He Seems to Have killed His Wife, Seems to Have Committed Suicide on the way to Court

David Vander Meer.Credit : 

David Vander Meer/Facebook

This report was made by People Magazine

Before Mr. Vandeer Death, He was found fatally injured before his court appearance. he died within 6 hours or less. It was announced his wounds were self inflicted. he had been an assistant pastor to the youth of his church but details have come out he was sexually abusing  some of the youth and his wife found out. That was given as a motive for him tho kill his wife.

But everything about this case is weird. First there are not witneses that he pushed his wife off the Clift. There are no witnesses about his self made injuries or what they were. Im sure is because the case is early. Events that happen on a Friday usually don't come to the full light until Monday.

In any case adamfoxie will watch any events or information and will pass it on to you.

Adam Gonzalez

• David Vander Meer, 49, was arrested Monday on charges of first-degree murder and insurance fraud in connection with the death of his wife, Bernadette Vander Meer, who fell to her death in Zion National Park in August 2006
• Bernadette's death was ruled an accident due to lack of evidence and the case was closed. But investigators believed the circumstances were suspicious
• Judge Eric Goodman announced Vander Meer's death ahead of a scheduled extradition hearing Thursday morning in Las Vegas Justice Court

A former Las Vegas youth pastor arrested Monday on a first-degree murdercharge in connection with the death of his wife, who fell to her death in Zion National Park 20 years ago, has died in custody, a judge said Thursday.

Judge Eric Goodman announced the death of David Vander Meer ahead of a scheduled extradition hearing Thursday morning in Las Vegas Justice Court, according to NBC affiliate KSNV.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department later said a 49-year-old inmate at the Clark County Detention Center was taken to the hospital on Wednesday for treatment of "self-sustained injuries" and subsequently died. The department did not identify the inmate but said he had been in custody since Monday, the same day Vander Meer, who was 49, was arrested in Las Vegas by U.S. marshals.  Vander Meer was also accused of insurance fraud in connection with the Aug. 22, 2006, death of his wife Bernadette Vander Meer, who fell about 1,200 feet to her death that morning. She was 29.

Vander Meer, who was 29 at the time, said Bernadette had fallen while he was trying to take a picture of her near the Angels Landing Trail's edge, according to his arrest affidavit filed this month by the Washington County Attorney's Office in Utah.

Bernadette's death was ruled an accident due to lack of evidence, and the case was closed. But investigators believed the circumstances were suspicious, according to the arrest affidavit.

Bernadette Vander Meer.

8 News Now Las Vegas/Youtube

Investigators reopened the case in 2022 after receiving a tip from a former youth group member who said Vander Meer had been using his position at the church he worked at "to groom kids," the affidavit states.

Former Vegas Youth Pastor Charged in Connection with Wife’s Death at Zion National Park 20 Years Ago

One of those former youth group members, identified in the affidavit as "SH," said she was 16 when she met Vander Meer and that the two had actively been in a sexual relationship at the time of Bernadette's death that continued until she was about 19 or 20. According to the affidavit, she said they would have sex at the church and at pay-by-the-hour hotels. SH told authorities one remark Vander Meer made prior to Bernadette's death had always stayed with her: "The only way they could be together is if Bernadette was not alive." She said she ended the relationship on Aug. 20, 2006, two days before Bernadette and Vander Meer went on an anniversary trip to Zion National Park.

According to prosecutors, Bernadette had suspected her husband was being unfaithful. SH said she and Vander Meer resumed their relationship two or three months after Bernadette's death and they married in 2008 — the same year Vander Meer was fired after his boss learned that he was throwing parties for underage members of his church and was providing them alcohol and having them gamble at his house, the affidavit states. The couple divorced in 2014.

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On Oct. 8, 2025, investigators received a second tip from Barry Diamond, a senior pastor at the church where Vander Meer had once worked and who had fired him. Diamond told authorities he believed Vander Meer had pushed Bernadette to her death.

The Washington County Attorney's Office also charged Vander Meer with insurance fraud, alleging that in 2005, he had purchased life insurance policies for himself and Bernadette totaling $550,000 each. In July 2007, Vander Meer received a life insurance payment of roughly $567,000.