---
title: "Man Charged in Wife’s 2006 Angels Landing Death Found Dead in Las Vegas Jail Cell"
url: "https://camperfaqs.com/man-charged-in-wifes-2006-angels-landing-death-found-dead-in-las-vegas-jail-cell"
author: "Tory Jon"
published: "2026-06-25T10:18:03-05:00"
modified: "2026-06-25T10:18:05-05:00"
---

# Man Charged in Wife’s 2006 Angels Landing Death Found Dead in Las Vegas Jail Cell

David Vander Meer, a former Las Vegas youth pastor who had just been charged with murder in his wife’s 2006 fall from Angels Landing in Zion National Park, was found dead in a Las Vegas jail cell before his first scheduled court appearance.

 

Vander Meer, 48, was arrested earlier this week on murder and insurance fraud charges filed by the Washington County Attorney’s Office in Utah. His death was announced Thursday by a Las Vegas judge who had been set to oversee his extradition hearing, according to [FOX 13 Utah](https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/washington-county/man-arrested-this-week-for-wifes-2006-death-found-dead-in-vegas-jail-cell).

 

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said an inmate, later identified as Vander Meer, was found Wednesday at the Clark County Detention Center with self-sustained injuries. He was taken to a hospital and declared dead early Thursday, FOX 13 reported.

 

Vander Meer had been charged in connection with the death of his wife, Bernadette Vander Meer, who fell from Angels Landing on Aug. 22, 2006. The couple had been visiting Zion National Park from Las Vegas.

 

Bernadette was 29 when she died. At the time, investigators described her death as an apparent accident.

 

The case was reopened nearly two decades later after Washington County investigators received a tip. According to court documents cited by [FOX 13 Utah](https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/southern-utah/former-youth-pastor-charged-in-wifes-deadly-2006-fall-from-angels-landing), the tip came from Vander Meer’s former boss at his church, who told investigators he believed Bernadette’s death was not an accident.

 

Vander Meer had told detectives that he and Bernadette hiked to Angels Landing early that morning to take sunrise photos. He said he was moving backpacks when he heard his wife scream as she was falling, then ran along the trail to find someone with better cell service to call 911.

 

Bernadette’s body was found hours later at the base of Angels Landing.

 

Court documents cited by FOX 13 also said investigators reviewed the couple’s life insurance policies. The couple initially had policies worth about $150,000 each and later increased them to about $600,000 each.

 

The same documents said a search of the couple’s hotel room after the fall found no evidence of violence, and no signs of a struggle appeared on the items found on Bernadette’s body.

 

Vander Meer had been charged, but he had not been convicted. With his death, the criminal case is not expected to proceed against him.

 

Angels Landing is one of Zion National Park’s most famous hikes. The route includes a narrow, exposed final section with chains and steep drop-offs.

 

The [National Park Service](https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/angels-landing-hiking-permits.htm) requires permits for hikers going beyond Scout Lookout to Angels Landing. The permit system began in 2022 to manage crowding and improve the visitor experience on the trail.

 

This case is separate from current trail operations at Zion, but it has brought renewed attention to one of the park’s most recognizable and dangerous hikes.