Suicide Note Found After Former Pastor’s Apparent Suicide in Jail

A former pastor, David Vander Meer, who was implicated in the death of his wife, Bernadette, two decades ago, was found deceased in his prison cell. This event unfolded at the Clark County Detention Center in Nevada, where he had been held on charges of murder and insurance fraud related to his wife’s passing. Reports indicate he was discovered face down and unresponsive around 9:30 p.m. on June 24.

According to police documents, officers attempted to revive him with chest compressions shortly after he was seen sitting in his cell. Vander Meer, 49, was later transported to University Medical Center, exhibiting signs of “self-harm,” and he was pronounced dead in the early hours of the following day.

A handwritten suicide note was located in his cell, though details about its contents remain undisclosed. Interestingly, authorities noted that Bernadette had shown no suicidal tendencies while awaiting extradition to Utah, where her unfortunate fall occurred.

Vander Meer’s death came just three days after his booking for the alleged murder and fraud. Initially, Bernadette’s fall from the Angel’s Landing Trail in Utah’s Zion National Park was deemed an accident. However, nearly 20 years later, the case was revisited after concerns were raised that it might not have been accidental—specifically, that David may have pushed her.

The couple had been hiking to celebrate their anniversary in August 2006 when Vander Meer claimed he turned to find Bernadette falling, reportedly screaming as she plunged more than 1,000 feet. After the incident, he ran down the trail to seek help, while her body was later found by search teams.

Documents reveal troubling information about Vander Meer’s actions prior to his wife’s death. Allegations surfaced about an inappropriate relationship he had with an underage girl since he was 16, during which he reportedly expressed that they could only be together if his wife was “not alive.” Bernadette had become suspicious of his fidelity the year before her death, particularly when she discovered he was maintaining a place for encounters with underage girls.

Interestingly, the girl concluded their relationship just a day before the hiking trip. Following Bernadette’s death, Vander Meer’s role in the church came into question, leading to his termination after allegations of hosting a party for underage congregants involving alcohol surfaced.

Records indicate he subsequently married the girl once she was of legal age, but they were divorced in 2014 after claims of infidelity surfaced again. In the meantime, Vander Meer’s insurance manipulations were alarming; he had increased Bernadette’s life insurance policy from $150,000 to $600,000 shortly before her death.

Though Vander Meer faced serious charges, his death has brought a peculiar sense of relief to Bernadette’s parents, who expressed a sense of closure, saying they were thankful they would not need to endure a trial.