Overview
- U.S. Marshals arrested David Vander Meer in Las Vegas on June 22, 2026, and the Washington County Attorney’s Office charged him with murder and insurance fraud in the 2006 death of his wife, Bernadette Vander Meer.
- A probable-cause affidavit filed by prosecutors alleges new testimonial leads, including a former youth-group member identified as SH, claim a sexual relationship began when she was a minor and that Vander Meer said Bernadette would have to be "not alive" for them to be together; those claims remain allegations in an open case.
- Prosecutors point to a substantial increase in the couple’s life insurance before Bernadette’s death and a 2007 payout of roughly $567,000 as part of the asserted financial motive for the charges.
- Bernadette’s 2006 fall from Angels Landing was originally ruled an accident, but tips first received in 2022 and additional information from a former supervisor in October 2025 prompted investigators to reinterview witnesses and reopen the file.
- Vander Meer is being held in Las Vegas pending extradition, his employer placed him on administrative leave, authorities are seeking more public tips, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.