Man sentenced to life in prison for killing Arizona Vietnam vet

PHOENIX - The Maricopa County Attorney's Office says a man convicted of killing a Valley Vietnam veteran has been sentenced to life in prison.

MCAO announced on June 23 that 35-year-old Jacob Samia was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole, in the murder of Frank Bernal.

Bernal was found unconscious inside his Gilbert home on Oct. 11, 2020. He appeared to have been beaten and was taken to the hospital, but subsequently died without ever regaining consciousness.

"I saw the strangulation marks on his neck, and it was really hard to see my brother that way," Andy Bernal said in a statement to MCAO. "Frank survived the attacks in the jungles of Vietnam but he did not survive the brutal attack in the sanctity of his own home."

Samia was arrested two weeks later in connection to the murder.

Jacob Samia

In May, Samia was convicted on five felony counts, including first-degree murder.

"Frank Bernal was the definition of an American hero. He was attacked in the peace of his home where he was brutally beaten, strangled and killed," said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. "The crime perpetrated on Mr. Bernal has left a lasting impact on his immediate family, friends, the neighborhood where Mr. Bernal lived and the community of Gilbert." 

Area where the crime was committed: