A former youth pastor who was set to look in courtroom Thursday for the decades-old homicide of his spouse is now useless, a Las Vegas decide introduced in courtroom.
“He is not right here; he is deceased,” the decide mentioned earlier than adjourning the listening to.
David Vander Meer, 49, was charged with homicide and insurance coverage fraud within the demise of his then-29-year-old spouse Bernadette Vander Meer earlier this week. He was accused of killing his spouse in 2006 and amassing her $600,000 life insurance coverage coverage, in accordance with courtroom data.
The day David Vander Meer was set to look in courtroom, Las Vegas police introduced Thursday {that a} “49-year-old male inmate” on the Clark County Detention Heart with “self-sustained accidents” was transported to an area hospital the place he was pronounced deceased.
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Photos – PHOTO: Angel’s Touchdown at Zion Nationwide Park, Oct. 6, 2025, in Springdale, Utah.
Police mentioned the inmate had been on the detention heart since June 22, the identical day David Vander Meer was arrested.
The Clark County Coroner’s Workplace will launch the official explanation for demise and identification of the inmate, police mentioned Thursday.
In response to courtroom data, David Vander Meer collected over $567,000 in life insurance coverage, which he allegedly used to dwell “lavishly.” He allegedly, in accordance with courtroom data, purchased automobiles for a lady he had groomed and one other member of the youth group, and took the group on a number of all-expense-paid journeys.
David Vander Meer utilized for $150,000 life insurance coverage insurance policies for himself and his spouse in 2005. He then raised their insurance policies to $550,000 every in November 2005, lower than a yr earlier than his spouse’s demise, in accordance with courtroom data.
In August 2006, David Vander Meer and his spouse went to Zion Nationwide Park to have a good time their anniversary. The 2 went on a hike to the summit of Angels Touchdown beginning at 4:20 a.m., in accordance with courtroom paperwork.
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David Vander Meer informed investigators that he went to maneuver their backpacks out of the best way so he may take a shot of his spouse, and whereas his again was turned, he heard her scream as she fell, in accordance with courtroom paperwork.
He informed investigators on the time that he didn’t see her journey or hear something earlier than she fell to her demise, in accordance with prosecutors.
On the time, David Vander Meer informed investigators he had by no means been untrue to his spouse and that she had by no means been untrue to him, in accordance with courtroom paperwork.
Bernadette Vander Meer’s demise was dominated an accident, and the case was closed on the time “though investigators felt the circumstances have been suspicious,” in accordance with courtroom data.
In April 2022, native regulation enforcement obtained a tip from a earlier youth group member that David Vander Meer had been utilizing “his place of particular belief to groom children,” in accordance with courtroom paperwork.
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One of many kids he had allegedly groomed and was in a sexual relationship with on the time of Bernadette Vander Meer’s demise was interviewed by investigators wanting into the tip, in accordance with courtroom paperwork.
The unnamed particular person informed investigators she was in an ongoing sexual relationship with David Vander Meer from when she was 16 years outdated till the age of 19 to twenty, in accordance with courtroom paperwork.
She informed investigators that she ended the connection with David Vander Meer the night time earlier than he had left along with his spouse for the 2006 anniversary journey the place Bernadette Vander Meer died, in accordance with courtroom data.
The unnamed particular person informed investigators that David Vander Meer informed the youth group he was taking an image of his spouse on the high of Angel’s Touchdown and when he turned to get one thing out of his bag, he heard a scream and he or she was gone, in accordance with courtroom data.
Prosecutors mentioned this conflicted with the assertion he gave investigators on the time of the incident.
The case was closed in 2022 and was not adopted up on, in accordance with courtroom data.
In October 2025, Barry Diamond, the senior pastor of the church David Vander Meer labored at up to now, informed the Washington County Lawyer’s Workplace he believed the demise was not an accident and that David Vander Meer had pushed his spouse, in accordance with courtroom data.
Diamond informed investigators that a number of members of the youth group, who’re all at present adults, additionally recalled inappropriate relationships with David Vander Meer, considered one of which was sexual, in accordance with courtroom data.
Investigators then interviewed a number of youth group members who reported David Vander Meer had been untrue to his spouse for years earlier than she died, and several other different people interviewed by regulation enforcement mentioned that they had suspected he killed his spouse, in accordance with courtroom data.
Amongst these interviewed was the feminine with whom David Vander Meer allegedly had a sexual relationship with on the time of his spouse’s demise, courtroom data mentioned. She informed investigators that she met David Vander Meer when she was 14 years outdated and recalled him “giving her particular consideration, shopping for her presents and giving her gradual bodily affection,” in accordance with courtroom paperwork.
She informed investigators their relationship turned sexual in 2002, when she was 16 years outdated, whereas he was married, in accordance with courtroom paperwork. On the time, David Vander Meer was 25 years outdated, she informed investigators, courtroom data mentioned.
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She informed investigators that after the preliminary occasion, each subsequent time she met with David Vander Meer, it led to them having intercourse, courtroom data mentioned.
In some unspecified time in the future, his spouse turned suspicious and the lady described a time when Bernadette Vander Meer arrived on the church throughout one of many instances the unnamed lady was with David Vander Meer. He allegedly made the lady meet along with his spouse, who was “pounding” on the door, and inform her he was not there, in accordance with courtroom paperwork.
David Vander Meer additionally bought the lady a secret telephone to contact her and organize conferences to proceed their relationship, she informed investigators. Cellphone firm data corroborated the lady’s account, in accordance with courtroom data.
Previous to his spouse’s demise, David Vander Meer informed the unnamed lady “the one manner they may very well be collectively is that if Bernadette was not alive,” in accordance with courtroom data.
She informed investigators that when she turned 18 years outdated, David Vander Meer informed her to maneuver out of her household’s home and dwell with one other lady from church. She mentioned he paid her hire for over a yr, in accordance with courtroom data.
The lady mentioned she ended the connection the night time earlier than David and Bernadette Vander Meer left for his or her 2006 anniversary journey. She informed investigators they resumed their sexual relationship two to 3 months after Bernadette Vander Meer’s demise.
David Vander Meer was fired from his job in 2008 for offering underage youth alcohol, in accordance with courtroom data. He then married the unnamed particular person to be on her medical health insurance, in accordance with courtroom data.
They publicly married in 2010 and divorced in 2014, in accordance with courtroom data. Their marriage was marked by “instability, feelings distance and ongoing infidelity,” in accordance with courtroom data.
Investigators additionally discovered inconsistencies in David Vander Meer’s account of his spouse’s demise, figuring out it was unlikely the solar had begun to rise earlier than she fell to her demise, as he had informed investigators, in accordance with courtroom data.