For a year, law enforcement officials interviewed witnesses and collected evidence after Bonnell's killing.
A year later, those who knew Bonnell best say the pain of his loss has not eased.
"Clint Bonnell was one of the best of the best that walked this earth. He was an honest man. He was a straightforward man," said Jason Covington, a longtime high school friend.
Covington and fellow classmate Jennifer Cargill said they continue to mourn Bonnell's death, calling it shocking and devastating.
"Clint Bonnell is not the kind of man that deserves anything close to what happened to him. And my heart breaks for it every single day," Covington said.
Bonnell served 20 years as a Green Beret before retiring from the military. After his service, friends said he was beginning a new chapter, enrolling in classes at Methodist University.
Cargill said concern spread quickly after Bonnell's sister posted about his disappearance in an online group.
"We're on a Facebook group called No Friends Left Behind on apps for Dripping Springs. And that's when Stephanie, his sister, posted that he was missing. And for that statement to be made, something happened because Clint, Clint would not go missing. He was a Green Beret. He was always aware of his surroundings," Cargill said.
On Jan. 28, 2025, when he failed to show up for classes at Methodist University, a university employee requested a wellness check and raised the first concerns about his whereabouts.
Investigators said Bonnell's girlfriend, Kelli Edwards, also requested a welfare check and filed a missing persons report. Authorities said the report came after Bonnell told his wife, Shana Cloud, that he wanted a divorce.
Three days later, the case shifted from a missing person investigation to a homicide case.
A 911 caller reported seeing what appeared to be a body part floating in the water. "It looks like there might be a part of a body floating out in the water," the caller said.
About a month later, sheriff's deputies discovered human remains in a pond. An autopsy later determined Bonnell had been shot four times in his upper and lower back. His arms, legs, and head have not been recovered.
Two months after Bonnell disappeared, Cloud was charged with first-degree murder and concealing a death.
RELATED | Our half-hour stream-only special, Green Beret Murder: What Happened to Clinton Bonnell?, wherever you stream ABC11.
Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West said his office is focused on handling the case carefully as it moves forward.
"We certainly want justice to be done, but we want to do it right and make sure that we've done everything correctly in this particular case," West said.
West also acknowledged the effect that Bonnell's death has had on the community.
"Mr. Bonnell was very well thought of by family and friends and coworkers, and people he went to school with out at Methodist. And of course, it was a former soldier. And we love our military here in Cumberland County. And so it was just a very tragic, tragic case. And we're going to do everything we can to see that justice is done," West said.
Despite the tragedy, Bonnell's friends said his death has unexpectedly reunited people who once shared close bonds.
"Clint's episode here in his passing and his death allowed us to rekindle a lot of relationships and reconnect. And I think most proudly, Clint's looking down at all of his friends and his loved ones in seeing us hugging each other and coming together," Covington said.
Covington attended Bonnell's funeral in Fayetteville in March and later visited his home and the location where his torso was found. He and Cargill said they most remember Bonnell for his love of theater and the way he cared deeply for others.
The case is expected to go before a grand jury. A trial date is not anticipated until sometime in 2027.