A former Arizona youth pastor who investigators say pushed his wife off a 1,200-foot cliff to her death 20 years ago was arrested, charged with murder and insurance fraud and then reportedly died in custody before the victim’s family ever got their day in court.
David Vander Meer, 49, was arrested on Monday, June 22 and charged with murder and insurance fraud in the death of his wife at Zion National Park 20 years ago, KSNV reported.
He died Thursday at a local hospital after sustaining self-inflicted injuries while being held at the Clark County Detention Center, Las Vegas police confirmed.
Judge Eric Goodman informed the courtroom of Vander Meer’s death ahead of an extradition hearing planned for Thursday morning in Las Vegas Justice Court, according to News 3 Las Vegas.
Barry Diamond, the former senior pastor of the church where Vander Meer once worked, said he learned from the lead investigator on the case that Vander Meer had hanged himself.
“There are no winners here,” Diamond told NBC News. “This is a tragedy for Bernadette’s family; this is a tragedy for Dave’s family. They’re good people and they’re hurting, too.”
On Tuesday, the Washington County Attorney’s Office announced that investigators had uncovered a slew of allegations after reopening the case.
Bernadette Vander Meer was just 28 years old when she plummeted to her death. KSNV reported she was hiking on Angel’s Landing in August 2006 when she died.
She and Vander Meer were visiting the park for their anniversary, KSL reported.
Vander Meer said he planned to take a picture of his wife with the sunrise behind her, KSL reported. She was standing near the edge when he said he was going to move the backpacks.
“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 states, according to KSL. “At the time, due to 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.”
Bernadette’s family told KSNV they are finally seeing justice.
“I have no doubt he’s going to be in jail for a long, long time,” Richard Gudenkauf, her father, said.
Gudenkauf told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that when he heard about Vander Meer’s arrest, he shouted, “Thank you, Jesus!”
“Well, I suspected him all along,” her mother, Laura, added. “Because of the girlfriend. I found insurance policies months later that he had, lots of them.”
It was also revealed that the couple had recently increased their life insurance policies from $150,000 each to about $550,000 each.
In 2022, police got new information.
Authorities learned Vander Meer, who was a pastor in 2006, was having an affair with a teen in his youth group ministry. He married her in 2010.
The two eventually divorced in 2014 when she suspected Vander Meer was cheating on her.
“[She] recalls David telling her, the only way they could be together is if Bernadette was not alive,” the affidavit stated, according to KSL. The woman was just 14 when she began her relationship with Vander Meer.
The woman said she ended her relationship with Vander Meer in 2006. But, about two or three months after Bernadette’s death, they were back together.
“It was Bernadette who suspected it,” Laura told KSNV. “She was saying, ‘That girl calls him all the time. I’ve confronted him about all the time he spends with her.”
Investigators learned Vander Meer had a pattern of inappropriate behavior with children in his youth group ministry. KSL reported he had begun cheating on his wife years before her death.
Vander Meer was fired from the church in 2008. KSL reported he was providing alcohol to minors.
Bernadette’s family said she visited them the morning of her trip to Zion. Her mother said it worried her.
“Because she came to me that morning and said, ‘Mother, we upped our life insurance policy.’ And she said, but she didn’t realize that he kept the other one as well,” Laura told KSNV.
Bernadette’s parents said they believed she was planning to leave Vander Meer, and that he probably knew.
“Then later she said, she told me that she told him if he didn’t change his ways, she was going to divorce him. That was probably a week before or two weeks,” Laura told KSNV.
The family said Bernadette had a passion for hiking.
“I’ve did a lot of hiking with her. Skiing. She was a real mountain goat. She was real petite, you know, and I was just amazed,” Gudenkauf said.
“And she was so kind to people. She was so kind,” Bernadette’s mother added.
