Former Youth Pastor Charged in Wife's Death Dies in Custody

David Vander Meer, a former youth pastor and Las Vegas-based yoga instructor, died in jail days after being charged with murdering his wife Bernadette during a hiking trip at Utah's Zion National Park in 2006. The charges came following new evidence that implicated him in grooming and sexually abusing a minor from his youth group ministry.

Vander Meer, 49, was found deceased ahead of an extradition hearing scheduled for Thursday. He had been arrested on Monday and charged with murder and insurance fraud connected to Bernadette's death. According to court documents, the former youth group member revealed that Vander Meer told her they could only be together if his wife was not alive.

Investigators reopened the case in 2025 after receiving new information about Vander Meer's past actions. They discovered he had increased life insurance policies for himself and Bernadette from $150,000 to $550,000 each before her death. After her fall, which was initially ruled an accident, Vander Meer received a payout of approximately $567,439.

Bernadette's parents had long suspected foul play in their daughter's death. Her father, Richard Gudenkauf, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Bernadette was an experienced hiker and unlikely to fall off a cliff accidentally. The couple had recently raised their life insurance policies and were reportedly having marital issues at the time of her death.

Vander Meer's former boss, Barry Diamond, expressed his condolences upon hearing of Vander Meer's death, stating that there were no winners in this tragedy. Bernadette was remembered as a loving individual who gave glory and honor to God in everything she did. The case had been closed due to a lack of evidence but was reopened after new information came to light.

According to records from the Clark County Office of the Coroner, Vander Meer died on Thursday and his death is pending investigation. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said that a 49-year-old male inmate at the Clark County Detention Center was taken to University Medical Center 'to be treated for self-sustained injuries' on Wednesday but did not name the inmate. The man died on Thursday, police said.

The inmate had been in custody at CCDC since June 22 and was a fugitive from another state, police said. Police said the inmate's name and cause and manner of death would be released by the coroner. Justice of the Peace Eric Goodman announced in court Thursday morning that Vander Meer was dead, local news outlet KLAS reported.

Vander Meer had told investigators that he and his wife were celebrating their 10-year anniversary when they hiked to the top of Angels Landing — a tall rock formation in Zion National Park — in 2006. He claimed she fell to her death while he was about 5 to 10 feet away, setting up a camera to take her picture as the sun rose.

After receiving the life insurance payout, Vander Meer allegedly bought SH and another youth group member a car. He also purchased a house and took several trips, authorities said. Diamond said he later fired Vander Meer after learning that he threw parties for underage church members, with alcohol and gambling. In 2008 Vander Meer — then unemployed — entered a private marriage agreement with SH to get health benefits through her job, according to authorities.

They publicly married in 2010, but divorced in 2014.In 2022 the case involving Bernadette’s death was reopened for authorities to follow up on allegations reported by a former youth group member. Investigators interviewed SH about her relationship with Vander Meer, but no charges were filed.

In October, new information confirmed Vander Meer’s relationship with SH, prompting authorities to renew the investigation.