David Vander Meer said he turned off his headlamp to photograph his wife against the sunrise. He told people he wanted to capture Bernadette Vander Meer on top of Angels Landing in Zion National Park. His story had a problem. A big one.
According to The Las Vegas Review-Journal, prosecutors believe they were able to verify that “sunrise was still 30 to 34 minutes away” when she fell.
On August 22, 2006, at 6:20 a.m., the sun had not yet risen. According to prosecutors, sunrise was still roughly 30 to 34 minutes away.
Taking a photograph without a flash in those conditions would have been difficult.
While it hasn’t broken the case wide open, it can be considered fairly solid evidence in a murder case that started 20 years ago.
The Arrest
A few days ago, David Vander Meer stopped being the victim of a tragic accident. Arrested, Vander Meer, formerly a Las Vegas youth pastor, faces murder and insurance fraud charges.
Utah law is strict. As NBC News noted, “the state does not have a statute of limitations on murder charges.”
While it seems as if the case might be circumstantial, the prosecution did construct a tight case from astronomy data, financial records, and old affairs.
The Impossible Sunrise
Vander Meer told park rangers he stepped back to adjust his gear. He wanted to take a picture. He said the morning light was just starting to break.
The timeline didn’t match. Investigators checked astronomical charts for that morning in 2006. The sun hadn’t risen. He couldn’t have seen her clearly.
Prosecutors contend the conditions would have made such a photograph unlikely.
His story kept changing. Originally, he claimed that he went to grab something from his backpack. But four years ago, he recollected that he moved bags out of the camera frame.
Memory is a fickle thing. Perhaps he really doesn’t remember exactly.
First responders weren’t buying it. Officers at the scene described his behavior as “contrived,” according to the court affidavit.
The Financial Noose
The money told a story too. Months before the hike, Davis Vander Meer raised the couple’s life insurance policy from $150,000 to around $600,000. He collected.
Red flags rose. Why? 8 News Now reported that the prosecution believes the money was used to fund a “lavish lifestyle.”
He bought vehicles for young church members. He paid for his mistress’s apartment. This wasn’t his first insurance payday.
Weeks before Bernadette died, Vander Meer reported his SUV stolen. It turned up totaled near his house. $46,000 richer, good for him. These things happen.
But, a big but: previously, he filed four other claims that seemed suspicious.
A Secret Relationship
The investigation picked up steam when his former mistress spoke to police. Court documents identify her as “SH.”
She confessed to an underage sexual relationship with Vander Meer. It started when she was sixteen. She broke off the affair the night before the Zion trip. It felt wrong.
Later, she went back to him.They married in 2008, so it clearly didnt feel wrong anymore. The marriage was short-lived, and they divorced in 2014.
She told police the marriage mostly happened so Vander Meer could get health insurance. Talk about romance.
More importantly, she gave prosecutors one of the most damaging statements in the case.
During an interview late last year, she said Vander Meer told her “the only way they could be together is if Bernadette was not alive.”
Bernadette allegedly already knew about the cheating. Her family gave police letters. She planned to file for divorce. A divorce would have exposed his relationship with a minor.
It would have ruined his career. Prosecutors argue he had a motive to prevent the marriage from collapsing.
Hearsay perhaps, but little things have a habit of adding up, as Kouri Richins found out.
A Pattern of Behavior
Other people noticed red flags too. The case officially reopened after Barry Diamond contacted police. Diamond was Vander Meer’s former senior pastor.
Diamond explicitly said he believed the death was a homicide. He confirmed the church fired Vander Meer for “throwing parties for underage members” that involved gambling and alcohol.
Other youth group members came forward. They described his grooming habits. The fall itself raised suspicions.
Then, there was the victim, Bernadette Vander Meer. Her dad never believed his “mountain goat” daughter tripped on a cliff. No ledges. No trees to break a fall. She fell 1,200 feet.
Again, beliefs don’t make a murderer.
However, circumstantial evidence can be powerful.
Sterling Defense notes that “it relies on inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact.” Utah prosecutors don’t need a video of the crime. They just need to eliminate every other reasonable explanation.
To investigators, a tragic accident no longer appeared to be the most likely explanation.
Extradition
Held in Las Vegas for now, the extradition hearing takes place on Thursday this week. He can fight the transfer to Utah.
His options are slim. David Vander Meer can only challenge paperwork errors or claim mistaken identity.
He can’t argue his innocence yet. If he refuses to sign the waiver, Utah authorities have thirty days to come get him.
That happens once the governor signs the warrant.
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