Former youth pastor dies in custody after being charged in wife’s death – National
A former Las Vegas youth pastor died in police custody after recently being charged with murder in his wife’s death 20 years ago.
David Vander Meer, 49, was charged earlier this week after prosecutors reopened the investigation into the August 2006 death of his wife, Bernadette Vander Meer, according to NBC News, the Salt Lake Tribune and the New York Times.
Vander Meer was being held in the Clark County Detention Center in Nevada and had a hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Before his scheduled extradition hearing in Las Vegas, a judge announced that the former youth pastor had died, according to video shared by NBC affiliate KSNV.
Las Vegas police said in a statement that “a 49-year-old male inmate at the Clark County Detention Center was transported to UMC to be treated for self-sustained injuries.”
“On June 25, 2026, medical personnel at UMC pronounced the inmate deceased. The inmate had been in custody at CCDC since June 22, 2026, for fugitive from another state,” police added.
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Las Vegas police did not name the inmate, adding that, “the identification of the decedent, as well as the cause and manner of death, will be released by the Clark County Coroner’s Office.”
Vander Meer was arrested in Summerlin on murder and insurance fraud charges before being placed at the Clark County Detention Center on Monday.
Vander Meer’s case was reopened after Vander Meer’s former boss told investigators in October 2025 that “the death was not an accident,” according to Washington County court documents.
“At the time, due to a lack of evidence, and limited investigation, Bernadette Vander Meer’s fall was ruled an accident and the case was closed — although investigators felt the circumstances were suspicious,” the affidavit says.
The affidavit also alleged that Vander Meer began having an affair with an underage girl when she was 16 and told her that they could only be together if his wife “were not alive.”
The former couple were hiking to the top of Angels Landing in Zion National Park to celebrate their wedding anniversary on Aug. 22, 2006, when Bernadette’s fall took place.
Vander Meer previously told police that he had set up a camera and taken three or four photos of the scenery. He said he planned to take pictures of Bernadette with the sunrise behind her so she would appear as a silhouette, according to the affidavit.
“Bernadette was standing near the edge, and it was still dark out. David noticed their backpacks were in view of the camera shot, he said he was going to move them. He picked up the packs and walked 5-10 feet away. David set the packs down and when he turned around, Bernadette was gone. David heard her scream as she fell. David stated he did not see her trip or hear anything before she fell,” the affidavit says.
After the second investigation, police said that based on the officer’s ability to search moon data, “it is clear that at the time of the incident and prior to, the sun had not risen past flat ground horizon.”
The documents also state that there have been four accidents total on Angels Landing Trail, including Bernadette’s.
“Where Bernadette fell to her death, it is relatively the highest point of Angels Landing Trail, it is a sheer cliff, there is no vegetation or landings to which an individual has the opportunity to catch themselves,” the court documents say.
According to the court documents, Bernadette was a 29-year-old “experienced hiker.”
“David caused Bernadette to fall in a spot on the Angel’s Landing Trail which is uncommon for accidents to happen,” the affidavit says.
Vander Meer made “conflicting statements to others about how the incident occurred,” the documents add.
Authorities said Vander Meer acted “with clear intent, committed the crime of murder, by intentionally pushing his wife, Bernadette Vander Meer, off the top of Angels Landing and to her death on August 22, 2006.”
The affidavit also said Vander Meer had increased his and his wife’s life insurance policies from US$150,000 to $600,000 before Bernadette died.
In 2007, Vander Meer received a life insurance payout totalling approximately $567,439, according to the court documents.
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