentencing, the convict took the stand and apologized to the Bernard family. “I will sincerely like to apologize to the victims and the victim’s family. My words don’t change anything, but I’m sorry,” he said.
Martine’s brother and Roosevelt’s son, Roosevelt Bernard Jr., also addressed the court after the sentencing. He stated, “I would say I feel relieved that the situation is over. I didn’t know what to expect today, but the way it played out and how justice was served, I think we can finally have a sense of peace.” Currently, Cassandritz Blanc is incarcerated in South Bay Correctional Facility at 600 US Highway 27 in South Bay, Florida.
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