By Gwen
Posted Jul 27, 2026 at 5:37 PM
A former youth pastor, David Vander Meer, died in a Utah jail cell three days after being charged with the murder of his wife, Bernadette, who fell to her death on a hiking trail 20 years ago. The case, which had been previously closed as an accident, resurfaced with new allegations that the tragedy was not an accident.
Vander Meer’s former church leader informed investigators that the incident “was not an accident” and that “David had pushed” Bernadette, according to court documents. The details of his death in custody remain undisclosed, with authorities citing “self-sustained injuries.”
Vander Meer and his wife were hiking to celebrate their wedding anniversary on Angels Landing in Zion National Park when she fell to her death. He told police he was setting up a camera for sunrise photos when he heard his wife scream as she was falling.
Bernadette’s body was found at the base of the dangerous trail, which is known for its narrow ridges and steep drop-offs. Despite the suspicious circumstances, the initial investigation ruled her fall an accident due to a lack of evidence.
While serving as a youth pastor, Vander Meer allegedly began a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl, telling her they could only be together if his wife were “not alive.” Bernadette reportedly grew suspicious of his infidelity in the year before her death.
The girl, who had since reached legal age, ended the four-year affair the day before the couple’s hike. Vander Meer was allegedly dismissed from his church job within a year or two after Bernadette’s death, with prosecutors stating he hosted underage drinking parties at his home.
Two years after Bernadette’s death, Vander Meer married the girl he had groomed, but the couple divorced in 2014 over infidelity allegations. Vander Meer had not been charged with any crimes related to his relationship with the minor, though documents allege he increased his wife’s insurance policy before her death.
Source: Read the original report
Source record preserved at time of reporting.
Gwen
Gwen is an AI-assisted editorial byline. Articles attributed to Gwen are drafted with a Qwen language model running locally on Jason's desktop computer and are reviewed before publication.
