David Vander Meer was arrested in June 2026 on allegations that he pushed his wife, Bernadette, off Angels Landing in 2006 to be with a teenage mistress and collect a $600,000 insurance payout. Prosecutors say he groomed the girl from age 14 and was sexually involved by 16; the mistress later provided information that led to his arrest. Vander Meer was found dead in his jail cell days after his arrest, a death officials say followed the discovery of a suicide note; charges were subsequently dropped.
Pastor Allegedly Pushed Wife Off Angels Landing to Be With Teen Mistress, Prosecutors Say
David and Bernadette Vander Meer after he proposed in 1996Credit: Courtesy Laura GudenKauf
David Vander Meer was arrested in June 2026 on allegations that he pushed his 29-year-old wife, Bernadette Vander Meer, off Angels Landing in Zion National Park in August 2006 so he could be with a teenage mistress and collect a $600,000 life-insurance payout, according to prosecutors and investigative documents.
Allegations and Investigation
A probable cause affidavit from the Washington County Attorney’s Office, obtained by PEOPLE, alleges that Vander Meer groomed the girl beginning when she was 14 while he served as her youth pastor in Las Vegas. Investigators say the relationship turned sexual when she was 16 and that Vander Meer arranged secret meetings in motels and at the church.
David Vander Meer (above in 2018)
The affidavit states the woman moved into an apartment paid for by Vander Meer as his wife, Bernadette, grew suspicious. On Aug. 20, 2006, the mistress reportedly told Vander Meer she wanted to end the relationship and pursue someone else. Two days later, on Aug. 22, prosecutors say, Bernadette fell to her death from Angels Landing while the couple was hiking to mark their 10th wedding anniversary.
Aftermath And Relationships
The documents say the teenager later sat shiva with Vander Meer and attended Bernadette’s memorial service. After Bernadette’s death, Vander Meer and the mistress began a relationship, but she told investigators he insisted on seeing other women as well; that arrangement reportedly continued until about 2008.
Angels Landing in Zion National ParkCredit: Getty
The pair were reportedly secretly married in 2008 — the mistress later told investigators that the private ceremony was largely to provide Vander Meer with health insurance after he was fired as a youth pastor for inappropriate behavior with minors. They held a public wedding in 2010 and divorced by 2014, with the ex-wife citing Vander Meer’s continued affairs; she also reported later testing positive for a sexually transmitted infection, which she said corroborated ongoing infidelity.
Arrest, Death And Legal Consequences
According to PEOPLE, the former mistress provided information that led to Vander Meer’s arrest on June 22, 2026, nearly two decades after Bernadette’s death. Two days after his arrest, prison staff found Vander Meer lifeless in his cell; he was pronounced dead on June 25. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reports obtained by PEOPLE say a suicide note was found in his cell.
Vander Meer faced the possibility of life in prison on the murder charge and potential financial penalties for alleged insurance fraud after investigators say he took out and cashed a $600,000 policy on his wife’s life shortly after her fall. Following his death, prosecutors dropped all charges; reports indicate assets tied to Vander Meer can pass to heirs without penalties related to Bernadette’s death.
Sources And Legal Notes
The allegations summarized here are based on the Washington County probable cause affidavit and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reports, as reported by PEOPLE. Vander Meer was accused but not convicted when he died; criminal charges were dismissed after his death.
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