Joan Bent’s husband Donald Bent killed her as noted in The Cinemaholic.

Joan was reported missing for the first time on February 17, 1986. After 11 days, the police discovered her body solidly frozen in the trunk of the car. When her body was taken to a hospital for an autopsy, the autopsy revealed that she died of asphyxiation caused by strangulation.

The police and other investigation authorities were working to identify the true murderer. Donald, Joan’s husband, was initially unconcerned because he was the one who notified the police about his wife’s disappearance.

However, when they discovered through medical reports that Joan’s food remained undigested in her stomach, Donald’s suspicions were aroused because they both ate the same food together before Joan went missing. As a result, Donald was arrested and put on trial.

Donald finally admitted to his daughter Dawn Bent in 2015 that he was the one who murdered Joan.

Donald Bent, Joan Bent’s husband, was arrested and convicted of murder in 1988.

He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for murdering his wife.

Donald Bent has passed away. According to police, he murdered his wife after learning that Joan was going to file for divorce.

Actually, in 2020, Donald Bent died in Cohoes, New York, 17 months after his release as per Find A grave.

According to the investigations, he strangled his wife the night before he reported her missing on February 16, 1986, at their Watervliet home. Donald strangled her and stuffed her body in the trunk of her car before driving it to Menands.

He returned home after leaving her dead body and car, called the police, and thus played the role of the bereaved husband in front of the television and cameras.

Joan Bent shared a daughter Dawn Bent with her husband Donald Bent.

And, Donald, who kept denying of killing his wife or found to be not guilty, eventually opened up about the hidden truth and confessed his crime to his daughter Dawn at last.