Tragic details are now emerging from a case that has left the entire community in LA stunned.
29-year-old Bernadette Vander Meer plunged to her death from Angels Landing in Zion National Park, and that too on the joyous occasion of her 10th anniversary.
Sadly, many did not know that her pastor husband was more than meets the eye. He was a man who had the most evil intentions. David Vander Meer called the matter an accident and acted like he mourned his wife's death. In reality, the story was deeper and darker than just that.
The case ended up being reclassified as a homicide nearly 20 years later. In June of 2026, David was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife. More details revealed that his teen mistress was on the fatal trip that they had planned. And she also was by his side at his wife's funeral.
He met the young woman at a church service, and the victim's friend knew that they were having an affair, as things didn't look right. Sadly, her guess was right, and he indeed did everything to continue on with his teen mistress, even if that meant murdering his wife.