Overview
- Washington County prosecutors charged David Vander Meer this week with murder and insurance fraud in the 2006 death of his wife Bernadette at Angels Landing after investigators reopened the cold case following new tips.
- A probable-cause affidavit alleges Vander Meer groomed and had a sexual relationship with a former youth-group member who told investigators he said the only way they could be together was if his wife were dead.
- The papers cite a possible financial motive, saying Vander Meer increased the couple’s life insurance in 2005 and collected about $567,000 after Bernadette’s death in 2007.
- Investigators reexamined the original account using satellite imagery and astronomical timing to note inconsistencies in Vander Meer’s story and in where accidental falls typically occur on the trail.
- Vander Meer was arrested in Las Vegas by U.S. Marshals on Monday and was found with self-sustained injuries in jail on June 24, and a judge announced on June 25 that he had died in custody so the coroner and prosecutors will complete reviews and the criminal case cannot proceed against him as charged.