Former pastor accused of killing wife on anniversary trip to Zion found dead
A former Las Vegas youth pastor accused of pushing his wife off a cliff while hiking in Zion National Park died Thursday — just days after being taken into custody, authorities said.
David Vander Meer, 49, was being held in the Clark County Detention Center on first-degree murder and insurance fraud charges stemming from the death of his wife, Bernadette, two decades ago. He was hospitalized for “self-inflicted injuries” on Wednesday and was later pronounced dead on Thursday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said.
The official cause and manner of death will be released by the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office, police said.
Vander Meer told investigators that he and his wife were celebrating their 10-year anniversary in 2006 while hiking to the top of Angels Landing, a tall rock formation in Zion National Park. He claimed that his wife fell to her death while he was setting up a camera to photograph her at sunrise while he was about 1.5 to 3 meters away.
His death was initially ruled an accident, and Vander Meer later filed a life insurance claim totaling about $567,439, authorities said.
It was all over until last October, when the Washington County District Attorney’s Office in Utah received a tip from Barry Diamond, senior pastor of Legacy Christian Church, where Vander Meer worked as youth pastor, that Bernadette might have been pushed to her death.
An arrest warrant was issued for Vander Meer on June 16 and he was taken into custody on Monday.
According to an affidavit, Diamond told investigators that Vander Meer had engaged in inappropriate and sexual relationships with members of his church youth group. A girl identified only as SH was about 14 years old when Vander Meer allegedly began grooming her with gifts, special attention, touching her knee and hugging her in 2002. The girl said their relationship became sexual when she turned 16, according to the affidavit.
Vander Meer later allegedly received a confidential phone call. SH said Vander Meer told her the only way they could be together was if “Bernadette wasn’t alive,” according to the affidavit.
Investigators said Vander Meer took out life insurance policies for himself and his wife worth more than $550,000 in March 2005.
SH said that when she was 18, Vander Meer told her to move out of her parents’ house and rent an apartment with another girl from church. She says Vander Meer has been paying her rent for more than a year, the affidavit says.
Before the fateful journey to Zion, Bernadette had become suspicious of Vander Meer’s behavior. She penned two handwritten notes expressing distress in her marriage, and co-workers said she couldn’t even buy new work clothes because she gave all her money to Vander Meer, according to testimony.
The day before she left for Zion, SH ended her then-four-year relationship with Vander Meer, telling her it was wrong and that she wanted to follow someone her age to church, according to court documents.
The two would continue their relationship several months after Bernadette’s death.
After receiving the life insurance payment, Vander Meer allegedly bought SH and another youth group member a car. He also bought a house and went on several trips, authorities said.
Diamond said he fired Vander Meer after learning he was hosting parties that included alcohol and gambling for underage church members. According to authorities, in 2008, Vander Meer, who was unemployed at the time, signed a private prenup with SH to receive health benefits through her job.
They publicly married in 2010, but divorced in 2014.
In 2022, the case surrounding Bernadette’s death was reopened for authorities to pursue allegations reported by a former youth group member. Investigators interviewed SH about her relationship with Vander Meer, but no charges were filed.
In October, new information confirmed Vander Meer’s relationship with SH and led authorities to renew the investigation.
