A former Las Vegas youth pastor who was accused of pushing his wife off a cliff while hiking in Zion National Park died Thursday — just days after he was taken into custody, authorities said.
David Vander Meer, 49, was being held at Clark County Detention Center on first-degree murder and insurance fraud charges stemming from the death of his wife, Bernadette, two decades ago. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said he was taken to a hospital for “self-sustained injuries” on Wednesday and was later pronounced dead on Thursday.
The official cause and manner of death will be released by the Clark County Coroner’s Office, police said.
Vander Meer had told investigators that he and his wife were celebrating their 10-year anniversary when they hiked to the top of Angels Landing — a tall rock formation in Zion National Park — in 2006. He claimed she fell to her death while he was about 5 to 10 feet away, setting up a camera to take her picture as the sun rose.
Her death was initially ruled an accident, and Vander Meer later submitted a life insurance claim with a payout totaling about $567,439, authorities said.
That was the end of things until last October, when the Washington County Attorney’s Office in Utah received a tip from Barry Diamond — senior pastor of Legacy Christian Church, where Vander Meer had worked as a youth pastor — that Bernadette may have been pushed to her death.
An arrest warrant was issued for Vander Meer on June 16, and he was taken into custody Monday.
Diamond told investigators that Vander Meer had inappropriate and sexual relationships with youth group members at the church, according to an affidavit. One girl, identified only as SH, was about 14 years old when Vander Meer allegedly began grooming her with gifts, special attention and knee touches and hugs in 2002. According to the affidavit, she said their relationship became sexual when she turned 16.
Vander Meer later allegedly bought her a secret phone. According to the affidavit, SH said Vander Meer told her the only way they could be together was if “Bernadette was not alive.”
Vander Meer took out life insurance policies for him and his wife, with values eventually exceeding $550,000 in March 2005, investigators said.
When SH was 18, she said Vander Meer told her to move out of her parents’ home and to rent an apartment with another girl from church. For over a year, she says Vander Meer paid for her rent, according to the affidavit.
Ahead of the fateful trip to Zion, Bernadette was growing suspicious about Vander Meer’s behavior. According to the affidavit, she penned two handwritten notes expressing sadness in her marriage, and co-workers said she could not even purchase new work clothes because she gave all her money to Vander Meer.
A day before their trip to Zion, SH ended what was then a four-year relationship with Vander Meer, telling him it was wrong and she wanted to pursue someone her age at church, court documents say.
The two would resume their relationship a few months after Bernadette’s death.
After receiving the life insurance payout, Vander Meer allegedly bought SH and another youth group member a car. He also purchased a house and took several trips, authorities said.
Diamond said he later fired Vander Meer after learning that he threw parties for underage church members, with alcohol and gambling. In 2008 Vander Meer — then unemployed — entered a private marriage agreement with SH to get health benefits through her job, according to authorities.
They publicly married in 2010, but divorced in 2014.
In 2022 the case involving Bernadette’s death was reopened for authorities to follow up on 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, prompting authorities to renew the investigation.
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