- David Vander Meer was charged with murder and insurance fraud in his wife's 2006 fall from Angel's Landing.
- Prosecutors allege suspicious circumstances and a history of infidelity and insurance increase.
- A reopened investigation revealed potential motives and conflicting statements from Vander Meer.
ST. GEORGE — Twenty years ago, Bernadette Vander Meer fell to her death from Angel's Landing in Zion National Park under what prosecutors say were "suspicious circumstances."
On Tuesday, the Washington County Attorney's Office announced that after reopening the case and conducting a thorough investigation that revealed a history infidelity, grooming teens in his youth group and substantially increasing Bernadette's life insurance policy just before her death, David Howard Vander Meer - had been arrested in connection with his wife's death.
Vander Meer, who turns 49 on Wednesday, of Las Vegas, was charged June 16 in 5th District Court with murder, a first-degree felony; and insurance fraud, a second-degree felony. The charges were filed under seal until Vander Meer could be taken into custody.
On Aug. 22, 2006, Bernadette Vander Meer, 29, fell approximately 1,200 feet off Angel's Landing to her death. The two were visiting Zion National Park for their anniversary, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed with the charges.
"They began the hike at 4:20 a.m., and got to the summit of Angel's Landing while sunrise was nearing," the affidavit states. "David stated they were wearing headlamps but took them off near the top as it started to get light."
David Vander Meer claimed he was going to take a picture of his wife with the sunrise behind her. She was standing near the edge when he says he went to move backpacks, according to the affidavit.
"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," he told investigators, the affidavit states. "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."
Investigators also learned that the couple had recently increased their life insurance policies from $150,000 each to about $550,000 each.
In 2022, detectives received a tip "from a previous youth group member, that stated David Vander Meer was employed as a youth pastor in a church, and had been using his position of special trust to groom kids" and that "he had groomed and actively been in a sexual relationship" with a teen girl in his ministry at the time of his wife's death. The girl claimed she was in a sexual relationship with Vander Meer from the time she was 16 until she was 19 or 20 years old, but ended the relationship the day before he left on his anniversary trip to Zion National Park, according to the affidavit.
A second tip was received in 2025 from "the senior pastor of the church David worked at in the past. The tip stated he believed the death was not an accident and that David pushed Bernadette," the affidavit states.
After that tip was received, "the investigation was reopened by the Investigations Bureau of the Washington County Attorney's Office," the office said Tuesday.
As an investigator began looking into Vander Meer's past as a youth pastor, "I learned about his inappropriate behavior with the children/minors in his youth group ministry, which he oversaw as the youth pastor. I learned of David's infidelity and unfaithfulness during his marriage to Bernadette, which went on for years prior to Bernadette's passing. I learned about David's deceptive nature and descriptive storytelling, which led several witnesses to believe David had pushed Bernadette to her death," the affidavit states.
In December, investigators met with the woman who was a teen when she began an inappropriate relationship with David Vander Meer, according to the affidavit.
"(She) recalls David never talked about their future together, but did make one statement that has always stuck with her. Prior to Bernadette's passing, (she) recalls David telling her, the only way they could be together is if Bernadette was not alive," the affidavit states.
The woman says she ended her relationship with Vander Meer, but about two or three months after Bernadette's death, the woman and David Vander Meer resumed their relationship.
"In 2008, David had been fired from his pastor job for providing underage youth alcohol. (The woman) and David legally got married in 2008, so David could be on (her) health insurance. (She) and David publicly married in 2010," according to the affidavit. The two divorced in 2014 when the woman suspected Vander Meer of infidelity.
Earlier this year, investigators met with officers who were working the day Bernadette Vander Meer died.
"Of those officers who worked in the park, they indicate the location where the incident occurred to be very unusual, as accidents don't usually happen there. An officer recalled David's statements and demeanor to be 'contrived.' Another officer stated the incident seemed strange because it was far too convenient- the location, the time of morning and no witnesses," according to the affidavit.
Investigators also note in their affidavit that the "evidence directly conflicts with David's statement of events the day of the incident." Based on the time of the sunrise on that day and in the part of the park they were in, the sunrise was still over 30 minutes away from when Vander Meer claimed he was trying to get a picture of his wife with the sunrise in the background, the affidavit states.
"David knew his wife was unhappy and they had talked of divorce. David knew his wife was suspicious of the infidelity and was catching on to his actions," investigators further noted in their affidavit.
On June 22, U.S. Marshals arrested David Vander Meer on the warrant.
The Washington County Attorney's Office asked anyone with relevant information regarding David Vander Meer to call 435-301-7100.
According to her obituary, "Bernadette worked at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino. She was a worship leader at New Song Christian Church, where her husband and brother-in-law are pastors."
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